Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ROBERT AQUINO, the former chief executive officer of Parkway Hospital in Queens, pled guilty today to bribing former New York State Senator Carl Kruger. AQUINO pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated: “Robert Aquino was all too willing to make sure a bribe was paid to preserve his job as CEO of a hospital. Like others in this case, he chose to fight his battle with money under the table rather than to play by the rules. And like others in this case, he now faces the prospect of jail. This office remains committed to breaking the chains of corruption that weigh down New York politics.”

According to the indictment, the complaint, and statements made at today’s plea proceeding in Manhattan federal court:

AQUINO served as the chief executive officer of Parkway Hospital in Queens, New York. When Parkway Hospital was slated to be closed by New York State in the summer of 2008, AQUINO caused Parkway Hospital to make $60,000 in payments to Adex Management Inc. (“Adex”), a company in which former New York State Senator Carl Kruger had an interest. As alleged in the Complaint, Adex paid half of the $60,000 it received from Parkway Hospital to Olympian Strategic Development Corp., a consulting company controlled by Michael Turano, who had a close relationship with Kruger. As AQUINO stated at today’s plea proceeding, he understood that in exchange for making the payments to Adex, Senator Kruger would undertake official action in his capacity as a member of the New York State Senate to help keep Parkway Hospital open.

***

AQUINO, 54, of Glen Head, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. He faces a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.

AQUINO was initially charged on March 10, 2011, along with seven others, including Kruger, Turano, Richard Lipsky, a lobbyist, Solomon Kalish, the owner of Adex, David Rosen, the former CEO of MediSys Health Network, real estate developer Aaron Malinsky, and New York State Assemblyman William Boyland, Jr.

Kruger, 62, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery on December 20, 2011. Turano, 50, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery on December 20, 2011. Kruger and Turano are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Rakoff on April 26, 2012.

Rosen, 64, of Harrison, New York, was convicted at a trial before Judge Rakoff on September 12, 2011 for his involvement in schemes to bribe Kruger, former New York State Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio, and Boyland. Rosen is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Rakoff on January 6, 2012.

Boyland, 41, of Brooklyn, New York, was acquitted by a jury on November 10, 2011.

The government entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with Malinsky, 63, of New York, New York, on November 22, 2011.

Charges are still pending against Lipsky, 64, of New York, New York, and Kalish, 61, of Rockville Centre, New York, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Glen McGorty, William Harrington, Michael Bosworth, and Kan Nawaday are in charge of the prosecution.

Former Queens Hospital Executive Pleads Guilty to Bribing Former New York State Senator Carl Kruger | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

CHICAGO, April 7, 2011 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Jenner & Block Chairman Anton R. Valukas testified on April 6 before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment at a hearing titled, “The Role of the Accounting Profession in Preventing Another Financial Crisis.”

Mr. Valukas, the court-appointed Examiner in the Lehman Brothers, Inc. bankruptcy proceedings, shared his experiences and insights gained in authoring the widely acclaimed Examiner’s Report that was released in March 2010. The 2,200+ page report, which the New York Times called “the definitive account of the largest bankruptcy in American history” and the Wall Street Journal described as a “master work,” is available at http://lehmanreport.jenner.com.

The hearing, chaired by United States Senator Jack Reed, examined the role of auditors and accountants in the recent financial crisis. For more information, including a full witness list, please see: http://banking.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=0f533e5b-dc43-4fc2-a415-5df2ae8806da

A copy of Mr. Valukas’ testimony is available at: http://www.jenner.com/files/tbl_s20Publications/RelatedDocumentsPDFs1252/3595/Valukas_Statement_Senate_Subcomm_April_6_2011.pdf

Mr. Valukas, a former United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, focuses on major civil and white collar criminal litigation and his clients include some of the largest corporations and public entities in the country. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and is also a graduate of Northwestern University School of Law. His full bio is available at: http://www.jenner.com/avalukas.

SOURCE Jenner & Block LLP

http://www.jenner.com

Lehman Examiner Valukas Testifies at Senate Hearing on Auditors Role in Financial Crisis | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

CHICAGO – Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig today announced that a historic public-private partnership agreement on high-speed rail development is in place to bring Illinois one giant step closer to achieving high-speed passenger service between Chicago and St. Louis by 2014.

