Cook County gov't exposes corruption when politically expedient

In Harvey, the Cook County Sheriff and State's Attorney have been investigating and prosecuting cases neglected by the Harvey PD. See Chicago Tribune (Matt Walberg).

There's also video of the WGN-9 coverage, which includes Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart saying:

There is no safe harbor in this county. There are not towns where you can go to commit crimes and you can walk away from it. Whereever it is in the county we will collectively work together to ensure that all the citizens of the county get the same type of law enforcement protection that they deserve.

The village of Harvey alleges county officials are showboating to help the candidacy of First Assistant State's Attorney Bob Milan, who is running for State's Attorney.

The Trib article does make it sound like Harvey's PD was just taking paychecks without doing the work.

Cook County law-enforcement officials Tuesday announced indictments in two more cold-case murders stemming from a raid on the Harvey Police Department this year, and said they also are investigating about 200 rape kits found in the suburb's evidence vault, many of which were never sent to the state crime lab.

I have a little trouble with the State's Attorney's office getting too sanctimonious about law enforcement not doing their jobs. In my view, the corruption in Proviso Township is abetted by the State's Attorney and his assistants.

So, I can see Dick Devine and Bob Milan making the following political calculation.

If the South Side Blacks are going to run Ald. Howard Brookins against Milan in the primary then why not prosecute a Black suburban village allied with Brookins allies? It's not like Milan would risk losing votes to prosecute crooked cops in Harvey. It gets Milan's mug on TV. And it makes it look like he's the type of guy to stand up to corruption.

KLEPT, Daily Southtown gigs Hastings [D209]

Daily Southtown has been digging dirt on Kyle Hastings for awhile. Hastings is mayor of Orland Hills and director of auxiliary programs for Proviso Township High Schools. One of Hastings major responsibilities as director of auxiliary programs is summer school. He went on vacation during summer school last year. See Forest Park Review.

Daily Southtown's editorial describes how Hastings received consulting fees without being under a written contract. This should not be legal.

Eugene Moore used to play this game (1997) with Proviso Township. Moore would receive payments for "consulting" on senior services without providing any work product or being under a written contract.

If this practice is legal then there's no limit to what the politically connected can pay each other for "consulting". We need a legislative fix.

And BTW, if State's Attorney Dick Devine is really pissed at Cook County Board President Todd Stroger he could show he means business by prosecuting some Stroger pals for corruption and ghost pay rolling. Dick, if you're not willing to do anything about it, you're just performing for the cameras.