A longtime political operative at the center of the investigation into former Ald. Daniel Solis has been charged in a scheme to steer a massive Chicago Public Schools contract to a Cleveland-based company in exchange for donations to Solis’ campaign.
POLITICO
Get the Illinois Playbook newsletter
Email
Sign Up
By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or updates from POLITICO and you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service. You can unsubscribe at any time and you can contact us here. This sign-up form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Presented by Uber Driver Stories
With help from Maria Carrasco.
TOP TALKER
Mayor Lori Lightfoot prepares to speak to reporters Feb. 4, 2021. | Pat Nabong/Chicago Sun-Times via AP
Some of the biggest names in Chicago business and sports have taken out a
A longtime political operative at the center of the investigation into former Ald. Daniel Solis has been charged in a scheme to steer a massive Chicago Public Schools contract to a Cleveland-based company in exchange for donations to Solis’ campaign.
In addition to the alleged contract fraud, Roberto Caldero was also accused in an indictment filed in U.S. District Court with offering $100,000 in bribes from a suburban business owner to Solis in exchange for the alderman’s help securing an honorary street name for the businessman’s father and renaming a city park after his grandfather.
Solis was already cooperating with the FBI at the time and helped keep the ruses going for investigators, including pushing the street renaming in the City Council, according to the 20-page indictment.
UpdatedThu, Feb 25, 2021 at 12:24 pm CT
Reply(1)
On Wednesday, politically connected lobbyist Roberto Caldero was indicted for bribery and former State Rep. Eddie Acevedo and his sons face income tax dodging charges. (Shutterstock)
CHICAGO Longtime political insider and sometimes off-the-books lobbyist Roberto Caldero was indicted for bribing a former alderman and a public school official as part of the feds massive political corruption probe.
In court papers, prosecutors alleged Caldero repeatedly promised FBI mole and former Ald. Danny Solis a $50,000 campaign contribution in exchange for an honorary street renaming.
Caldero also was indicted for allegedly bribing former Chicago Public Schools Chief of Staff Pedro Soto, who already pleaded guilty to lying to the feds. Prosecutors alleged Caldero promised Soto possible future employment, discounted fees for a family event, entry to a museum fundraiser and champagne in exchange for helping a client bidding on a $1 billion
Political consultant charged with bribing Chicago alderman
By Sun-Times Media Wire
Roberto Caldero allegedly offered bribes to Solis in 2016 for help landing an Ohio company a $1 billion custodial services contract at CPS, prosecutors said in an indictment unsealed Wednesday.
Caldero’s alleged bribes to Solis also sought to get an honorary street name designation in Chicago and the renaming of a Chicago park, according to the charges.
To influence Solis, Caldero arranged for campaign contributions to be made to political organizations affiliated Solis or his ward, the indictment states. But Caldero didn’t know that the alderman was cooperating with the FBI and acting at the direction of law enforcement, prosecutors said.