Connections Earn $$$$$
- For 30 years, Steve Brown has been the voice of Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan — a press secretary whose pronouncements often provide the only insight into the thinking of one of the state’s most powerful politicians.
But Madigan’s top aide has never been a state employee, unlike the people handling similar duties elsewhere in Illinois government.
Instead, Brown works for Madigan under a lucrative contract that lets Brown also do consulting work for other clients that rely on Madigan and the Illinois General Assembly for funding, records examined by the Chicago Sun-Times show.
Brown’s clients include a state agency and a state university. They also include a private nurse-assistant training program called New Start Inc. whose state funding more than doubled over two years, records show.
Lots of coincidences in Illinois politics. The only question we have is, "Why now?" and the answer comes to us, "Because Rauner has made it his mission to paint Madigan and his cabal as the bad guy." To which we say, "Long overdue - and good luck."
Labels: state politics
posted by SCC at 1:03 AM
21 Comments:
There's another aspect to 'why now'. The end is in sight for Madigan. Rumors abound regarding his health and neither he or his mouthpiece are getting any younger. The run is ending, one way or another, so it's probably safer to attack him now than at his peak.
It's beyond comical that these politicians get away with stuff like this over and over and over, again. Bruce, I want to see you fulfill the term limits campaign promise.
Lets just keep,this kind of stuff going for once. Time to uproot all these crooks and set them up,with a nice cell.
So because Brown draws his salary from Mike Madigan instead of directly from the state of Illinois, he can hide all his conflict-of-interest work in Springfield. What a nice legal dodge. This is all back-row-of-the-adult-theatre handjob stuff that the citizens never know about and shouldn't worry their pretty little heads about. Just keep the Machine rolling... right off the edge of the cliff.
He might actually be dirtier than daley which is a tough number to beat. I'd love to see his ass brought down and have the books opened up! His daughter too!!
How much does the guy make per year?
I didn't think the SLUM TIMES had any investigative reporters left.
Time for cuts in big government. Why are they allowing all this foreign aid to be paid out to other countries while many of our own cities and states need that money. Seems those in charge don't know about taking care your own home first, before helping out others.
Maybe our Attorney General can look into this.....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
An election or two ago, I asked another person who watches the spectacle of Il. politics, how it was that Madigan's Machine runs so smoothly, while other Democrat Ward organizations still stumble and are always on the verge of violating the Shakman Decree. The "Sage" told me Madigan is a "Visionary". Years ago he realized that blatant patronage in public employment was subject to scrutiny which could cause problems. So he took "his people" and buried them in Private Sector jobs that did business with the State, but were not in fact actual state or municipal entities. Madigan as a reference, or one of his lackeys on the application was the secret code for employment in several companies doing business with the State. Looking into sponsorship in say, a firm that contracts with the State, but Is Not a State Agency, is much more difficult that just filing a Freedom of Information Act request to a Public Agency. Madigan began to do this almost 20 yrs. ago. So today, he never has to worry about some T.V. station catching his sponsored City employee or State employee doing campaign work on taxpayers dime. Madigan's Patronage Hacks have Legit Private Sector Employment, railroads, ad firms, construction companies, etc.. As much as I detest the Madigan, Daley and Cullerton Crime Families; one has to admit that Madigan is the slickest of them all, though Daley appears to have caused more damage for us City employees, former or present. Daley was King Dick II, but Madigan is an Imperial Emperor! "G"
this isn't a criminal violation? only in this corrupt state.......
Read the link to the article: Brown's "consultant" work sounds alot like payoffs for lobbying work. Un-effin-believable. How has Mike Madigan gotten away with this for so long? And of course, none of his "clients" will tell the media what Brown has really done for them. Let's see the product of his work with all these clients......hah that won't happen because he did no work other than lobbying. If it smells like garbage, don't tell me it's roses.
SO he has no ethics rules? He can accept cash? No FOIA because he is not a state employee?
So if a commander in a district hired his own secreatry she would not be bound by any rules? If this ass hat can walk on the floor of the capital he should be held to the same standards.
Could you imagine a billionaire like RAUNER he could have whole company doing state work and it would all be secret. Opps forget i said that, never mind media it is way too complicated to explain.
Even the feds don't try and bust up the Madigan/daley/rahmy dynasty. Wtf? Wtf will it take? What fucking year is it and these pigs still get away with these games? I don't include a lousy $300 check I got on a side job and the irs is sending me bs 2 months after I do my taxes! The bs these clowns have been playing for well over 100 years goes on and continues without a raised eyebrow! Lifelong Democrat until about a year or so ago. Now I say get em out! All of em and clean this fucking mess up! And for god sakes start making the shitheads pay some dam taxes for once! If an immigrant can come here not even knowing the dam language and can work his ass off to support a family and buy a home you can definitely get off your asses and do the same! "WE NEEDED TRAINING" train for what? To learn to fill out a fucking job app.?
The most frustrating voter issue is that the Speaker only answers to his district voters and then his own party minions. The 2 year gap as Speaker was when the Republicans actually won a majority & madigan became minority leader. He has been a constant "kick the can down the road" advocate when it came to pension funding. The legislature also has a role in municipal pensions. Madigan has too much power for over 30 years
. This was a member to the IL Constitutional Convention that has the section which protects our pension (Richie II was also a delegate). Now the same person directs the IL Atty Gen (his step-daughter) to fight the IL Supreme Court's Pension ruling on the Federal level. All we can do is hope that the U S Supreme Court refuses to even consider the case.
Since we can't vote against Madigan unless we live in his district - Vote Against Lisa next time she runs. And keep FOP from endorsing her!
Anonymous Anonymous said...
I didn't think the SLUM TIMES had any investigative reporters left.
8/23/2015 06:10:00 AM
They probably won't, after this article!
Yes, Berrios( assessor and head of democratic party) raises the assessments of homes and buildings and Madigans Law firm takes the case for a reduction in taxes and takes a cut. How great is that? Then two years down the line they raise taxes again and the wheel turns.
There is a reason that in 2015 Madigan still does not have a cell phone. He learned from Blago.
We don't want nobody that nobody didn't send!! Just carrying on the Shit-cago way tradition of politically connected hitin' the payday at the taxpayin' chumps expense. Middle class taxpayers, bendover.
Too bad the District Commanders can't be hand picked or voted in. Why should the Mayor or Superintendent decide? We need transparency in this department. Lord knows too much politics going on. Donald Trump we need you in Chicago.
from the TRIB:...who needs the OT when you are rewarded with a Command spot for changing your tune
Cmdr. Thomas Waldera, a 28-year veteran and head of the narcotics division, joined the lawsuit when he was still a lieutenant, but has since withdrawn.
Still, the plaintiffs' attorneys called him to testify. Waldera estimated that as a lieutenant he spent three to five hours a day working off-duty on his BlackBerry. About 100 messages would come in during off hours, not all of which required a response. But he said he did have to read them to know if he should respond.
"There was an expectation," he said. He would have missed vital information if he had ignored the messages. But when asked if he feared getting "dumped" from the unit if he didn't immediately respond, he insisted he did not.
Waldera said it was his "personal choice" not to claim BlackBerry usage as overtime, that he believed his superiors would have approved it if he had, and noted that he typically filed for 15 to 20 hours of overtime monthly as it was.
"I think they trusted my judgment," he said.
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