Chicago's absentee ballots probed

The Chicago Tribune reports on vote fraud:

Ald. Bernard Stone (50th) said Tuesday that the city's inspector general is investigating absentee ballots cast in the election earlier this year that returned him to the City Council for a 10th term in a probe that Stone contended "is occurring all over the city of Chicago."

"Some of you aldermen had better be advised that [Inspector General David Hoffman] is going all over different wards in this city issuing subpoenas to various people in this city," Stone said at a meeting of the council's Budget Committee. "I didn't know whether he had authority to do that, but he's doing it."

But other aldermen said later they were unaware of any investigations in their wards and added that their colleague's surprise announcement was the first hint they had gotten of a probe.

Stone's comments came during discussion of legislation that would create a new city Office of Compliance, whose responsibilities critics contend would overlap those of the Office of Inspector General.

Hoffman said his office is barred by ordinance from investigating council members but did not deny the existence of a probe.

"We fully understand that the City Council has prohibited the inspector general's office from investigating aldermen, and we completely abide by that prohibition," he said. "Beyond that, we don't comment on ongoing investigations."

Stone said that a man and a woman who live in his ward contacted him separately to report they had been subpoenaed to appear at the Cook County Court complex at 26th Street and California Avenue. The man said his wife and two daughters also were ordered to appear. The subpoenas were served by an IG staff member who left his card, Stone said, but when his constituents arrived at the court complex, he said they were interviewed by two assistant state's attorneys.

The questions centered on absentee ballots and whether their votes had been solicited by anyone and whether anybody else cast their votes, the alderman said.

Stone said he offered legal help to his male constituent, whom he did not identify except to say that he is not a member of the 50th Ward Democratic political organization.

"I said, 'Don't let anybody bully you. I'll help you,'" he recounted. "I will get you an attorney."

"I said I will pay the cost of the attorney because I don't want my constituents bullied by people -- because they were bullied."

Stone said he has talked to attorneys, whom he declined to name, who have told him they are representing people in other parts of the city who also have received subpoenas. The activity began about four weeks ago, he said.

But other aldermen contacted Tuesday, including Pat Dowell (3rd), Joe Moore (50th) and Howard Brookins Jr. (21st), said they were not aware of subpoenas delivered by the IG in the wards. Like Stone, all three were involved in hotly contested races.

This is the same Bernie Stone that socializes with "made members" of the Chicago Mob.Another Democratic scandal.