In case you missed it, yesterday the Seventh Circuit Federal Court of Appeals in Chicago issued its decision affirming the criminal convictions of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley’s political patronage henchman, Robert Sorich, and three of Sorich’s underlings.  These men were convicted, effectively, for practicing patronage – the “art” (although in Chicago it is pretty much a “science”) of doing favors for political reasons, using public resources like government employees and taxpayer money.

We here at PublicWatchdog applaud the Seventh Circuit’s decision, and every court decision that strikes another blow – however large or small – against graft and corruption in government.  Stealing from “The People,” often by selling the power of public office to well-connected insiders and political contributors, is an insult to our form of government and nothing less than outright theft of both cash and honest service from the taxpayers.

The Sorich case is important in the battle against public corruption because it establishes, maybe for the first time anywhere, that a public official can be guilty of corruption without putting money in his own pocket.  Sorich and his cronies did not take cash in the traditional quid pro quo manner of old-time political influence peddling: they simply sold their offices and themselves by doing favors for others who actually reaped the benefits of jobs, contracts or favors. 

As noted by Sorich lead prosecutor, former Ass’t U.S. Attorney Patrick Collins, the Sorich case displayed “a form of corruption where the true recipients of corrupt schemes are not always the defendants themselves, but…their patron, a third party.”  

Which brings us to sleepy ol’ Park Ridge.  As we mentioned at least once before, it’s naïve to think that a community such as ours, bordering on one of the most corrupt big cities in America and situated within one of the most corrupt counties in America, can somehow remain immune to the blandishments of under-the-table deals and favors for the favored – even if only of the ham-and-egg variety instead of the steak-and-lobster versions common to Richie Daley’s kingdom.

We believe that the best way to guard against corruption is simple vigilance and healthy skepticism.  As annoying and tiring as it can sometimes be, constantly asking our public officials “why” – and demanding real answers, not just empty sound bites, from them – is a great way to keep our fingers on the pulse of what our local governments are doing and where our tax dollars are going. 

And that means giving a second, and even a third, look at any situation where a public official has any kind of connection to, or relationship with, the recipient of any public favor or benefit.  We’ve already seen how certain of our public officials seem to struggle with concepts like “conflict of interest” and “the appearance of impropriety” in how they do “The People’s” business.  And far too many of them are far too eager to run into closed sessions to conduct “The People’s” business in secret, just because they can.

As The Tribune’s John Kass writes in his column today: “Americans have a right to expect honest service from elected officials, and that just because a politician doesn’t put cash in his pocket, it doesn’t mean he or she isn’t part of a corrupt scheme to defraud the people.”

We’ll give Mr. Kass an “Amen, brother!” on that.