Governor Pat Quinn, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood together praised the signing of the historic Cooperative Agreement by the federal government, state government, Union Pacific Railroad, and Amtrak as a crucial advance in the development of a planned high-speed passenger rail network that will serve Illinois and the Midwest region.

“Clearly, the leadership, perseverance and commitment of Governor Quinn, Senator Durbin, and our private sector partners, has vaulted Illinois into the lead on the development of high-speed rail,” Secretary Hannig said. “This announcement is about more than just an historic achievement for Illinois and the Midwest. It is a celebration of the kind of partnership and vision that is creating jobs now and providing needed access to a crucial regional transportation alternative.”

In September 2010, Governor Quinn announced that Illinois had become the first state in the nation to begin high-speed rail construction through an initial agreement to upgrade 90 miles of track between Alton and Lincoln. With the full Cooperative Agreement now in place, construction will continue in early spring from just south of Lincoln to Dwight.   This phase of work is expected to conclude next fall.

The next step would then be the installation of new, enhanced grade crossing warning protection.  The public can expect to enjoy its first taste of 110 mile-per-hour train service when a 20-mile segment between Dwight and Pontiac is completed in 2012.  Procurement of new cars and locomotives, as well as station upgrades, will be other facets of the project completed under the Cooperative Agreement.

“It’s a wonderful day for Illinoisans as we celebrate a milestone achievement towards becoming the first state in the nation to bring high-speed rail to fruition,” Governor Pat Quinn said. “We applaud the cooperation and hard work of all participating agencies to bring high-speed rail service, thousands of jobs, and economic growth to communities across the state.”

“I’m proud that Illinois continues to lead the country in its pursuit of high-speed rail service.  This agreement marks one more milestone in our quest to make safe, reliable, high-speed rail service a reality in just a handful of years,” said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.  “I want to commend Governor Pat Quinn and IDOT Sec. Gary Hannig for their efforts to keep the Chicago-St. Louis corridor on track, while other states have fallen behind.  The benefits of staying on deadline are great: as the project advances, more jobs will be created and, with each step, we’re closer to making Illinois more competitive in the 21st century global economy.”

The Cooperative Agreement also outlines current plans for 110-mph high-speed rail service upon the completion of the construction that began in September. The agreement calls for a total of five daily round trips between Chicago and St. Louis, including three daily high-speed round trips in the initial 2014 schedule — and confirms on-time performance expectations of at least 80 percent for the service. Expected reductions in travel time of as much as 48 minutes between Chicago and St. Louis are also noted in the agreement, shortening the trip between the two cities to as little as 4 hours, 32 minutes. Amtrak operates passenger rail service along the route in cooperation with Union Pacific, which owns the track. 

“Congratulations to the State of Illinois, Union Pacific Railroad, and Amtrak,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. “This agreement will ensure a strong performance for the operation of high-speed passenger trains, while simultaneously protecting, preserving and improving our world-class rail freight system.”

“Our priority in working out this agreement was to protect Union Pacific’s ability to provide the exceptional freight service our customers need and expect, while helping public agencies invest in improved passenger service,” said Jim Young, Union Pacific chairman and chief executive officer. “This agreement allows us to deliver on those customer commitments.”

In January 2010, the Obama administration awarded Illinois more than $1.2 billion in federal stimulus funds for high-speed passenger rail projects, including corridor improvements on Illinois’ signature route: Chicago to St. Louis.

For more information on Illinois and the other Midwestern states regarding high-speed rail, go to MidwestRail.org.

State and Federal Officials Announce Historic High-Speed Rail Agreement for Illinois – Cooperative Agreement Advances Construction and Safety Improvements on Chicago to St. Louis Corridor; Will Create More Than 5,000 Jobs | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

AARP Members, Concerned Citizens Reach Out to Senator Durbin on Eve of Critical Vote

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Dec. 2, 2010 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — With the clock ticking towards a critical December 3 vote, AARP is deeply concerned that the recommendations from the Co-Chairs of the President’s Fiscal Commission would erode the health and financial security of millions of Americans. As Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) ponders his vote, AARP Illinois members are urging him to oppose the plan because of its potentially devastating impact on Social Security and health care.

