Tristano indicted
This has been coming for a long time:
A man who served as top aide to a former Republican leader of the Illinois House has been indicted on charges of using state employees for campaign work on state time and steering $1.3 million in taxpayer dollars to benefit a political insider's real estate project.
Michael Tristano, 49, of Glenview was charged with fraud, theft and extortion conspiracy in the nine-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury Wednesday and announced Thursday.
Tristano served as chief of staff to state Rep. Lee A. Daniels, R-Elmhurst, when Daniels was minority leader of the Illinois House. He also was executive director of the House Republican Campaign Committee, which funneled money to GOP election campaigns.
``Using the state payroll to bankroll campaign workers and steering state grants in return for private political benefits is a fraud upon the citizens of Illinois who have a right to expect honest government,'' U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald said in a statement.
There was no allegation of wrongdoing on the part of Daniels in the indictment.
According to the indictment, Tristano required legislative employees to use their vacations, sick pay and compensating time off to work in political campaigns.
Tristano allegedly made false statements to get state funds for travel expenses that enabled state employees to travel into the districts where candidates he supported were running.
The campaigns were in targeted districts as the two parties fought a fierce battle for control of the Illinois House.
The indictment also said that Tristano conspired with a number of others -- including political consultant Roger Stanley, who was sent to federal prison in the federal investigation of corruption under former Gov. George Ryan -- to get a real estate partnership to find a job for a legislative candidate who was not named in the indictment.
In return for Stanley's finding a job for the candidate, Tristano helped to get a $1.3 million grant for the Village of Willow Springs to buy infrastructure that benefited the partnership, according to the indictment. It said the candidate did little or no work for the partnership but instead spent the time campaigning for a seat in the House.
posted by Rich Miller @ 5/19/2005 02:18:00 PM
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37 Comments...
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According to the indictment, Tristano required legislative employees to use their vacations, sick pay and compensating time off to work in political campaigns.
Okay, so explain to me. How, exactly, does this work?
Guy goes to his employees, says: "Look, I know you want to go to Dells with your kids. But I need you to do me a favor. Of course, you'll still have to take vacation time to do it. You mind?"
Where oh where was "Z"?
How close will this come to Daniels himself? Will he face charges? I guess the aged old question is, what did he know and when did he know it?
Take note everyone. This is real corruption. Another example of why the IL GOP gets the First Place Medal for Most Corrupt Political Party!
How quickly people forget...
Where are all the Repupblican, anti-Blago posters now??? Nothing to say?
I may be blind to this, but what is the problem if the employees used vacation, sick or comp time to work on campaigns? Isn't that what they're supposed to do, rather than do it on state time? Isn't this akin to state employees working at the State Fair and are supposed to take vacation, personal or comp time to do so? As opposed to some agencies that allow the employees to work the fair, claim comp time and never be at their regular job for two weeks, of course.
I know that claiming travel expenses is wrong, especially if on vacation or other time off or if doing campaign work instead of regular work.
Thanks to whoever can explain that part to me. I know there's shady things; I just think they may have worded it incorrectly.
Perhaps this helps explain why the Speaker refused to release the time sheets to Christina Tobin when she caught his employees challenging the Ralph Nader presidential petitions.
Tristano was also head weasel at CMS for a time in the 80's. Worst ever. Old timers are clinking glasses today.
Hey Anon 2:43
The fact that Ryan is almost certainly a crook and that Tristano might be a crook does not detract from the fact that Blago is probably also a crook. No number of wrongs make a right. And unlike Blago I never heard Daniels say he was going to base his entire campaign on cleaning up corruption. Sorry, gotta go, my hypocrisy meter is going off.
Hey, does this "comp time" type of use remind any former and/or current employees of the regular extra curriculum activities at the M. J. Madigan shop? 'Cause it does certainly bring some memories...!
One good thing going for Mike is that the newspaper knocked about 8 years off his age. Gotta love that.
... does not detract from the fact that Blago is probably also a crook.
Emphasis mine.
Okay, I give up: how can something "probably" be a "fact?"
Anyone?
The fact that Ryan is almost certainly a crook and that Tristano might be a crook does not detract from the fact that Blago is probably also a crook.
They are all crooks, but remember, none of them has been convicted yet.
Hey Anon 2:43,
You are 100% correct. Its always fun here reading the GOPers vent their frustration that they don't run this state anymore, while they ignore the reasons WHY the voters of IL threw them out on their fat, corrupt, do-nothing butts.
