Posted on 09/21/2006 11:43:19 AM PDT by chicagolady
FBI agents descended on Cook County government offices this morning, serving a search warrant in an investigation that apparently centers on county hiring practices.
FBI agents could be seen carrying boxes of documents out of the Cook County Human Resources Department at 118 N. Clark St., as county human resources director Mark Kilgallon and county general counsel Laura Lechowicz Felicione looked on.
“We are fully cooperating” with the investigation, Felicione said.
While the seizure of documents proceeded downtown, federal agents served the search warrant at other county offices, too — including Provident Hospital, Cermak Hospital and the forest preserve district.
The federal agents hit the county offices starting at 9:15 a.m.
FBI spokesman Ross Rice said the search warrant is tied to a criminal affidavit that is under seal. “We’re looking for possible evidence of a crime,” Rice said. No arrests have been made and no charges filed, FBI sources said.
The search warrant comes one month after the Chicago Sun-Times reported that county officials said they routinely were told to hire politically connected candidates for county jobs over candidates who scored higher on civil service exams. A Cook County Highway Department supervisor, Eric Petraitis, said he felt coerced to change test scores to hire candidates connected to former Cook County Board President John Stroger.
Following that report, County Board President Bobbie Steele ordered the suspension, with pay, of Stroger’s patronage chief, Gerald Nichols, and four lower-level employees responsible for administering employment tests.
The Sun-Times also reported in late August that nearly 1,300 people were added to the Cook County payroll in the months after Stroger suffered a stroke.
(Excerpt) Read more at suntimes.com ...
I LOVE U.S. Attorney PATRICK FITGERALD !!
WOOOHOOOOOO!!!
Praise the Lord!!
There is a GOD!!
Illinois Fighting corruption ping!!
He's on a mission from God.
MARK. And please do pay attention of the brave fight FOR pate de fois being waged by the Chicago mayor. I guess tge goose crapola just isn't hiding the real "stuff" going down in Cook County: Stuffing "partisan" hacks down the throats of citizens. Oh, my.
What is pate de fois and how do I get some?
The perverbial Sh#t is hitting the fan!! WooHoo!!
Shakman goes after county hiring
August 29, 2006
BY ABDON M. PALLASCH Staff Reporter
Attorney Michael Shakman asked a federal judge Monday to appoint a monitor to oversee all hiring in Cook County government -- just as the judge has done for the city of Chicago.
Shakman's motion is based on two Chicago Sun-Times investigative reports about patronage hiring in Cook County government.
Shakman is the attorney who filed the 1969 lawsuit that forced the city, county and other local governments to forbid hiring and firing based on political clout. But as the Sun-Times stories have shown and as Shakman's motion alleges, patronage hiring has become rampant in county government again.
"It has become clear that . . . Cook County has engaged in substantial, illegal patronage hiring and promotion of non-exempt employees in violation of the judgement," Shakman states in his motion.
INVESTIGATION SOUGHT
The motion also cited last year's Sun-Times story that Commissioner Roberto Maldonado's office ............((PLEASE MAKE COOK COUNTY A SANTUARY COUNTY FOR ALL ILLEGAL ALIENS)) maintained a "clout list" of 100 people looking for county jobs, along with notations such as, "Refused to work on election day. Placed in tough shift."
The motion asked the judge to rule to show cause why Nichols, Robinson, Maldonado and former Ald. William Krystiniak -- whom Petraitis also identified as manipulating test scores to hire the clouted -- should not be held in contempt for violating the decree.
Daley better get his teflon suit ready.
you'll love this
A little late. this should have taken place during the Eisenhower administration.
As long as the HISPANIC DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZATION of Illinois GETS SCR*WED, So be it.
Bend over Congressman Luis Gutierez
Tom Tancredo was right!
Thank you Senator Fitzgerald.
L
I guess someone didn't get their kickback and they are pissed off!
Talk about a target-rich environment for an investigator!
Yes, it's a pretty much cannot miss situation!
Patrick J. IS the TOP Enchilada!!
Couldn't have happened at a better time! Elections are coming!!
This should have taken place during the McKinley administration.
This just means that someone in the Dirksen Building didn't stay bought. A little "grease" and the investigation will fade.
Pate (pah-tay) (I'm missing the accent mark over the 'e') is usually chicken livers, seasoned and herbed. Fois de Gras is duck or goose livers, seasoned and herbed. Southern France makes some of the best fois de gras in the world. Pate is the poorer man's fois de gras. I used to make my own pate or fois de gras for parties, or for when I wished to get my iron levels up (with some dry toast, first thing in the morning).
Try a search engine for either and your location. It used to be that many butcher shops carried pate as a specialty and I know it can still be purchased in most "special" deli sections of fancier big supermarkets.
Chicago has issued a "ban" on fois de gras -- "cruelty" to geese, yeknew. But the Chefs of Chicago are fighting back with a fury against the ban. How dare the Aldermen of Chicago dictate whom may eat what! I stand with the Chefs!
There is also a a man in Sebastopol, California who treats his geese very well and markets a fantastic fois de gras.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.