Jan Schakowsky's Husband Indicted on Federal Tax and Bank Fraud

[Nailzberg]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-040311creamer-story,1,4877425.story?coll=chi-news-hed


"Political consultant Robert B. Creamer, the husband of U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, was indicted Thursday on charges of operating three check-kiting schemes that defrauded banks out of at least $2.3 million while he ran an Illinois public interest group.

Creamer, 56, of Evanston, was charged with 16 counts of bank fraud for allegedly swindling nine different financial institutions and 18 counts of tax fraud. His attorneys said he would plead innocent."




-My best guess, the GOP will now give her opposition in November, forcing Jan to actually run a race. Meaning the organization Jan had set aside for Melissa Bean's run in the 8th will be needed in the 9th for Jan, and Crane will be stronger to retain his seat.

(edited to separate my remarks from the snippet)
(oh yeah, and spelling, cuz I was going to fast)

[RoundRockD]

1. That's really too bad.

I really like Jean Schakowsky because she's never been afraid to challenge the GOP liars and bullies.

[bobbieinok]

2. isn't there a long tradition of attacking the husbands of dem women

politicians

Geraldine Ferraro

woman who ran for gov of IA in 70s (80s?)

[stldemocrat]

5. I guess...

they gotta take any powerful women down any way they can....

[demdave]

11. Sorry, 2.3 million dollars is more than enough reason to attack anyone.

The man is a criminal, if the story is true. (I couldn't read it all because it requires registration). She also would have a tough time convincing me that she didn't notice an extra 2.3 million dollars added to their income. Just like Tammy Faye Baker, I think they both noticed the extra money but chose to look the other way.

[WitchWay]

17. Agree

If her husband did these crimes, he's guilty. Yes, there may be a politcal motives -- but there would NEVER BE a political attack if there wasn't something to attack.

[Bandit]

18. would NEVER BE a political attack if there wasn't something to attack

I am of the opinion that this statement is either very naive or ?????

[WitchWay]

27. You are correct

I worded that badly. What I meant was that if their is a wrongdoing or crime, it presents an opening FOR a political attack

First, I agree that in Shawkowsky's district that the votes are not going republican, so I don't necessarily believe it IS an attack by the republicans.

I am only saying that when politicians (or their spouses) engage in wrongdoing, that might lead to political attacks. So, I would hope that politicans would be careful not to risk themselves in this way, because it also risks their constituencies.

I don't know for a fact that her husband is guilty, so this is all hypothetical, anyways.

[catzies]

16. Add Dianne Feinstein to that list.

Her hubby is a millionaire.

[demdave]

24. Did he steal the money like this crook?

I think you are ascribing an action, the attacks on Feinstein, to the monetary worth of the husband. This is not the case. The "attack" here is that a person is being charged with a crime that the prosecutor believes they have sufficient evidence to convict.

[maryallen]

31. Ferraro was the Dem Vice-Presidential candidate for Mondale ...

She's a former congresswoman from New York.

[wicket]

3. what is check kiting?

n/t

[leQ]

7. 'kiting' i.e., 'floating'

people will have mutiple accounts, then write checks from each to the other.

now it's (nearly) impossible what with the clearinghouses' updated technology. checks clear same day most of the time now.

[sendero]

13. I know what kiting is...

... but I'll be damned if I could see how you could actually make any money doing it. It seems to be all it does is allow you to get some free 'credit' - which I guess if you could get interest for the float that could pay - but at today's rates you'd have to float a LOT of money.

If anyone here knows more, I'd be interested :)

[SoCalDem]

21. Kiting is a dumb thing to try these days..

In the olden days, banks in a town would actually separate the checks they received in any given day...by bank.... They would all be bundled, and representatives of the various local banks would meet every evening and literally "trade bundles"..

So if you wrote a large check on Bank ABC at 4PM on a Friday and deposited it into bank DEF at 4:15, you would probably get about 4 days of float time.. If the check was local, the bank that received it would let you use the funds right away, and you would have additional time to "make it good" before it actually cleared..

That's impossible now, since checks are run through "readers" and the funds are transmitted instantly or the funds "held" by "cyberspace"...

It's a very dumb thing to try..and most states have huge fines associated with it.. Here in CA if you bounce checks they can fine you up to three times the face value of the check..

[TedsGarage]

4. I live in her district

As far as I know, no Republicans are running in the primary. Even so, a Republican could NEVER win here. This is 70% Democratic district that would vote for a tree stump to keep the seat away from the Republicans. We sent the same half-dead congressman to Washington for 50 years, because he was a Democrat. Jan is very popular here. She'll probably survive this.

[Nailzberg]

6. A Repub wouldn't win, but if Jan is opposed it could derail Bean

Melissa Bean has a lot of support in the 8th, but she needs the great GOTV efforts that Schakowsky was going to provide her with if she is going to take Crane's seat. That could be what this is about.

[SW FL Dem]

8. Da*n another Geraldine Ferraro

I really like Jan. She is bright and well- spoken. We need her.

[hedda_foil]

9. Bob is a great campaign consultant and a great guy.

This is designed to smear Jan and the candidates who use Bob's firm. She's getting pretty damn powerful nationally as well as locally and she speaks truth to power. Bob's firm advises liberal candidates on how to build grassroots campaign organizations. This SUCKS bigtime. BIGTIME.

(Forgot to mention, I'm also in Jan's district and pretty active in our Dem organization, so I know both her and Bob personally.)

[Nailzberg]

12. Sucks royally.

I had lunch with Jan last fall and talked with her about youth organizing, the Bushies and why they are evil, and my desire to work in political communications. (She even used a quote I pulled out at lunch on the House floor later that month.) She's the influencing factor in me leaving the media for the world of politics. I consider that as my mentoring moment, and I hate the fact that the Feds are trying to smear her and her husband.