And Anon 2:59, Blago's office and Topinka are under investigation (and may not personally be targets, to use the prosecution terms) for misconduct, whereas Ryan and Tristano have been indicted for criminal offenses. Big and important differences. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty, but the G doesn't move forward to the next step unless it will win.
Didn't Pate have an election-night scandal about using his JRTC offices as a campaign HQ? Is that ever going to come up again?
Hey 3:11, I might be wrong, but the investigation on Madigan was opened, investigated, and declared closed with no indictments. Apparently whatever "extra curricular" activites you are talking about took place off state time and without the use of state resources.
Attention "Cal Skinner"
Rich Miller has previously reported that The Speaker's operation has turned over sheets to the feds and they are clean. Ralph Nader is the one who should be indicted for conspiring with the Republicans to steal an election.
3:50 the time sheets had nothing to do with that particular investigation you speak of ...the feds were looking into undo pressure from daddy Madigan on to a particular union in exchange for his daughter's political endorsement. (e.i. if you don't endorse her I will not call your pension bill)
If Mike has nothing to hide, why did he refuse to answer a Freedom of Information requesting time sheets for his staff while many were challenging the Nader petitions? We spent $5000 trying to overturn his refusal in court. I wonder how much he spent keeping staff time sheets secret.
I'd still be pleased to look at them.
Don't you think the public ought to be able to see for themselves how legislative staffers say they spend their time (down to 15 minute intervals)?
Madigan was investigated and cleared for both having state workers do political work on state time and using his influence to pressure the university to settle a labor contract.
Why don't Republicans just admit that if Tristano did what is alleged, he was wrong, instead of slinging mud on someone else?
Tristano is in hot water for requiring state employees to do political work. A subtle but important distinction.
Folks have been expecting Daniels was on the way out for a long time, but I can't wait until we get to the nitty-gritty and they start naming names of which GOP candidates benefitted. They'll have some embarrassed explaining to do.
Anon 2:44
I think the story was worded poorly. I read this to mean Tristano made employees work on campaigns (and thus use vacations days) as opposed to making them use vacation days if they wanted to work on a campaign.
The shady business lies in Tristano forcing the legislative employees to work on campaigns rather than the employee using sick/vacation days if s/he wants to work on campaigns.
Watch for Daniels to step down soon with big pressure from Tom Cross
Tristano wanted people to work 10 hr.days for 8hrs pay. Gotta love a dedicated employee!!! Go Mike!!!
Sure Madigan is a saint, absolute saint. Letter of the law kind of guy, that is why he has been leader since forever.
Take note everyone. This is real "corruption....Where are all the Repupblican, anti-Blago posters now??? Nothing to say?"
As a Republican, I want to see George Ryan and all his co-conspirators in orange jumpsuits & leg irons, and I love Blago. He has done more to ensure the return of the republican dynasty to the gov's mansion than any sitting member of the GOP....27 more years, folks? Governor "TV" will deliver it with certainty.
Hey, we right wingers LOVE the fact that Daniels might go down also.
In our real fantasies, he takes down the RINOs like PR Linder & co with him.
Remember, guys like me are why Gov. Crook (Ryan) didn't run again. He said so!
Daniels' staffers, quit changing the subject. You all got caught because you had a chief of staff pushing the envelope big time.
Don't point fingers at Pate's staff, Emil's staff, Mike Madigan's staff -- those fingers should be pointed at your staff.
Anon 2:42 post: You are right..we have nothing to say because we agree. A crook is a crook, regardless of R or D. I want to see them in jail, if they are guilty. Period. So don't go using that line about "where are they now".
How can we find out which Republican campaigns that these staffers, who were allegedly using the hard earned tax dollars of Illinois working men and women illegally, were working on.
Was one of those campaigns Rep. John O. Jones'?
Has anyone responding here ever worked on either a Republican or Democrat legislative staff? People being hired for those staffs know part of their job is working on campaigns before they even interview.
While I agree that George's people went overboard, and that Faywell should have never been given any responsibility past his first job as luggage guy and gofer, when does the urge to "clean up" stop?
Our system eliminated the third rail sponsored call girls at Lincoln Towers years ago without the FBI, and I doubt that a Chicago Democrat can shoot his mistress on a public street without ramifications anymore, and the FBI didn't stop that kind of accomidation either.
If one wants to get upset about people being used on campaigns, maybe they ought to go back to the days of Green and rant about the State Police giving up a day a week for the benefit of the Governor. The Feds didn't clean that up either. The "corrupt" system did, and it would have taken care of George and his cronys as well if the feds hadn't already been in the middle of it.
