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Alderman Carothers Facing Corruption Charges
Produced by Sam Hudzik on Thursday, May 28, 2009
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AP File/Seth Perlman |
A Chicago alderman is facing federal corruption charges. A grand jury Thursday indicted 29th Ward Alderman Ike Carothers.
Related: The full indictment
U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald alleges that Carothers was bribed by a developer who wanted a favorable zoning change on a west side site known as Galewood Yards. Fitzgerald says Carothers supported that change, in exchange for free home repairs, meals and sporting tickets, including for a sky box at a 2005 White Sox playoff game.
FITZGERALD: Whether someone gets cash, or whether they get in-kind benefits - if someone pays for $40,000 in improvemtns on your house, it's the substantial equivalent to being paid $40,000 in cash. And I think the one thing that we would say is, if that's all proven, that there are serious consequences to it.
Carothers faces four counts of fraud, one count of accepting a bribe and one count of filing a false tax return. The contractor in the case, Calvin Boender was also charged.
Carothers is a 10-year city council veteran, and chair of the prominent police and fire committee. In a statement, the alderman says he has not yet seen the charges, and has no further comment at this time.
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nate colt, Chicago // Thursday, May 28, 2009 @ 4:19 PM
What took the Feds so long. Prison, there's always room for one more.
Has anyone else noticed, since Blago is no longer around, the march to reform seems to have died
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