The Commission proposals would deeply reduce Social Security benefits, and shift too many costs onto Medicare beneficiaries. AARP is especially troubled by the proposal to repeal the CLASS Act. Eliminating this program would deny older and disabled Americans and their families an opportunity to save for their future long term care needs, and be able to stay in their homes and communities longer.

“Older Americans care about fixing our nation’s deficit, but not through measures that would sacrifice their health and economic security,” said Bob Gallo, AARP Illinois Senior State Director. “Over the next 24 hours, AARP Illinois members will reach out to Senator Durbin and urge him to look at the impact of the proposals on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other vital programs, and vote against the Simpson-Bowles plan.”

Concerned citizens will be visiting and calling Senator Durbin’s office in Springfield today to convey this urgent message, stressing the need to put the health and economic security of all Americans above unbalanced deficit reduction measures that could have a devastating effect.

AARP’s analysis of the Simpson-Bowles plan found that the proposals would lower the retirement incomes of average people who rely on Social Security while significantly increasing their out of pocket costs for Medicare. The combined impact of these changes would grow over time and disproportionately hurt future retirees.

The proposals would also compound this loss of income by dramatic cost shifts in the Medicare program, with most beneficiaries experiencing significant increases in cost-sharing.

Become a fan of AARP Illinois on Facebook –  www.facebook.com/aarpillinois

Follow us on Twitter – www.twitter.com/aarpillinois

SOURCE AARP Illinois

http://www.aarp.org

AARP Urges Senator Durbin to Oppose Deficit Commission Plan | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

“The Illinois Senate has approved civil unions, putting Illinois on the verge of granting official recognition to gay and lesbian couples.” – Associated Press 

So how did your representative vote? And better yet, how did our lawmakers who want higher office vote?

For instance:

• State Senator James Meeks voted “no” on civil unions. He was one of five Senate Democrats who voted “no” (one voted present)
• The only Republican to vote “yes” in the Senate: Your new state treasurer, Dan Rutherford.
• Senator Bill Brady voted “no”.

Check out the complete roll calls below under Extras.

Thanks to Illinois Public Radio and WBEZ’s Sam Hudzik.

Originally reported by Chicago Public Radio. Read the original article here.

Roll call! How your lawmaker voted on civil unions | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

In the ten days since the filing deadline for petitions to get on the ballot for Chicago mayor, politicos tied to the various campaigns have been poring over one another’s signatures, looking for irregularities. By the deadline for registering objections on Tuesday, a record 426 challenges had been been issued against candidates in the city’s various races.

Many of the objections were filed against Rahm Emanuel, challenging the legal status of his residency. But some more surprising challenges also came to light as the deadline passed.

Perhaps most striking was the claim by notary public Maricela Rodriguez that her signature had been forged on a number of petitions, both for State Senator James Meeks and businessman Rob Halpin.

From the Sun-Times:

Rodriguez, a district manager for a currency-exchange company, says she didn’t notarize any petitions for Halpin or Meeks.

To prove it, the Aurora woman provided a copy of her driver’s license, which has a signature that bears no resemblance to the notary’s signatures on the petitions. She also provided a copy of her notary seal, which is different from the seal on the Halpin and Meeks petitions.

“There is something very odd about” the petitions, said Rodriguez, who reviewed several of them at the request of the Chicago Sun-Times. “It doesn’t look like my seal. I would think I would remember doing 200 notaries for this person Hardy.”

The candidacies of Meeks and Halpin have been intertwined in scandal in recent days. A Sun-Times story yesterday revealed that Arthur J. Hardy, a homeless man who the Tribune reports is also a convicted sex offender, circulated petitions for both candidates. Hardy collected nearly 4,000 signatures for the neophyte Halpin — more than 20 percent of his total — and a similar number for Meeks.

Many of the signatures Hardy collected have fallen under scrutiny. Apparently, pages of them contain the same handwriting, and many are by such characters as “Steven Colbert” and “Rodney Dangerfield.”

Maricela Rodriguez’s name — apparently forged — appears on many of the petitions circulated by Hardy for Halpin. Oddly enough, though, her name is not on any of the pages he circulated for Meeks. But her signature does appear on pages from other Meeks circulators.

