Mayor Lori Lightfoot demands Burke step down

Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Alderman Burke stepping down

Mayor Lori Lightfoot demanded Alderman Burke step down. Alderman Burke is in real big trouble. Real Big trouble. In fact, Burke is unaware of all the Chicago City workers that took a walk to the F.B.I. headquarters in Chicago to spill the beans on this rat. Alderman Burke has fixed jobs, promotions, workers compensation cases, fixed permits, fixed TIFs, fixed elections, fixed judges, fixed union issues, fixed discipline of city workers, fixed contracts, and got lots of money and political kickbacks in return. Burke has no place in modern government.

Back when the Daley and Emanuel goons were mayor, indicted public servants could linger and continue to profit from their positions. Burke raked in millions in all the Judges races and a expected cost for being judge in Cook County. The Judge-making business was an all cash business that included free Chicago City workers and Local 130 Political Action Task Force members. We found bogus P.O. Boxes and none of the judges issued tax forms for these phony political “experts” and “consultants”.

Chicago is on the right track to clean up it’s mess. Go Mayor Lightfoot.

Chairman Alderman Scott Wagnespac Finance Committee

On November 5, 2018 at 1:09 P.M. Chicago City Hall at the Aldermanic Offices, Alderman Scott Wagnespac got a visit from Patrick McDonough, a City of Chicago Plumber. I explained what was going on with Alderman Edward Burke and the work that was being done to dispose of Burke and his scum that destroyed Chicago. I have known Alderman Wagnespac for many years but not on a personal basis. I explained how Jay Stone and I are going to sue Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Alderman Edward Burke. I am certain he thought we are full of it. Alderman Wagnespac has a smile, and, I am certain he dismissed the action we took. Well, look at things today. Chairman Wagnespac in Alderman Burke’s shoes. I hope Alderman Wagnespac remembers our conversation. We are still fighting for all Chicago injured workers and their stories must be told. To all the people that think Alderman Wagnespac is distant, you are wrong, he is guarded. All the rats that scurried to Burke will fail in thinking Alderman Wagnespac is the new henchman. Good Luck Chairman Wagnespac. More work needs to be done and a bunch of carcasses is going to looking for jobs soon. Time to fix Chicago.

Louis R. Ocasio City of Chicago DOWM Laborer R.I.P May 27, 2019

Louis Ocasio City of Chicago Laborer RIP

Louis R. Ocasio Jr. passed away this weekend. According to sources, Louis ended it after a Memorial Day Party. The Blood of Louis is on the hands of Alderman Edward Burke, The employees of the Chicago Workers’ Compensation Program, the Committee on Finance, the Department of Finance, and Chicago Attorney Stephine Lipman.

Louis was an honor to work with. He was always fixing his glasses and working with pride and dignity. Louis was one of the best laborers and would take pride and honor in all he did. Louis was victim of the constant dusts created by FA-6. Limestone dust will kill you over a period of years. To watch Louis breath was agony. To watch someone that can not take a full breathe is almost as bad as the person suffering.

Louis was just informed by the City of Chicago he would be returning to work as a watchman. Then the City told him he did not do his paperwork correctly to return to work. Then about one week ago, as Rahm Emanuel snuck out of office, the DOF stopped this man’s ability to support his family. Loius disability wages were terminated. According to information on the IWCC site, Alderman Burke’s henchman law firm Hennessey and (Cock) Roach and Chicago City Attorney Stephanie Lipman ordered Louis to return to work and that the City position was “he was able to return to work”.

According to out calculations, the City of Chicago and the Department of Water Management is now on the hook for the entire lifetime money he would have gotten if he worked. Great. Amazing how everything workers against the evil crooks that steal from injured workers.  According to my sources, Chicago went behind attorney’s workers’ compensation law firm Karchmar and Stone and told Louis he must return to work. Chicago continues to make up the laws and working people suffer and die.

I hope Mayor Lori Lightfoot reforms all the rats that work in Chicago’s Workers Compensation program.

I am sorry to Louis R. Ocasio’s family. Louis was a real man’s man. Thanks for all the hard work you did and the quality and care you took for the Citizens in Chicago. I am also sorry to this man’s family after Louis got injured. Big Chief- I salute you.

Update: Services for Louis is at Montclair-Lucania Funeral Home 6901 West Belmont Ave. Chicago June 2, 2019 3:00 P.M. -9:00 P.M. All Chicago Department of Water Management employees is expected to attend.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot May 20, 2019 Inauguration

I am again thanking Mayor Lori Lightfoot and her staff for her allowing unfettered access to her inauguration on May 20, 2019. I was lucky because this was an event that was well attended. As expected, many of the movers and shakers wanted to be seen. This is an election of great expectations. Already some are ready to criticize. If you think this is going to be easy, you are sadly mistaken.