OK all of you happy Dems. Another crook from the past administration and the previous investigation got idicted. Wahoo. I am sure a few more will go down too. It will be interesting to watch.
BUT, now we are into a new administration, and the fun is just beginning. Gee, wasn't it just a week or so ago that the Fed's started to hand out their paperwork? Well folk's that's where an how it all starts, except for commiting the illegal acts which I guess would really be the start of it all.
My point is the old administration was corrupt, got caught and now is paying the price. The new administration is corrupt, starting to get caught and will pay the price. These things do take a bit of time for the Fed's to get in order. When all is said and done I think the GOPer's will not be the only ones eating crow.
Good job Dem's.
So don't all these comments simply underline the fact that regardless of party affiliation, politics seems to attract a portion of the population that proves the old adage that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely? Dem or GOP, there are those who will find ways to use and abuse the system. Perhaps Illinois knows no other kind.
So who was the unnamed southern Illinois Republican House candidate who got the ghost payroll job?
Anyone read Tristano's lawyer's comment in the Trib today that Tristano was "devastated" by the indictment? HA! "Devastated" and "Tristano" should only be used in the same sentence when describing what Tristano did to numerous young staffer's careers and ideals. The man is evil through and through.
Anon 11:30 hit the true issue right on the head. I couldn't agree more.
I am new to this blogger site so forgive me if I am not following a certain protocol. Regarding the young staffers and the effect of Mike Tristano upon them, I can only speak for the effects on one of them. One of my children had gone to work for the Illinois Republican Party shortly after graduating from college with a political science degree. They were idealistic (as many of us were when we were younger) and they were determined to make the world a better place. After being required by their superior to walk parades handing out campaign literature on weekends, having to knock on people's doors to hand out campaign literature for "selected candidates" on weekends, and being asked to drive to these various campaign events at night to help on the young staffer's own time, my child was told to take a few days off during their normal work week to offset their personal time spent helping these "designated candidates". They were also instructed to fill out false mileage reimbursement vouchers. My child told their superior (and I use that word "superior" with tongue-in-cheek) that "wasn't this wrong and wouldn't they get in trouble?" The superior told them that "this is perfectly okay. That this is the way things get done in politics within Illinois and that the Democrats do the same thing." Since this poor kid was struggling with the ethics of Illinois politics and "how things get done in Illinois politics", my kid finally quit the job. They went back to school and went into another line of work. They were totally disillusioned with what they had been through. They had worked lots of hours for no additional pay, when they did get compensated for their campaign work it seldom was with an increase in their check but rather they were told to take time off during the week. My kid had no social life as a result of these weekend parades and crap, they were asked to falsify vouchers and other paper trails at the expense of the taxpayers, and they saw their "noble Republican Party" representatives for what they really were. By the way, I am a Republican. I wish I could say a Proud Republican but I can not. However, I can say that I am proud of my kid though because they went to the FBI to tell their tale at my urging. As soon as the FBI got involved, the other young kids that were staffers got scared to death and started to sing like canaries. They were good kids that did what they were told because the heads of the Illinois Republican Party said that it was okay to do what they were being told to do. If they had not done so, they would have lost their jobs and who knows what else. I am sure other young staffers would have sought out the proper authorities to tell but in Illinois, how do you tell the crooks from the cops? They have blended into one and the same at a state level. Obviously, we do have good Illinois Republican politicians but they were not the ones that controlled the power back in 1998-2001. I am not sure if they do yet. Folks, no matter what you think of former Illinois Senator Peter Fitzgerald, if it were not for him we would not today have US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald administering justice which has been for decades long overdue in Illinois. This guy is the reincarnation of Elliot Ness. He can't be bought off. Illinois politicians don't know how to deal with someone like that. Be greatful that he is here.
Anyway, I would humbly suggest that Mike & Company listen closely because they will get an opportunity to hear "the other shoe drop" in the very near future. There is a new Sheriff that rode into town and his name is Elliot Ness. "Be afraid, be very afraid". You do not know me so I can understand if you are hesitant to believe what I have told you. That is okay with me. But, I and my kid have a "Code of The West" that we both will live and die with. If I did less than what I teach my kid, I could not live with myself. Be your own judge.
Anonymous 11:30 -- I agree 100%. I used to work for that horrible man. The way he treated staff was unbelievable, and the pressure to work on campaigns was unbearable. Many of us who worked for him and watched him destroy the morale of the staff told ourselves, "What goes around, comes around." Glad to see that it's finally come around. When I heard of the indictment, my first thought was that it couldn't happen to a more deserving individual.
