With the convictions of Jesse Jackson Jr., Sandi Jackson and William Beavers all coming within a month of each other, the 7th Ward entered elite company in Chicago. It’s one of only four wards with three convicted politicians, along with the 23rd, the 28th and the 31st. Here’s a list of the city’s crooked officeholders, by ward.
1. Ald. Fred Roti, bribery
2. Ald. Fred Hubbard, embellzement
3. Ald. Tyrone Kenner, bribery
4. None yet
5. Ald. Lawrence Bloom, bribery and income tax evasion
6. None yet
7. Ald. William Beavers, tax evasion; Ald. Sandi Jackson and U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., using campaign funds for personal expenses
Local
8. Ald. Marian Humes, bribery
9. Ald. Perry Hutchinson, insurance fraud
10. Ald. Ed Vrdolyak, real estate fraud
11. Ald. Patrick Huels, resigned after receiving a loan from a company that did city business
12. Ald. Donald Swinarski, bribery
13. Ald. Casimir Staszcuk, bribery; Ald. John Madrzyk, ghost payrolling
14. City Clerk Walter Kozubowski, ghost payrolling;
15. Ald. Virgil Jones, bribery
16. None yet
17. Ald. Allan Streeter, bribery
18. None yet
19. None yet
20. Ald. Cliff Kelley, ghost payrolling; Ald. Arenda Troutman, fraud
21. Ald. Jesse Evans, bribery
22. None yet
23. Ald. Frank Kuta, bribery; Ald. Joseph Potempa, bribery and tax evasion; City Clerk Jim Laski, bribery
24. Cook County Treasurer Edward Rosewell, ghost payrolling
25. Ald. Ambrosio Medrano, bribery
26. Ald. Stanley Zydlo, bribery
27. Ald. Wallace Davis, bribery; state Rep. Derrick Smith, indicted for bribery
28. Ald. Joseph Jambrone, bribery; Ald. William Carothers, extortion; Ald. Isaac “Ike” Carothers, bribery
29. State Rep. LaShawn K. Ford, indicted for bank fraud
30. None yet
31. Ald. Thomas Keane, fraud and conspiracy; Ald. Chester Kuta, income tax evasion and fraud; Ald. Joseph Martinez, ghost payrolling
32. U.S. Rep. Dan Rostenkowski, corruption
33. Gov. Rod Blagojevich,
34. None yet
35. State Rep. Joseph Kotlarz, theft by deception
36. Ald. Louis Farina, extortion
37. Ald. Percy Giles, bribery
38. None yet
39. Ald. Anthony Laurino, indicted for ghost payrolling, never tried on account of health
40. None yet
41. Ald. Edward Scholl, bribery
42. None yet
43. None yet
44. None yet
45. None yet
46. None yet
47. None yet
48. None yet
49. Ald. Paul Wigoda, bribery
50. None yet
What’s going on in the lakefront wards? Those do-gooders never get convicted of anything.