Chicago has ingrained corruption. You can not change this easy. Rahm Emanuel made many promotions as political payback. The only way Mayor Lightfoot will change anything is to review all recent promotions and all transfers. Rahm transferred many workers and made a dump at the last minute. Many workers made aware of the Workers compensation investigation, made a miracle recovery. At least Chicago made reasonable accommodations for their friends.

Good Luck Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

Son of former Burke ally accuses him of ethics violation

Fran Spielman exposes Alderman Edward Burke again.

The alderman is alleged to have presided over workers’ comp claims for members of eight unions represented by his law firm.By Fran Spielman  May 22, 2019, 12:51pm CDTSHARE

A new ethics complaint filed Wednesday adds to the legal woes faced by Ald. Edward Burke (14th). 

Embattled Ald. Edward Burke (14th) was accused Wednesday of violating the city’s ethics ordinance by presiding over workers’ compensation claims for members of eight labor unions his law firm represented.

The complaint was filed by Jay Stone, the maverick son of former longtime Ald. Bernard Stone (50th). Until his death in December 2014, Bernard Stone was a close friend and longtime ally of Burke.

But that didn’t stop the younger Stone from compounding the legal troubles of Burke, who has already been charged with attempted extortion and is facing a broader indictment next month.

Two years ago, Stone filed a lawsuit accusing Burke of turning the city’s $100 million-a-year workers’ compensation program over to “his handpicked political appointees” in violation of the Shakman decree, which banned political hiring. The still-pending suit accused Burke of cutting disability checks as favors to political pals.

Stone’s new complaint, filed Wednesday with Inspector General Joe Ferguson, accuses Burke of administering workers’ comp claims for members of eight unions represented by Klafter & Burke: the Plumbers; Carpenters; Laborers; Firefighters Union Local 2; Teamsters; Operating Engineers; Electrical Workers and the Iron Workers Local 1.

(Operating Engineers Local 150 has an ownership stake in Sun-Times Media.)

“He’s using his influence to enhance his personal wealth,” Stone said Wednesday. “He’s using politics, his job as an alderman, to increase his legal income.”

Burke could not be reached for comment on the complaint, which pales by comparison to the attempted extortion charge against him and the June 7 deadline federal prosecutors face to indict the 50-year veteran alderman.

According to Stone, Burke’s law firm started representing two of the unions in 2013, two others in 2014 and continues to represent seven of the eight unions today.

Stone also cited the conflict of interest posed by Burke voting for a 2007 collective bargaining agreement with six of those trade unions and for the 2014 firefighters contract before acquiring all of them on as law clients.

“The unions’ hiring Alderman Burke after he voted in favor of the CBAs gives the appearances that the unions paid Alderman Burke for legal services in exchange for his political influence and union contract support,” the complaint states.

Even more egregious, Stone contends, is the conflict posed by having the Burke-chaired Finance Committee administer workers’ comp claims for members of the eight unions represented by his law firm.

According to Stone, that’s a clear violation of the city’s ethics ordinance, which prohibits public officials and city employees from making of participating in “any governmental decision with respect to any matter in which he has any financial interest distinguishable from that of the general public or from which he has derived any income or compensation” during the year before and after the decision is made.

Earlier this month, the Board of Ethics slapped Burke with a $2,000 fine for presiding over a Finance Committee hearing on Jan. 12, 2018 when aldermen debated and approved a $5.5 million subsidy to Illinois’ largest Catholic health system, in spite of Presence Health’s anti-abortion policy.

In the new complaint, Stone is arguing for a “separate ethical violation” and fine for “each time” Burke administered a workers’ comp claim involving members of the eight unions represented by his law firm.

Stone also cites 78 tax increment financing agreements that went through the Burke-chaired Finance Committee before Burke was deposed after being charged with attempted extortion.

All those TIF agreements include prevailing wage clauses that “protect the unions who hired him for his legal services” and should constitute separate ethics violations, the complaint contends.

“Ald. Burke inserted the prevailing wage clause into TIF agreements as a means to benefit the unions who hired him for legal services and contributed to his political campaigns,” the complaint states.

Stone describes himself as an “advocate” for Patrick McDonough, an injured Water Management employee who claims his worker’s comp claims were “stopped for 3.5 years” in retaliation for his decision to blow the whistle on the Hired Truck and other scandals.