I hope that jackass rots in jail.
If It’s begun, then how big is it?
“A grand jury has been empaneled to look into alleged corruption in the Blagojevich administration.”
Actually this all started back when Cicero was turned upside down and the Mayor ended up in jail where she now is serving her time. You remember the story.
There was a short break, then it started in mid-2003 with the removal of the Drug system and that part ended when the international Distribution Shipment system was taken out. If you remember, The DEA nailed a “Pepper Truck” that delivered peppers among “other things” from Mexico to Chicago. From there the “other things” were cut up and sent out to New York and Florida among a few other states. Frankly, if you wanted the job of driving the Pepper Truck all you needed to do was be a good Christian and attend the largest Christian church in the Chicago area and ask for a job. One of the ministers would direct you to another person who would set you up as the next willing driver. I witnessed this happen myself so don’t ask if this is true or not. A Church huh? If you check it out, the property the Church sits on originally came from a member of Organized Crime. A closing thought on the Pepper Truck is when they nailed it, it was carrying 92 million in drugs!
Along with the Drug stuff, next came the Hired Truck thing. As that was cooking away, a few other things started up in different areas around Illinois as well. Of course the Governor’s thing is being labeled as “It has begun”, but the reality is it’s only part of the big picture. By the way, besides Illinois, there’s a few other “hot spots” that’s burning out of control as well. I’m not just talking about what’s happening with Tom DeLay either. This is all I’ll say for now on this part.
So what I mentioned above only addresses Drugs, International Drug Distribution and Redistribution and Corruption mixed with Fraud. Frankly, the big picture has much more in it and that’s what’s on our horizon, so beware. If you’re already screaming “Oh My God!”, than what are you going to do when the real stuff hits the fan? Frankly, you haven’t seen anything yet and when you start to, you’ll remember me.
The Drug system in mid-2003 required over 1000 undercover people to take it out. We’re going uphill from there and haven’t reached the top yet. I can say a few things, but there’s many things I’m not allowed to talk about.
It’s clear from what I’m reading in the news that the Governor doesn’t know what’s happening yet. Oh, he’s going to find out eventually, but certainly right now, he’s clueless along with others as well.
Daley is another one. He’s well known for saying “I dunno!” I do know that Daley owns property in the money laundering system. When that surfaces, he will be in the news again among many others. You do realize that all this corruption ends up with money that needs to be Laundered and what you don’t know is there’s a system for laundering that hasn’t surfaced yet.
To help you understand what this is, try considering that many of these things are linked or connected.
I’ll give you a few clues to start thinking about:
- First off, accept that although you may be seeing incidents here and there, don’t get dragged into believing they are all separate issues. There are common threads that you need to find.
- Second, look into definitions of what major or very very wide scale Organized Crime is all about. There’s a number of good websites that discuss wide scale organized crime and one talks about “Transparency” of Governments and rates many of the worlds governments on a Transparency scale. There’s another one I like that talks about “The Disappearing Elephant” I like to call it “The Illusional Elephant” because it fits better. This will help you build a base understanding to help you recognize other things. The illusion as we see it, could be considered the “front door” of the business model used.
- The problem doesn’t stop at the Governor either because I know first hand it goes all the way up. You may want to watch what happens with Clinton as an example.
- So far only a few Industries have been tainted by this, but there are others yet to surface. Keep your eyes on the news.
- It might be a good idea to realize that Corruption and Fraud exist because of GREED. Greed means money is involved. As I mentioned, if you consider that these aren’t isolated incidents and all have common threads then where does the money go? Who could handle large amounts and get away with it? If Real Estate is one of the tools, then how is it used to wash the money?
- What’s missing from the above is that most criminal systems include murder. This one isn’t any different and there are many. The ones I’m familiar with are in the double digit range. You haven’t heard about this either have you? It’s coming.
Just remember that all business as well as criminal systems have to be complete with how they handle money. You have front doors to bring the money in and then ways of putting the money in proper areas. With criminal systems, you have to wash the money or else you can’t use it. They call it “laundering”. Something to consider is that in Illinois, the most sought after Industry for Laundering money is Property Development. Could this be one of the common threads? Gee possibly, what do you think?
That’s all I’ll say for the moment. I’ll visit often and add more as time permits. I’m usually on in the afternoon.
Just read about the Tristano plea agreement. I'm glad the prince of darkness apparently won't be taking his opportunity to slam the countless staffers who gladly lined-up to contribute their share of information to the US Attorney's office. The sooner he is taken off the streets the better. Years of his intentional, evil deeds finally did him in.
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