Ald. Isaac Carothers wore wire for a year

[BlueJessamine]

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

INDICTED | Daley ally charged with fraud and bribery despite reported cooperation with feds in probe of officials, developers

One of Mayor Daley's closest allies on the City Council has been wearing a wire and secretly recording "public officials and real estate developers" for more than a year, a City Hall bombshell that was revealed in a federal court document Thursday.

Ald. Isaac "Ike" Carothers (29th) was charged Thursday with fraud and bribery for allegedly accepting $40,000 in home improvements and other gifts from a politically connected developer, but he has been cooperating with the feds since April 2008, according to court papers.

A government motion filed in February asked to keep under seal the indictment of the developer -- Calvin Boender -- until May. It was unsealed Thursday.

The document identifies Carothers as "Public Official A" -- with clear identifiers pointing to him, including a reference to one of his family members running for Congress in 2004.



Read more: http://www.suntimes.com/news/cityhall/1597858,isaac-carothers-wire-chicago-politics-daley.article

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There's no indication where Carothers' year of cooperation led.

-He has been somewhat radioactive since the Sun-Times reported last year he was under federal scrutiny. Colleagues have been suspicious he has been wearing a wire, City Hall sources say.


Just like in the Alaska Stevens case, it is alleged that Carothers acceptted improvements to his home in the South Austin neighborhood from Boender, as well as meals and 2005 White Sox playoff tickets.

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald teased the media yesterday:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x452081

"Approaching the end of a week already dominated by judiciary events, The Associated Press is running an intriguing story announcing that Chicago-based U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is poised this afternoon to announce new public corruption charges against an unnamed elected official."

According to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office, there are two separate criminal cases. One involves public corruption and the other involves racketeering, armed robberies, arson and illegal gambling.

[AngryAmish]

1. His dad went to jail for the same thing

Except his dad went to jail for repairs to his aldermanic office.

Ike is from an old Daley supporting family. Political dynasty, really. The guy who was indicated with him also loan US Rep. Luis Guitierrez $200K.

As Harold Washington said, we don't play this game in short pants around here.