In 2008, Stone won a $75,000 award from the $12 million fund created to compensate victims of City Hall’s rigged hiring system.

Federal hiring monitor Brennan believed his claims that he was a sure loser in his 2003 aldermanic election against Ald. Ted Matlak (32nd) because Matlak had the support of the political army commanded by now-convicted former First Deputy Water Commissioner Donald Tomczak.

“I’m in shock. I’m in awe,” Jay Stone said at the time.

“The message is we should hold fair and competitive elections in Chicago. I never stood a chance because I was up against a seasoned political army that was being paid for by the taxpayers of Chicago,” he said then.

At the time, veteran aldermen branded the award “outrageous,” calling it evidence that Brennan “doesn’t have a clue.”

Ethics complaint alleges Ald. Edward Burke exerted ‘improper influence’ on behalf of labor unions

Ugly dark Edward Burke

Embattled Ald. Edward Burke allegedly violated Chicago’s ethics ordinance when he used “improper influence” on behalf of labor unions who hired his private law firm but had contracts and workers’ compensation claims approved by the City Council, according to a new complaint.

Burke already is under federal investigation and was charged in January with attempted extortion after he allegedly used his influence to steer business to his firm. Chicago’s Ethics Board slapped the 14th Ward City Council member with a $2,000 fine after he participated in a fierce committee debate over millions of dollars in tax incentives that were awarded another client.

Now, activist Jay Stone said Wednesday that he has filed a complaint with City Inspector General Joseph Ferguson’s office challenging Burke’s legal work for unions representing local operating engineers, iron workers, laborers, plumbers, carpenters, firefighters, electrical workers and Teamsters.

“Ald. Burke should never have accepted the unions as a law firm client, because of their existing contracts,” said Stone, the son of former 50th Ward Ald. Bernard Stone.

“It’s a conflict of interest. You have the interests of the union and the interests of the city’s. As an alderman, you have to put the interests of the constituents and the city first.”

The complaint alleges it was improper for Burke to vote for the unions’ collective bargaining agreements and also represent them as an attorney because it created an apparent conflict of interest. Burke also had an alleged conflict of interest by representing unions whose members had workers’ compensation claims pending before the Finance Committee he chaired.

A city-commissioned audit released last week concluded the city’s workers’ compensation program needs “substantial improvement” to operate effectively and detect potential corruption, and that it operated for years with scant oversight from other departments.

Stone filed his complaint alongside Patrick McDonough, a veteran Water Department employee and frequent critic of city hiring practices.

A representative of Ferguson’s office did not respond to a request for comment. A man who answered the phone at Burke’s home declined to comment.

Stone also has filed a federal lawsuit against the city, Burke and former Mayor Rahm Emanuel that challenged the Finance Committee’s oversight of the city’s workers’ compensation program. He also won a $75,000 settlement under the city’s historic Shakman hiring decree, after losing an election to an incumbent alderman backed by a political patronage army.

The Board of Ethics could sanction Burke over Stone’s latest complaint, a spokesman said, but only if Ferguson’s office investigates the matter and forwards its conclusions to ethics officials for consideration.

“The city has its ethics ordinance just to avoid the appearance of impropriety, and this is exactly what you’ve got with Ald. Burke serving as a legal representative of the unions and pushing their collective bargaining agreements to the Committee on Finance and the City Council,” Stone said.

jjperez@chicagotribune.com

Jay Stone and Patrick McDonough Ethic Complaint

Stone-McDonough Ethics Complaint-1
Submitted by Jay Stone May 22, 2019
Also Submitted by Patrick McDonough

Alderman Burke’s Improper Influence and Conflicts of Interest
This ethics complaint against Alderman Edward Burke is similar to the $2,000 Chicago Board of Ethics fine Alderman Burke recently received for “improper influence.” Previously Alderman Burke improperly presided over the Committee on Finance in a matter involving his law practice client named Presence. In this ethics complaint Alderman Burke repeatedly used improper influence on behalf of eight unions who hired him for legal services.

Alderman Burke provided legal representation for the eight unions listed in the table below. Next to the name of the union is the years Alderman Burke provided legal representation for the said union. Please note that we are awaiting a FOIA response for Alderman Burke’s 2011 through 2013 Statement of Financial Interest.