Some observers have suggested that Hardy’s working for Meeks and Halpin is no coincidence. Halpin is Rahm Emanuel’s tenant, the man who refused to move out when Emanuel moved back to the city. His presence on the ballot would be a reminder to voters of Emanuel’s recent stint in D.C. and away from Chicago, which would surely be to Meeks’s benefit.

Meanwhile, the leading legal challenger to Emanuel’s residency status is Burt Odelson, a lawyer who is also defending Meeks in the challenges to his signatures.

The reverend and state senator denies any ties to any other candidates. “I don’t know Rob Halpin,” he told reporters earlier in the week.

Originally reported by Huffington Post Chicago. Read the original story here.

Notary: My Signature Was FORGED On Hundreds Of Mayoral Petitions | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The Hyde Park home of the former U.S. senator Carol Moseley Braun, who on Saturday launched her campaign to serve as Chicago’s next mayor, is on the market priced at $1.9 million.

Braun listed the house in March 2010, but “quietly,” says her agent, Diane Silverman of Urban Search Realty. For instance, there is no for-sale sign in front of the property. “It’s been on the market since long before I knew I was going to run for mayor,” Braun told me Tuesday.

Originally reported by Huffington Post Chicago. Read the original story here.

Carol Moseley Braun Puts Hyde Park Home Up for Sale | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

(WBEZ/Sam Hudzik)

U.S. Rep. Danny Davis filed his nominating paperwork last Monday. (WBEZ/Sam Hudzik)

Monday is the final day for candidates for city offices in Chicago to turn in their election paperwork, and a couple mayor hopefuls still haven’t filed their petitions.

When the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners closed for the weekend, nine candidates had filed to run for mayor. The list includes some big names, like U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, D-Chicago, and ex-White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. It also includes some lesser-knowns, such as hypnotherapist Jay Stone and music producer and author Tyrone Carter.

At least two more people are expected to file Monday: state Senator James Meeks and community activist Bill “Dock ” Walls. Walls last week said he wants to turn in his petition last. If that happens, Walls will get the last spot on the ballot, a position he hopes would help his name stick out in what could be a long list of candidates.

Still unknown is how many names will end up on the ballot. Over the next week, campaigns may file objections against each other’s petitions. Those challenges would be decided by the three-member election board, and – if necessary – the courts.

Originally reported by Chicago Public Radio. Read the original article here.

Final day for mayoral candidates to file petitions for the ballot | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

(Getty/Matt Carr)

A crowd of about 1,000 people attended the Education Action Summit at Park Community Church on the Near North side, including  mayoral hopeful Illinois Senator James Meeks. Many were there to meet and listen to keynote speaker Geoffrey Canada, the president of the Harlem Children’s Zone and most recently a key figure in the documentary, “Waiting for Superman” about the state of the American education system. Canada made a short appeal to the audience to “take a stand” and help reverse what he described as “53 years of failure” in America’s education system. Canada’s address was followed by a panel of five authors and community activists who fielded questions from the audience about what moderator Robyn Steans called “practical steps for a systemic problem.”

Originally reported by Chicago Public Radio. Read the original article here.

Founder of Harlem Children’s Zone calls on Chicagoans to take a stand against education failure | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

“Only the opportunity to help President Obama as his chief of staff could have pried me away from Chicago,” Emanuel, a former Illinois congressman, said today during an appearance in a public school gymnasium. “And only the opportunity to lead this city could have pried me away from the president’s side.”

Emanuel announced his candidacy for the Feb. 22 election a day before U.S. Representative Danny Davis and Illinois state Senator James Meeks, minister of one of Chicago’s largest churches, are scheduled to say they will also run.

Others who have already announced or have said they will do so soon include City Clerk Miguel del Valle, former Chicago school board president Gery Chico, and former U.S. Senator and New Zealand Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun.

Emanuel, 50, is the only white candidate, after Cook County
Sheriff Tom Dart decided against running. Non-Hispanic whites
constitute 32 percent of Chicago’s population.

Emanuel, whose congressional district comprised parts of
the city’s north side and northwest suburbs before joining the
Obama administration, is planning to start a television
advertising campaign Nov. 15, said Ben LaBolt, a spokesman.

