A recent University of Illinois at Chicago report details the insane political excesses seemingly inherent in Chicago. Since 1973, 33 Chicago Aldermen have been convicted of corruption (the report, authored in 2012, cites only 31 aldermen, but does not include the Jackson and Beavers convictions). That’s just about one third of all Aldermen that served in that time period. They’re doing slightly better than Illinois governors (who have a 57% conviction rate since 1970), but that’s hardly an honor. Check out this list:
1st Ward
Alderman Fred Roti (bribery)
2nd Ward
Alderman Fred Hubbard (embezzlement)
3rd Ward
Alderman Tyrone Kenner (bribery)
5th Ward
Alderman Lawrence Bloom (bribery and income tax evasion)
7th Ward
Alderman William Beavers (tax evasion)
Alderman Sandi Jackson (using campaign funds for personal expenses)
8th Ward
Alderman Marian Humes (bribery)
9th Ward
Alderman Perry Hutchinson,(insurance fraud)
10th Ward
Alderman Ed Vrdolyak (real estate fraud)
11th Ward
Alderman Patrick Huels (resigned after receiving a loan from a company that did city business)
12th Ward
Alderman Donald Swinarski (bribery)
13th Ward
Alderman Casimir Staszcuk (bribery)
Alderman John Madrzyk (ghost payrolling)
15th Ward
Alderman Virgil Jones (bribery)
17th Ward
Alderman Allan Streeter (bribery)
20th Ward
Alderman Cliff Kelley (ghost payrolling)
Alderman Arenda Troutman (fraud)
21st Ward
Alderman Jesse Evans (bribery)
23rd Ward
Alderman Frank Kuta (bribery)
Alderman Joseph Potempa (bribery and tax evasion)
25th Ward
Alderman Ambrosio Medran (bribery)
26th Ward
Alderman Stanley Zydlo (bribery)
27th Ward
Alderman Wallace Davis (bribery)
28th Ward
Alderman Joseph Jambrone (bribery)
Alderman William Carothers (extortion)
Alderman Isaac “Ike” Carother (bribery)
31st Ward
Alderman Thomas Keane (fraud and conspiracy)
Alderman Chester Kuta (income tax evasion and fraud)
Alderman Joseph Martinez (ghost payrolling)
36th Ward
Alderman Louis Farina (extortion)
37th Ward
Alderman Percy Giles (bribery)
39th Ward
Alderman Anthony Laurino (indicted for ghost payrolling, never tried on account of health)
41st Ward
Alderman Edward Scholl (bribery)
49th Ward
Alderman Paul Wigoda (bribery)
(No one from the 51st Ward has run into trouble yet, but some of their friends have…)
Left off this list are numerous non-Aldermen politicians that hail from these neighborhoods, including the aforementioned U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. (using campaign funds for personal expenses), City Clerk Walter Kozubowski (ghost payrolling), City Clerk Jim Laski (bribery), Cook County Treasurer Edward Rosewell (ghost payrolling), State Representative Derrick Smith (indicted for bribery, trial begins in October 2013), State Representative LaShawn K. Ford (indicted for bank fraud, no trial date set), State Representative Joseph Kotlarz (theft by deception) and U.S. Representative Dan Rostenkowski (corruption) – to name a few.