Union Name Years Alderman Burke Provided Legal Services to the Unions International Union of Operating Engineers 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018 Iron Workers Local 1 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 Chicagoland Laborers 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 Plumbers Local 130 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 Carpenters 2017, 2018, 2019 Firefighters 2017, 2018, 2019 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 2019 International Brotherhood of Teamsters 2019
Stone-McDonough Ethics Complaint-2
At the December 12, 2007 City Council meeting, Committee on Finance Chairman Burke sponsored the ratification of collective bargaining agreements (CBA) between the City and thirty-four (34) unions (Click here and see December 12, 2007, Journal of City Council Proceedings, Committee on Finance Report, pages 17006-17010). Previously Alderman Burke chaired the Committee on Finance hearings on the CBAs. Alderman Burke also proposed the motion and voted to approve the collective bargaining agreements of all 34 unions at the full City Council meeting.

The unions whom Alderman Burke voted in favor of their CBAs at the December 12, 2007 City Council meeting and who became his private law practice clients are the Carpenters, Electrical Workers, Iron Workers, Operating Engineers, Plumbers, and Teamsters unions.

The 34 CBAs that Alderman Burke voted for in his Committee on Finance and in the full City Council remain in effect today. Furthermore, when Alderman Burke provided legal services to the Carpenters, Electrical Workers, Iron Workers, Operating Engineers, Plumbers, and Teamsters unions, the unions’ CBAs that Alderman Burke voted in favor of were still in effect.

At the July 30, 2014 City Council meeting, Alderman Burke voted to approve the Chicago Firefighters Union’s CBA (Click here and see July 30, 2014, Journal of City Council Proceedings, pages 86154-86155). The Firefighters’ CBA that Alderman Burke voted for was still in effect when Alderman Burke provided legal services to the union.

The Chicago Governmental Ethics Ordinance (GEO), 2-156-080, Conflicts of Interest; Appearance of Impropriety forbade Alderman Burke from providing the eight unions legal service while the CBA’s he voted on were still in effect. The unions’ hiring of Alderman Burke after he voted in favor of the CBAs gives the appearance that the unions paid Alderman Burke for legal services in exchange for his political influence and union contract support. Furthermore, the City and the unions will soon renegotiate
Stone-McDonough Ethics Complaint-3
their CBAs. Alderman Burke accepting money from the eight labor unions can be construed as unethical because these unions have impending CBA negotiations.

Alderman Burke’s Workers’ Compensation Conflicts of Interest

Alderman Burke administered the workers’ compensation claims for the members of all eight unions listed in the above table. Alderman Burke personally profiting from unions who have members with workers’ compensation claims before him is clearly a Chicago Governmental Ethics Ordinance conflict of interest. Alderman Burke received personal compensation from the unions at the same time he administered workers’ claims for members of those unions.

2-156-080. Conflicts of Interest; Appearance of Impropriety.
(a) No official or employee shall make or participate in the making of any governmental decision with respect to any matter in which he has any financial interest distinguishable from that of the general public, or from which he has derived any income or compensation during the preceding twelve months or from which he reasonably expects to derive any income or compensation in the following twelve months.

Alderman Burke listed on his 2013 through 2019 Statement of Financial Interests that he had a “financial interest” with the eight unions listed above. According to the GEO, Section 2-156-080 (a), Alderman Burke was prohibited from participating and making workers’ compensation decisions involving the members of the eight unions that hired his private law firm for legal business. Alderman Burke’s workers’ compensation decisions involving members of the Carpenters, Electrical Workers, Firefighters, Iron Workers, Laborers, Operating Engineers, Plumbers, and Teamsters unions violated GEO, Section 2-156-080 (a). It should be a separate ethical violation each time Alderman Burke administered a workers’ compensation case involving members of one of the eight unions who hired him for legal services.

Stone-McDonough Ethics Complaint-4
Alderman Burke’s TIF District Conflicts of Interest

During the last eight years Alderman Burke pushed through 78 tax increment financing districts (TIFs) through his Committee on Finance and the City Council. Each TIF agreement has a Prevailing Wage clause, such as the one below.

Prevailing Wage. The Developer, the General Contractor and all subcontractors must pay the prevailing wage rate as ascertained by the Illinois Department of Labor (the “Department”), to all persons working on the Project. All such contracts shall list the specified rates to be paid to all laborers, workers and mechanics for each craft or type of worker or mechanic employed pursuant to such contract. If the Department revises such prevailing wage rates, the revised rates shall apply to all such contracts. Upon the City’s request, the Developer shall provide the City with copies of all such contracts entered into by the Developer or the General Contractor to evidence compliance with this Paragraph D. (Click here and see April 18, 2018, Journal of City Council Proceedings, Volume 1 Committee on Finance Report, page 75125.)

