Illinois House expels Representative.

[RoccoRyg]

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/17/derrick-s

Smith expelled.

Read more: Link to source

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The Illinois House of Representatives, where I work as a page, just expelled Rep. Derrick Smith for bribery. The vote was 100-6 with 3 abstaining. Here's hoping this state can clean up the corruption that taints its reputation.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/17/derrick-smith-expulsion-v_n_1796461.html

[Canuckistanian]

1. Oh, boy. Here it comes

"Chicago-style politics"

[joost5]

3. Hey Canuckistanian

I did a Romney version of your avatar a while back:

[Ken Burch]

6. "Mitt Headroom"...nice.

n/t.

[Canuckistanian]

7. Cool!

Only Romney's too plastic-looking

[LanternWaste]

4. just remind them about the Homeland Security posse the TX State GOP sent after the dems

To anyone who says that, just remind them about the Homeland Security posse the TX State GOP tried to send after the dems who were attempting to avoid a quorum a few years back.

[silvershadow]

11. I didn't hear about that, but that's what kind of mentality we seem to be

fighting these days.

[mucifer]

5. He took a thousand dollars in bribes. But the US congresscritters who take

lots more from the corporations are ok because they do it legally.

[IndyJones]

16. And do their insider trading legally, too.

[alp227]

9. And a democrat too!!

[Rincewind]

17. Of course he's a Democrat,

if he was a republican, he wouldn't be expelled, he'd be given a leadership position.

[denverbill]

2. Good. Crooked politicians should be expelled. Period.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

8. Because you work as a page to the Illinois House of Representatives, what's the inside story?

Who in power did he tick off?

Did he fail to go along with a particular vote? Or series of votes?

Was he pushing for something for his constituents that the real power brokers didn't want?

Is it really as simple as saying that he took $7,000 from an undercover FBI agent?

[Posteritatis]

10. Occasionally it might actually be that simple. (nt)

[AnotherMcIntosh]

12. Not a chance, unless you believe that all the other Illinois legislators are honest.

The Federal government, for example, had not prosecuted Blagojevich for years.

However, immediately after he said that B of A would not receive any more business from the Illinois State agencies because the B of A was not acting in a manner consistent with the rights of the laid-off workers at Republic Windows & Doors, somehow he was arrested and prosecuted.

The logical concluson is that either (a) the Feds were unaware of his corruption and, by coincidence, decided to arrest and prosecute him without being influenced by his threat to have State agencies stop doing business with the B of A or (b) the threat to stop doing business with the B of A was the trip wire that caused the Feds to arrest and prosecute him. My money is on (b).

[former9thward]

14. You lose your money.

It takes years to get enough evidence for a corruption trial. That said I disagree with the federal prosecution of Blago. He was set up by the Daleys' who were tired of him. He certainly did not do things other Illinois politicians have not done. Whenever they arrested him there was bound to be some other event going on. Does not mean they are related.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

15. Wrong. They spent years not prosecuting him after they already had evidence of corruption, just as

they have collected evidence of corruption against others over years without prosecuting them.

The message that is sent is either go along to get along or get into trouble.

"He certainly did not do things other Illinois politicians have not done"? Yes, he did. He stood up for the laid-off workers against Band of America. He thought that he had enough power to do that.

The reason why other politicians are not prosecuted? No corruption and wrongdoing? Not enough evidence, and it takes years to uncover it? Nope.

[RoccoRyg]

13. Sorry...

I just get the food and paperwork.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

18. it is not the crime, but the rank stupidity

All he had to do was talk to a few of the elder statesmen and learn how to get bribes without being caught. THAT failure is what doomed. him. seriously, the net worth of some of our pols in springpatch is almost embarrassingly high, considering how little they work. Even those with outside jobs like law.