Chicago corruption watch: "Fast Eddie" Vrdolyak stopped by indictment

For almost twenty years, Edward "Fast Eddie" Vrdolyak was one of the most colorful political figures on the Chicago political scene.

Elected to the Chicago City Council in 1971, Vrdolyak gained a reputation as a rebel who stood up to the strong-arm rule of the first Mayor Daley. About a decade later, Vrdolyak became head of the Chicago Machine, formally known as the Cook County Regular Democratic Organization.

In 1983, Harold Washington became Chicago's first black mayor, and Vrdolyak led a majority of the aldermen who for three years effectively stymied Washington's initiatives in the City Council.

It was during this time that Barack Obama was working as community organizer in an area just west of "Fast Eddie's" 10th Ward. Vrdolyak's name comes up a few times in Obama's Dreams from my Father, but of course not in a flattering manner.

In 1987, Vrdolyak ran as an Illinois Solidarity Party candidate for mayor against Washington--he lost. A year later, Vrdolyak became a Republican, ran for Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court--he lost.

The next year, Vrdolyak managed to win the Republican mayoral nomination as a write-in candidate--this is before the citywide office elections became non-partisan--but ended up getting just five percent of the vote in the general election, which of course means he lost.

In the 1990s, Vrdolyak worked as a radio talk show host, and made a lot of money through his law practice, and worked as an attorney in historically Illinois' most corrupt community--Cicero.

He also began working with Stuart Levine (rhymes with 'devine'), a sleazy Republican operative who pleaded guilty to various corruption charges while serving on two state boards. Illinois' current governor, Democrat Rod Blagojevich, re-appointed Levine to those boards.

According to an indictment announced by federal prosecutors this afternoon, Levine and Vrdolyak took part in a kickback and bribery scheme involved in the sale of the former Dr. William F. Scholl School of Podiatric Medicine located in Chicago's prestigous Gold Coast neighborhood.

As with most current Illinois political scandals, there is a Tony Rezko link--not to Vrdolyak, but to Levine.

Levine wore a wire for the feds, which is how "Fast Eddie" got caught by the indictment net today.

Blagojevich's first job out of law school, interestingly, came from Vrdolyak's law firm. In 1987, Blagojevich, rather instead of working for the re-election effort of the now-deified Harold Washington, was a campaign aide for "Fast Eddie," as Reverse Spin reported last summer.

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