The prevailing wage usually means union wage. Alderman Burke deliberately put prevailing wage clauses in TIF agreements to protect the unions who hired him for his legal services. If TIF agreements allowed developers to pay their construction workers less than the prevailing wage, then they it would be more likely that developers would hire non-union employees. Alderman Burke’s requirement that developers with TIF agreements pay employees the prevailing wage coerces developers to hire union workers, including the unions that payed Alderman Burke for his legal services.

Alderman Burke dual jobs of preparing and passing TIF district agreements requiring employees receive a prevailing wage and a private attorney for eight unions is a conflict of interest. Alderman Burke inserted the prevailing wage clause into TIF agreements as a means to benefit the unions who hired him for legal services and contributed to his
Stone-McDonough Ethics Complaint-5
political campaigns. Each time Alderman Burke inserted a prevailing wage clause into a TIF agreement and voted for it was a separate violation of Chicago’s ethics ordinance.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Chicago Clout Demise?

The Honorable Mayor Lori Lightfoot

Many Chicago newspapers are giving Lori Lightfoot advice. Many Chicago media type are still giving Lori Lightfoot advice. I have covered many elections in my 30 years of political activism. I have made many friends that are lifetime pals. I have seen the worst in Chicago and I have fought hard against them. I have also had some major victories and many more defeats. Still, I never felt the same way for any candidate like I did for Lori Lightfoot. I am so happy for the future of Chicago and feel for the first time the thousands of hours exposing corruption had a winning day. A major victory of epic proportions. I still can not believe that all the folks in Chicago voted with such conviction. Amazing.

When Jay Stone and I filed a lawsuit against Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Alderman Edward Burke in January, long before the Chicago F.B.I. served up an arrest of Alderman Edward Burke, many lawyers in Chicago refused to take the case. They felt they would be subject to retaliation and black listing in the Chicago legal community. For many years, FOIA requests have been made to expose crooked Burke and all his machine goons stripping Chicago’s wealth for their personal benefit. Putting these numbers together would not have been possible without the brain power of Jay Stone and all the Chicago City workers that came together to expose the crime spree in Chicago. Two candidates came out and supported our efforts Lori Lightfoot and Willie Wilson. Reforming corruption in Chicago is not popular. This election was pure magic.

I look forward to victory Lori Lightfoot fought so hard for. I look forward to sharing her victory inauguration and the great honor I have been bestowed at that event. I look forward to cleaning up the mess left for all Chicago to fix. I have the greatest desire to see a victorious revival for all Chicago. I am grateful too all Chicago City Workers that wanted to reform Chicago all these years. While we have some unfinished business at Chicago Clout, I am certain Mayor Lori Lightfoot will change the tone of Chicago Clout, to a website that will expose all the good things about Chicago. Or shut down. The ghost of Harold Washington is upon us.

Chicago Department of Water Management State Rep. Fraud continues with Williams

The City of Chicago is known for in your face corruption and can not change. I was dumbfounded by the Sun-Times Article about Alderman Walter Burnett’s son-in-law. The Sun-Times failed to dig in deep enough into the real reasons why Jawaharial “Omar” Williams should not be the Illinois State Representative of the 10 District. “Jay” is just another uneducated laborer at the Department of Water Management. If you want a representative that digs ditches, unloads pumps, and prepares holes for Licensed Plumbers, he is your choice. Illinois needs educated leadership to fix Chicago and Illinois. Rahm Emanuel approved this concession to help Tommy “Twinkle toes” Tunney obtain votes for Committee on Finance Chair.

Jay was just promoted to “Caulker”, a nice massive pay raise. Next in keeping with Department of Water Management tricks, he would quickly be promoted to Assistant District Superintendent.  John “timesheet fraud” D’Amico is hidden downtown at the Jardine Plant and as Illinois State Representative and enjoys a wonderful double dipping job. No one except watchful folks know what John D’Amico does all day. The Chicago newspapers have been part of the cover-up for two decades.

The Sun-Times also forgot to mention Jay and Alderman Edward Burke’s close and cozy workers compensation fraud coalition. Jay was always getting hurt and on workers compensation while loafin at the Department of Water Management. Despite Jay receiving Maximum Medical Improvement and sent to Vocational Training, Jay somehow managed to return to work. Alderman Edward Burke, the DOWM Personnel Department, and Commissioners greased to the path and large settlement and bi-monthly payments. Burke barked the orders and Monica Somerville his loyal assistant complied.

When Whites pull this shit the Chicago newspapers say nothing, but when a black man wants a piece of the gravy train they say something. Amazing. Joe Ferguson should be investigating the Workers Compensation fraud with Mr. Williams, but he will not until Rahm Emanuel steps down. Joe Ferguson is an ambulance chaser after the newspapers reveal fraud.