Mayor Allegedly Used Town’s Credit Card for $36K in Steak Dinners, Vegas Trips…
- Posted on September 26, 2011 at 6:30pm by
Christopher Santarelli
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Joseph Cook, mayor of the small town of Channahon, Illinois, has been accused of charging $36,000 on his village credit card over the last four years for personal purchases including $1,300 steak dinners, limousine rides and trips to conferences in Las Vegas, New Orleans and Orlando. In addition to despicable abuse of power, the Chicago Tribune reports that Cook has been sued at least four times in the last three years over financial issues and was sued by the state in 2009 for failing to pay chid support. The Tribune on Cook’s personal spending as mayor of the village that has a population of only 14,000:
“During four weeks in 2007, Cook charged a $1,300 dinner at a Shorewood steakhouse and a $1,400 stay at a “luxury time share” in New Orleans’ French Quarter while attending a conference, records show. Other charges included about $200 for two meals at a Las Vegas Hooters, $853 on alcohol for an employee Christmas party and almost $1,300 on limousine rides to and from Chicago airports.
Cook also requested and received $2,000 in cash advances from the village before traveling to conferences in Las Vegas and Florida, records show. After submitting a 2007 request labeled “Las Vegas Seminar — Extra Money,” the village cut him a $500 check, records show.”
Cook has been embroiled in controversy after his small village was sued in August by Chicago and regional transportation authorities that accuse the village of improperly diverting millions of dollars in sales tax revenue by allowing corporations to set up “sham” sales offices in their towns.
Village Trustee Judie Nash told the Tribune that a lack of oversight on the village credit card spending led her to propose new rules for town officials that went into effect about a year ago.
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Secret Squirrel
Posted on September 28, 2011 at 10:20am.
Report Post »Mayor?
Hell, he’s ready for Senate majority leader!
ddg7
Posted on September 28, 2011 at 8:09amThis guy has ‘earned his bones’ and is ready to move to the federal level. Make room for another Obama bundler.
Report Post »TJeff2112
Posted on September 28, 2011 at 6:16amStart hanging these crooks.
Report Post »ObserverOnTheHill
Posted on September 27, 2011 at 6:25pmdoesn‘t say if he’s a democrat – they would specifically state if he was a republican so I’ll go with – he’s a democrat.
Report Post »blazingaway
Posted on September 27, 2011 at 2:08pmHow stupid are these people?
Report Post »They should put this idiot in Jail.
mikee1
Posted on September 27, 2011 at 12:44pmI think this is in COOK CO. THAT’S WHERE ODUMBO HAD HIS TRAINING AND TELEPROMPTER-READING COURSES FROM THE WHITE COMMUNISTS WHO RUN CHICAGO.
Report Post »ByDawnsEarlyLight
Posted on September 27, 2011 at 11:24amIm in New Orleans, between us Illinois,California,and New York it makes you wonder how anything gets done in this country, and what gets done is usually done wrong. One of the biggest treats we give our city officials in this state is the almighty govt credit card. WHY?!?!?! Let them put their expenses on their own cards and submit the receipts, believe me the spending would be drastically reduced. If they have to make a trip to another state then the stay at a motel 6, if the stay at a another hotel, they eat the cost over and above what a motel 6 would cost, and that goes for all travel expenses. Honestly if your in govt neither you or anyone associated with you should get govt contracts or be eligible for bids. It may sound weird but if we make public service a pain in the ass to the leeches then mabey we’ll get more truly honest people in govt.
Report Post »Liberalismsamentaldisorder
Posted on September 27, 2011 at 11:03amA crooked liberal politician in Chicago? You’re kidding. Being from Chicago should exclude you from national office.
Report Post »jessieH
Posted on September 27, 2011 at 10:42amWell, it’s up to the citizens of Channahon to take him out, any way possible.
Report Post »elosogrande
Posted on September 27, 2011 at 10:35amThis may be a wake up call. What’s going on in your town – hmmmm? It’s time to chack up on all politicians – even the ones you like.
Report Post »BobKlein
Posted on September 27, 2011 at 10:00amNot to mention the trips or I should say meetings on Mackinaw Island and other places. See usually when they say we are going to a meeting thats not all true they go for five minutes and then go have fun get payed for it and go home I have watched this happen many times.
