DISQUS

Anonymous · 2 years ago

Surprise Fast Eddie is dirty! Talk about new developments; the only things nice about this is they finally have the evidence to indict him. He and those that have hung with him over the years have had plenty of "shady" dealings. The feds just couldn't pin anything on him in the past. They should take a broader look at Eddie, his family and friends. Family is in the ownerhsip of VIPs on north side.

Captain America · 2 years ago

Couldn't happen to a more deserving politician - probably the biigest rogue/operator in Chicago politics.

not on the clout list · 2 years ago

Somewhere a crusty, white haired former union organizer from the SE side is laughing. heartily.

Bill Baar · 2 years ago

Did Fitz just upstage any talk of boring tax stuff tonight?

Ron Burgundy · 2 years ago

Heads will roll. Stay Classy Chicago

Huh? · 2 years ago

Fast Eddy lost a step and got tackled from behind.

Oops! · 2 years ago

Didn't Blagojevich try to get Fast Eddie Vrdolyak elected as Mayor of Chicago not long ago?

Oops! · 2 years ago

Didn't Blagojevich try to get Fast Eddie Vrdolyak elected Mayor of Chicago not long ago?

Oops! · 2 years ago

Sorry about the double posting.

Lula May · 2 years ago

And this is why Fitzgerald called a press conference ? An old has been like Vrdolyak. No wonder he got that rating from the Justice Department.

Anon · 2 years ago

Even to hardcore Chicago political junkies, Ed Vrdolyak ceased being a person of interest around the time the lights went up at Wrigley Field. I was under the impression that he had died years ago.

irishpirate · 2 years ago

Don't ask for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for Edddddddddddddddddddddddddddddieeeeeeeee.

Remember innocent until proven guilty. Or in this case until he states his name.........VDROLYAK.

Greed and a sense of entitlement are a terrible thing. It is going to be fun to watch.

Although I do feel sorry for anyone targeted by the feds. Even those who clearly deserve it........such as the formerly Fast One.

howard · 2 years ago

Hey steve schnorf,
Start your cellini apology now. For you springfieldidiots who have bent and flat broken the law over these past decades, have a party because it looks like they are going to finally get to your leader mr w.f. cellini. Hopefully before he dies. He and his whole family have terrible genes so they better hurry. I saw him the other day and he looks like death warmed over. I think the stress is getting to the family because even his always on the money fake wife is looking a little rough and distracted.
Mr. Smith went to washington and told the truth. It is taking some time but Peter's little speech from a few years back is starting to take hold. We all knew it was true then and it is probably even more true now. Those stupid cheap hotels are going to bring down something much bigger. If I was alexi I would go out every day and spill a little more of the story. To get elected in this state you no longer need to be nice to the mob. You can call them out. It leads to more votes. Or are we getting a new mob.

Team Sleep · 2 years ago

Methinks something else will be coming down the pipes sooner than later. I hope that Fitz can concentrate on Illinois full-time and forget about the D.C. hooplah. After all, Bush's special prosecutor looks like he's smelled first blood. Uh-oh.

Anonymous · 2 years ago

This has been rumored now for a solid year. Hard to believe this is all there is. No one has any love for Vrdolyak (except, of course, his fishing buddy, John Kass), but how -- if no money was actually realized from the "scheme" -- can there be a completed wire fraud? Attempted wire fraud is a crime? Moreover, remove the pejoratives from the indictment and it sounds virtually indistinguishable from what is known in other jurisdictions (not governed by Patrick Fitzgerald) as a "real estate commission." The horror.

10th ward · 2 years ago

don't bet the milk money that Eddie sees more than 18 months with a significant fine. Hell, he may beat it altogether...he still is Fast Eddie at 69 y.o., what will people call him if he beats this??? Faster Eddie?

Squideshi · 2 years ago

Generally, I prefer the terms nonpartisan or multi-partisan; however, in this situation it is actually appropriate to call this bipartisan corruption. Just another brick in the wall, I guess.

