Congressman Responds To Corruption In City Government

Congressman Responds To Corruption In City Government
Continues Fight For Democratic Reform

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., today said, "The people of Chicago deserve a government that is open, transparent and everyone has a fair chance to participate and contribute. Instead, the U.S. Attorney is tightening the noose around a City Hall where the tone and spirit seem to be: Corruption and clout are tolerated, but don't get caught. If you're caught, you're fired.

"The latest indictments seem to confirm what Attorneys Roger Fross, Tim Maggio and Brian Hayes of Lord, Bissell & Brook found in September, 2001, when the United States District Court held that Chicago had violated the Shakman Decree almost 1800 times over a period of several years. Rather than abide by the court's order, City Hall has instructed its attorneys to try to get the decree vacated. The name of the office of patronage has changed, but the political game seems to have remained the same.

"Chicago government should run in the sunshine, not the shadows. I encourage the 650,000 Chicagoans who are not registered to vote to do so then go the polls. We must all work together to guarantee that we have a government that we can be proud of, and that includes transparency and public service, not corruption and inefficiency," said Jackson.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/il02_jackson/050719RespondsToCorruption.html