He has begun lining up support from corporate leaders. A
Nov. 15 fundraiser for him will be co-hosted by Glenn Tilton,
United Continental Holdings Inc. chief executive officer, and
Miles White, CEO of Abbott Laboratories, among others.

Rival Campaign

Braun has the support of John Rogers Jr., the chairman of
Chicago-based Ariel Investments LLC and an early Obama
fundraiser.

Daley said Sept. 7 that he wouldn’t seek re-election to a
seventh term. The contest to replace the leader of the third-
largest U.S. city based on population comes at a time when
Chicago faces an estimated $654.7 million deficit. The city had
a 10.6 percent unemployment rate in September.

Standard & Poor’s on Nov. 5 said it downgraded the city’s
credit rating one step to A+, the fifth-highest investment
grade, partly because of the Daley administration’s “heavy
reliance on nonrecurring revenues to bridge its 2011 budget gap,
including the use of most of its remaining reserves from the
sale of its parking meters.”

Emanuel referred to those actions in his announcement
speech. “We cannot keep putting off hard choices and hoping
things will get better, while drawing down each year on rapidly
diminishing reserves,” he said. “We must face the fact that
Chicago has a structural deficit and that strong measures are
required to change the unsustainable course we are on.”

Daley Era Ending

Chicago has been led by the current Daley or his father,
the late Richard J. Daley, for almost 43 of the past 55 years.

Public records show Emanuel earned at least $17 million in
three years as an investment banker after leaving the
presidential administration of Bill Clinton in 1998. He served
Clinton as political director and a senior adviser.

Nov. 22 is the last day to file nomination papers for the
election. If no mayoral candidate gets more than 50 percent,
there will be an April 5 runoff for the top two vote-getters.

To contact the reporter on this story:
John McCormick in Chicago at
jmccormick16@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Flynn McRoberts at
fmcroberts1@bloomberg.net.

Originally reported by Yahoo. Read the original story here.

Emanuel Joins Narrowed Field of Candidates to Replace Chicago Mayor Daley | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Originally reported by WISH-TV News. Read the original article here.

Tea Party sets sights on Dick Lugar | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

November 5, 2010

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

Gov. Pat Quinn Stays Gov | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

State Senator Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) has conceded the race for Illinois governor to Democratic incumbent Pat Quinn or Chicago. Brady’s announcement came as Quinn’s lead in the ballot count grew to nearly 20,000 votes.

Twenty thousand votes is not a lot when you consider that more than 3.5- million ballots were cast. But the margin was enough that Brady on Friday afternoon, in his hometown of Bloomington, called it quits.

“I just a few minutes ago got off the phone with Governor Quinn, and I congratulated him on his victory, as he deserved,” Brady told the crowd of supporters, staff members and reporters.

Brady says Quinn invited him to Manny’s Deli in Chicago to eat and talk about the state. Quinn visited the restaurant Thursday to publicly thank voters after the Associated Press declared him the winner. The news organization determined not enough absentee or provisional ballots remained to put Brady over the top.

“It is time, after a bitter election, that our leaders come together and unite, for the families of Illinois,” Brady said.

Asked if he plans to run again for governor, Brady replied, “Life’s too short rule anything out.” At the same time, his wife Nancy said, “We’re not going to answer that question right now,” drawing laughs from the crowd.

Originally reported by Chicago Public Radio. Read the original article here.

It’s over: Brady concedes governor’s race to Quinn | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Sen. Durbin has a new partner in the Senate: Mark Kirk.

Republicans picked up enough seats in the midterm elections to win back the House, but the Senate is still run by the Democrats.

That might make President Obama’s job easier. He won’t face a totally divided Congress as he tackles future items on his agenda.

Still, even Senate Democrats are vowing to work with their new Republican counterparts.

Among them, Illinois’ Senior Senator, Dick Durbin.

After Tuesday’s election, Durbin has a Republican counterpart for the first time in five years: Mark Kirk. Senator Durbin talked about the challenges ahead.

Originally reported by Chicago Public Radio. Read the original article here.

Dick Durbin assesses his new Senate colleague Mark Kirk | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.