Marathon Pundit: ILL-inois: State rep, "a product of Chicago Democratic politics," found guilty of bribery

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

ILL-inois: State rep, "a product of Chicago Democratic politics," found guilty of bribery

Illinois State Rep. Derrick Smith, a West Side Chicago Democrat, was found guilty of accepting a $7,000 bribe today from a phony day care operator in an FBI sting operation.

Smith was indicted shortly before the 2012 Democratic primary. The Machine pulled his support that summer, lining up behind an independent candidate. Smith was expelled from the statehouse. But the brain-dead voters in his district couldn't help themselves because Smith had a "D" next to his name on the ballot and he easily won his old seat back. But the crook was defeated in this year's Democratic primary. It doesn't matter anymore to Smith now, he automatically loses his job in Springfield.

The Chicago Sun-Times' Mark Brown offers some interesting insight on Illinois' latest convicted public servant:

Look at Smith. By all accounts, he was very slow to take the bribe being offered him by an undercover government informant, either out of reluctance or caution. At some level, he must have known he shouldn't do it, whether on moral grounds or simply for self-preservation.

But as a product of Chicago Democratic politics, he also must have believed this is how the big boys do it, probably having heard of similar arrangements and maybe even witnessing a few as he worked his way up through the system from precinct captain to elective office.