Federal investigators have asked Ald. Isaac Carothers (29th) to turn over records concerning zoning changes he requested in the City Council since 2005.
Carothers, alderman of Austin’s 29th West Side ward, has not been named in any corruption investigation, but investigators have asked for records on four zoning changes he requested; one in 2005, two in 2006 and one request last from year.
The Chicago Sun-Times Tuesday reported that Carothers’ New 29th Ward Campaign Committee got $11,000 in contributions last year from Morgan Properties Inc. One of the firm’s managers, listed as John Thomas, is an FBI mole linked to two federal cases involving Tony Rezko, a property developer and political donor indicted last year on corruption charges.
Carothers’ campaign committee returned the donation on April 9 of last year, the Sun-Times reported. The paper reported that Thomas recorded hundreds of hours of conversations, including one with “an unidentified Chicago alderman”. No name was given for the alderman.
The FBI mole has been cooperating with authorities in response to a felony fraud conviction he received in New York. Carothers, who chairs the city’s Police and Fire committee, was unavailable for comment Wednesday. Brenda Smith, Carothers’ chief of staff, had no comment about the Sun-Times article.
CONTACT:tdean@wjinc.com
