Ha ha ha ha!
State Rep. Derrick Smith, a Democrat from Chicago, was arrested today for allegedly pocketing a $7,000 cash bribe to write an official letter of support for a day care center he believed was seeking a state grant.
The arrest came after an undercover operation launched by the FBI in December with the help of an undisclosed individual who works on Smith’s political campaigns, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
The informant told investigators that Smith had talked about needing help with fundraising since he was appointed to the House seat last year. Smith allegedly said he wanted donations in the range of $5,000 to $7,000 and was willing to accommodate reasonable requests from donors, prosecutors said.
via Chicago Tribune.
Oh, this guy is so going down. Read the story; the U.S. attorney has this guy dead-to-rights.
But the real question is who’s going to go down with him. Mr. Smith is (was?) supported by a literal who’s who of the Chicago Democratic Party. Jesse White, the Teachers’ Union, AFL-CIO, Ald. Fioretti, etc.
What’s even more interesting is that Smith’s opponent, Tom Swiss, is a former GOP party official of some sort in Cook County. So now Democrats are forced to decide whether to vote for a guy who takes bribes or a former Republican.
Down right hilarious.