Chicago guy · 2 years ago

The Tribune reports that the 1.5 M payment from Smithfield (the buyer of the real estate) to Vrdolyak was "secret." If that's the case, doesn't that mean Smithfield was part of tbe same scheme? Was there any hint of this in the information provided by Fitzgerald?

Cosmic Flow · 2 years ago

Wonder if Fast Eddie bounced little Rod on his knee back in the day?

PalosParkBob · 2 years ago

Now the big question is whether Fast Eddie will "go canary" on his buds, or if he's a stand up guy.

Fortunately,I believe he still has a law firm that can defend him "at cost".

Think Big Jim will also come to his defense, or is he too busy covering his tail on this Suntimes/Black deal?

Just think how many big shots Fast Eddie can send up the river if he turns rat.

Citizen "B"? Big Bob?, Citizen "C"? The whole fifth floor of city hall?

I get the feeling Fitz is fishing for bigger game here than Fast Eddie.

Ivory-billed Woodpecker · 2 years ago

Anonymous 3:22,

Imagine your aged grandmother asks you to sell her house on her behalf. "Get the best price you can," she tells you. You promise that you will.

After hanging up the telephone on anyone else who calls to enquire about buying the house, you sell to your good friend, Ernie. Later, you and Ernie discuss the least visible ways in which he can express his gratitude for the deal you gave him.

Looks kind of funny, doesn't it? Different from what a real estate broker would do in an arm's length transaction?

That stuff in the indictment about "fiduciary duty and duty of honest services" does sometimes seem to confuse people.

GOP'er · 2 years ago

This has to make a lot of Illinois power players very nervous. Are the dealings described here that much different than what many others are doing every day in Illinois?

What if "consulting fee" or "finder's fee" was substituted for "kickback"?

Anonymous · 2 years ago

To Ivory-billed Pecker --

Thank you for the pedantic example. The only one "confusing" breach of fiduciary duty with a crime is you -- and of course 219 South Dearborn. What, in your example, would lead to criminal charges? You've described nothing more than a run-of-the mill civil action.

Gregor · 2 years ago

Aaron Freeman got a chuckle out of this, I shouldn't wonder. Well once again it's not really Fitzmas, I'm beginning to feel like Linus in that pumpkin patch. At this rate, he won;t get around to Blags until halfway thru the first Obama administration.

irishpirate · 2 years ago

Anonymous 7:11 pm,

I am not a criminal attorney, but I play one on tv, and if you don't understand the legal underpinnings of why these charges constitute a crime then I suspect you should spend less time at Wolf Lake on the SE side and more time in a law library.

My personal guess is that Eddie V. will fight this. Be convicted. Sent to prison. Also I think he is likely to not help the feds on any other cases.

Only time will tell.

the ole precinct captain · 2 years ago

I bet Rich Daley is having a nice laugh about this. Eddie V could never beat him.

howard seems a tad bit bitter · 2 years ago

How exactly does attacking a family's health problems coincide with politics? Over the years I have seen many things from both sides of the isles...Granted Alexi has been a go getter since his win and he is very impressive - but taking cheap shots at the medical conditions of (BC) family memebers really seems a bit over the top...unless that is all you have?????

Petar · 2 years ago

Rod Blagojevich's first law job was in the Law Offices of Ed Vrdolyak LTD. Blagojevich ran the lakefront for Vrdolyak for Mayor in 87 with little George and there is a beautiful Serbians for Vrdolyak button with Blagojevich in the background.
Although Blagojevich is not nearly as smart as Vrdolyak.
Vrdolyak is also veryclose to Chris Kelly and mediated a number of disputes.

Stan · 2 years ago

Vrdolyak is a fascinating and stand up guy.
He is a part of Chicago history.
He came up the hard way in politics and didn't have a Irish daddy to give him a seat.
I like him and always will.

Lula May · 2 years ago

Discussions around the water cooler yesterday was "what's going on here". Is Fitzgerald trying to sweat other people? Surely Fitzgerald wouldn't call a press conference for this? The charges and the accused don't seem to warrant all this hype.

howard · 2 years ago

11:47
Is that you steve?

Anon · 2 years ago

Comments got a bit mean here. Howard needs to settle down.