The FBI has interviewed City Hall employees and Chicago aldermen about U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez's ties to a corrupt developer, according to records and interviews that raise new questions about the congressman amid an ongoing federal investigation.Gutierrez spent an unusual amount of time promoting Boender, which even in Chicago is considered odd for a congressman.
A former alderman convicted in the investigation told FBI agents that Gutierrez boasted of helping his longtime political supporter Calvin Boender obtain a lucrative zoning change for a development on the city's West Side. Another alderman told agents this year she thought Gutierrez was going to buy a home in the development.
And several city planners told investigators they were stunned by the highly unusual intervention of a congressman in a local zoning matter.
The FBI asked about Gutierrez as recently as February, but most of the inquiries occurred during 2008, the Tribune has learned, as federal authorities prepared their bribery cases against Boender and former 29th Ward Ald. Isaac "Ike" Carothers.
The day after getting arrested at a Washington May Day rally, Gutierrez appeared on "Face the Nation" on CBS. I hope he's back this Sunday so he can be asked about his real estate dealings.
Carothers pleaded guilty to corruption charges in February, he was sentenced to 28 months in prison. In another "Chicago coincidence," the City Council career of Carother's father ended after a graft conviction.
The House Ethics committee should be looking into Gutierrez. What's the delay?
Related posts:
Rep. Gutierrez daughter profits on flipping "affordable" home
Illinois corruption update: Rep. Gutierrez tied to indicted developer
Cong. Gutierrez got special real estate deal from Tony Rezko
Technorati tags:
news 
illinois 
chicago 
Tony Rezko 
Luis Gutierrez 
immigration news 
law 
legal 
crime
No comments:
Post a Comment