[htuttle]

10. Well, what a coincidence...

Jan Schakowsky has been one of the few legislators not in the CBC speaking out on the coup in Haiti. She especially got under Roger Noriega's skin a few weeks ago during his flogging in front of the House hearing.

[hedda_foil]

14. Update ...

Just got off the phone with my best contact who was in Jan's office today when the news came in. It's not just directed against Jan but also our great senatorial candidate Barack Obama, whom Jan supports and Bob has been doing work for. Obama is the only Dem who can beat Jack Ryan, the brilliant, rich, glamourous and gorgeous Repub who will get the Repub nomination. Yes, Illinois is a blue state, but downstate and the collar counties turn out a strong R vote and Jan's district (the 9th) turns out the heaviest D vote in Illinois, with her hometown, Evanston, turning out the strongest plurality in the district. Hit Jan and you hit the Illinois Dems.

[Nailzberg]

15. I have to disagree with you that Obama is the only candidate

who can beat Ryan. I hate to say it, but Ryan is gonna roll over us the way we are treating our own in this Senate race.

Downstate independants combined with the GOP collar county vote will defeat the Dems this time around because of the direction Hynes' people have taken this race.

Obama would have a tough run regardless because he is a lighting rod on certain progressive issues. And, I hate to say it, but the name and the skin hurt downstate. I wish it wasn't that way, but I heard a downstate dem chair who called him Obama bin Laden. A DEMOCRAT said that.

Obama would have a hard time, Hull would have a hard time, Chico would have a hard time.

Hynes actually has the best shot at winning statewide, but he would be a complete waste of a senator.

I will support whoever wins, obviously, but I hate that we democrats cannot run a race without destroying democrats. THe repubs run a tight ship when it comes to dirty campaigning against each other. It does happen, but they keep their family fights in the house, while we have it out in public.
But now I'm just getting pissy and off track.
Sorry.

[billyf65]

19. This is off track, but...

Obama can certainly win - even downstate. Black candidates have won statewide before - and the name is overcome pretty early.

And watch the news tonight. Jack Ryan, in addition to being kind of a drip (I met him at a party - SO DULL), has some wild accusations coming his way.

Check it out:

http://www.capitolfax.com/

[Logansquare]

25. Oh, that's pretty bad...

If the actual divorce documents get out, kiss Ryan goodbye.

[Nailzberg]

32. I also believe that Obama can win...just not that he's the only that can

Obama's name, race, and his progressive streak hurt downstate.
Black candidates can win statewide, no doubt. Look at Jesse White, who won all 102 counties.
I don't think he's the only one with a chance of winning November, and I don't beleive he's a shoe-in if nominated.

But this sidebar is not for the LBN. And it's really not an issue for the primary. We should pick the best, and then get our GOTV ducks in a row this fall.

[Rich Hunt]

29. exactly

...that was my first thought.

[SoCalDem]

20. All candidates MUST be like Caesar's wife..above reproach

Stuff like this really hurts us more, because we do not control the microphones of america..

Before anyone is allowed to run for office, they should have to submit to an audit and a background check..

I am sorry, but if she lived with the man..she either knew or should have known what he was up to..

You don't rake in that kind of money without someone noticing and questioning it..

[billyf65]

22. He didn't make any money...

No institution realized a loss from this - it is an accusation of what basically amounts to creative accounting - paying people later than required, but giving the checks on time.

All I am saying is it doesn't sound as if he was "raking in" money.

To some of the other posts - I'm pretty sure Creamer is not working for Barack Obama. And I don't think IL Dems have been beating each other up too badly (wish there was none at all - but such is the nature of the beast).

[SoCalDem]

23. If he did nothing wrong, I hope he has a good lawyer

and they settle this thing fast.. This is the kind of thing that can hurt a lot if it just hangs there for months..

[demdave]

26. At the very least he made $300K in unpaid taxes

According to the indictment, Creamer used the inflated balances to pay expenses of his organization, as well as his own salary and discretionary expenses.

Creamer resigned as the longtime executive director and president of the organization in 1997 after the FBI questioned him about a $1 million overdraft. According to the government, the Illinois Public Action Fund was also known as Illinois Public Action, Public Action and Illinois Citizen Action Fund. A currently active group, Citizen Action/Illinois, was started by former staff members who left after the allegations surfaced, co-director Lynda DeLaforgue said.

Creamer is also charged in the indictment with failing to pay more than $300,000 in federal income taxes for employees of his organization and for himself between 1996 and 2000. Four other counts allege he filed false income tax returns between 1996 and 1999.

[davsand]

28. They sat on this HOW long?

Sorry, but this is an awful long time coming if it was all that bad...

Sounds like payback for Jan's outspoken criticism of shrub and company. It hadn't occurred to me that it might be tied to her support for Obama, but that may well have played a role in it--that does sound typical of Illinois GOP tactics.

I will say, however, that I've heard from a couple former IPAC folks that there was a lot of "creative financial stuff" going on under Bob Creamer, but nobody ever said it was that bad. The folks I knew always maintained it was done to keep the doors open at IPAC a while longer, not to line his pockets.

I will be SO glad when this primary is over...


Laura

[Rich Hunt]

30. timing

the timing is bizarre.

[harrie]

33. 11 years ago...

...correct?
Jan was one of the earliest endorsers of Obama. A TV ad for him that she appears in just started running.

Yes, Trib article said that none of the banks involved suffered any financial loss.

I believe Obama has an excellent chance statewide. Didn't the Repubs have a heck of a time getting potential winners to run? Jim Edgar turned down a Senate bid, as did, IIRC, Judy Barr Topinka.
:shrug: