Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is being threatened with political retribution if she insists on washing her hands of torture cases tied to former Chicago Police Cmdr. Jon Burge.
Chicago Alderman Ed Smith said Tuesday sending five of the 25 Burge cases back to the Cook County state's attorney's office as Madigan requested will mean they will not be prosecuted.
Smith warned Madigan will pay a price in a race for governor or for re-election, if she insists on passing the cases back to the state's attorney's office.
Madigan aide Cara Smith said three defendants already have been set free after exhaustive investigations by the attorney general's office.
A judge gave Madigan responsibility for the cases in 2003, after ruling then-State's Attorney Dick Devine had a conflict of interest because his law firm had represented Burge.
