Milwaukee alderman's anti-crime group implicated in bribery scheme

The last time I spent a night in Milwaukee, the lead story on the TV news was an anti-police brutality rally where Michael McGee Sr., then a Milwaukee alderman, led a group of people to a police car--the goons quickly overturned it.

In the McGee family, the rotten apple doesn't fall too far from the gnarled tree.

Pictured above is his son, Michael McGee, Jr. Also a Milwaukee alderman, he leads an anti-crime group, which allegedly is committing crimes.

From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:

Investigators say that Ald. Michael McGee used his anti-crime Rapid Response Team to demand bribes from business owners in his district, according to a federal search warrant filed Thursday.

The affidavit in support of the warrant alleges that McGee invoked "the name of the organization to extort money from the business owners," saying the money they pay would be used to improve the area. Instead, McGee used the money for personal expenses, according to the affidavit signed by FBI Special Agent Daniel Hargreaves.

Owners who didn't pay up risked losing their liquor licenses, it says. One business owner who wanted help with a license agreed to pay $20,000 to the team after meeting with McGee, who later said he would use the money for his moving expenses, the affidavit states.

As far as political corruption, Milwaukee is getting to be almost as bad as Chicago.

In 2000, Milwaukeeans, at least homeless ones who supported Al Gore, were treated to a "Smokes for Votes" promotion.

Four years later, paid Democratic political operatives, including the adult children of two Milwaukee pols, were behind "Operation Elephant Takeover." The caper went like this: The tires of vans rented by the Milwaukee Republican party for election day "Get out the vote" efforts were slashed--and John Kerry edged President Bush in Wisconsin by 11,000 votes.

And now there is Alderman Michael McGee, Jr. to add to Milwaukee's sleazy reputation.

His old man is still around, and still an idiot, as Watchdog Milwaukee reports.

More on the younger McGee is available courtesy of Badger Blogger.

But Chicago needn't worry about acquiring a clean reputation and overtaking Minneapolis in goody-goody-ness. On Wednesday former Alderman Arenda Troutman was indicted for allegedly accepting a bribe.

Related post:

Illegal Wisconsin voter speaks from prison

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