High-ranking Cook County official indicted on bribery charges as political corruption probe gains steam

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

The chief of staff to Cook County Commissioner Jeff Tobolski has been indicted for allegedly conspiring to pay bribes to secure approval for red-light cameras in the suburbs.

Patrick Doherty, 64, of Palos Heights, has been hit with three bribery charges in an indictment made public Friday. His arraignment has not been set. He faces up to five years in prison on each count.

Doherty has also been working as a paid consultant for SafeSpeed LLC. The indictment alleges he conspired in 2017 with someone with an interest in a red-light camera company — as well as another sales agent — to pay off a relative of an Oak Lawn trustee to support the installation of cameras at additional intersections.

They agreed to pay the relative $4,000 over eight weeks, according to the indictment. Doherty was expected to make the payments from a separate company, it says.

Doherty allegedly told the other sales agent on May 25, 2017, he would pay the relative “if it’s going to get us the job,” according to the indictment. He allegedly added, “I’ll just pay it. Just make sure we get the, make sure we get the [expletive] thing, the contract.”

Here's the federal indictment.