Defendants in corruption case don't want expert to testify about Chicago politics
(The Center Square) – Attorneys representing four people indicted in a federal bribery and conspiracy case involving Illinois' largest utility comp...
(The Center Square) – Attorneys representing four people indicted in a federal bribery and conspiracy case involving Illinois' largest utility company are worried about a political science professor. They are concerned the expert witness' explanations of how Chicago's political machine works could make their clients look guilty in front of a jury at an upcoming trial. Federal prosecutors want University of Illinois at Chicago Professor Emeritus Dick Simpson to explain Chicago's Ward system, "including the operation of the political machine as it works through the Ward political organizations including the Ward Committeeperson, precinct captains and patronage hiring.