Report Post »BobKlein
Posted on September 27, 2011 at 9:56amThat does not surprise me any. I worked for my town for almost 4 years never got a raise I barely got 40 a week. It was just me and the DEQ supervisor working at the Garage he made about $80,000 a year the Village Manager made more than that and I made about 14000. a year. I did 90% of the work in town most of the labor for just $9.00 an hour. I was promised a raise and my water and sewr certificates so I could make more money we’ll after three years I began to believe it was a joke and it was. I never got crap. Even after studying for two years for it. Finally I injured my knee at work and had to have surgery almost a year ago and have not returned to work with them apparently I am no good because they replaced me for someone else a relative of my DEQ Supervisor with the same last name as my old boss now works in my spot. I have watched my town spend millions on upgrades a new bridge and lighting for start and hire from out of town areas to do all the work the project took over a year to complete. I got only 4 hrs of overtime during that my boss got hundreds of hours of overtime. They spend money and do things the people of the community says wow and the Village laborer gets nothing but a no good knee and no job. See their is about 6 people here total working in elected positions on the board and one DEQ worker they have it made here filling their pockets while keeping others at the bottom. WIth the appearance of doing good they are screwing their workers.
Report Post »BobKlein
Posted on September 27, 2011 at 10:03amYes sir the Village of Hillman has it made.
Report Post »ncgrammie4
Posted on September 27, 2011 at 2:58pmSounds like you may need to blow the whistle on this bunch.
Report Post »starman70
Posted on September 27, 2011 at 7:59amSounds like he is getting lessons from Califoria politicians. Maybe he went to Bell, CA for basic training.
Report Post »hempstead1944
Posted on September 27, 2011 at 8:12amIllinois crooks and politicians are all homegrown……they invented corruption.
Report Post »Truthmonster
Posted on September 27, 2011 at 4:18amHey Boy you got a bright future as a czar.
Report Post »bikedaddy
Posted on September 27, 2011 at 3:27amI live two towns over from Channahon. The real story goes like this. In the city of Chicago sales taxes are about 10% on all purchases except food and meds, some of the highest local taxes in the nation. So a number of big, Chicago based companies set up satellite offices in smaller jurisdictions with lower tax rates to run their large purchases through, thereby saving 2-3% on those purchases. The smaller towns are happy to have the new found tax revenue, and the big companies save millions of dollars. Seems fair to me, and I don’t see the illegality.
Problem is, Rahm Emanuel and the boys who run the game in Chicago are missing out on all those tax receipts. Next thing you know, this small town mayor is on the 10′clock news and the front page of the Chicago Tribune, with all his dirty laundry for everyone to see. Same for the town of Kankakee, and several others. That my friends, is the Chicago Way.
See, nobody really cared that this guy was “wettin’ his beak” to the tune of $36,000 over the course of three years on the taxpayers dime, that’s pocket change in Illinois. What got him in real trouble was that he was messing with the tax receipts the Chicago crew think they are entitled to. That’s how we do it in Illinois. It‘s kinda like an episode of the Soprano’s but on a state level. I bet you can find some similar examples on the national level in the Obama administration … if you look hard enough.
Report Post »jnobfan
Posted on September 27, 2011 at 4:24amMakes sense to me.
Report Post »starman70
Posted on September 27, 2011 at 7:56amDoes the name Solyndra make sense?
Report Post »Master Sergeant Malone
Posted on September 27, 2011 at 8:21amLooks like you got it down to a science bike! Keep it up, but watch your back!
Report Post »db321
Posted on September 27, 2011 at 1:14amI don’t know what you would do to him in IL – we would not treat him very nicely in Texas. That need to echo each and everyday down the halls of Congress – keep repeating it until they start to get it.
Report Post »tckid17
Posted on September 27, 2011 at 12:27amOnce they caught him dinning at Hooters, he was “Busted”.
Report Post »Dustyluv
Posted on September 27, 2011 at 12:02amDo we draw and quarter anymore?
Report Post »Bonnieblue2A
Posted on September 26, 2011 at 11:53pmSounds like the Mayor was just rehearsing the “Chicago Way” in case he ever made it into big time Illinois politics. He did this over three years? I have to wonder why the city council didn’t have the credit card cancelled after the first year and have him yanked from office? Just another example of the people getting the government they deserve. Heaven help us if we ever get all the government for which we pay!
Report Post »7of 9
Posted on September 26, 2011 at 11:49pmwhen are the sheeple going to wake up and banish the wolfs
Report Post »m r 2 dux
Posted on September 26, 2011 at 11:46pmJust sounds like a future democrap congressman from IL to me.
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