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| E. Chicago Council Member Robert Battle (D) |
Battle, who is running for re-election in next month's municipal election unopposed, admitted to police through his attorney on Monday that he had shot Reimundo Camarillo, Jr. in an alley following an argument during which Battle claimed Camarillo pulled a knife on him. Battle later told his attorney there was no struggle between the two men. Police were unable to find either the gun or the knife where Battle suggested they could be found. Federal authorities also filed charges against Battle for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. At the time of Battle's arrest last month, he had allegedly visited a house in Michigan where cocaine was being dealt.
The Northwest Indiana Times says investigations related to the criminal charges filed against Battle uncovered the fact he was using several addresses as his residence but not residing at the residence he was using for purposes of representing the district he represents as a member of the East Chicago City Council. Let me take a wild guess that he won't be charged with vote fraud or theft as former Secretary of State Charlie White was. East Chicago Council members earn over $45,000 a year for their part-time jobs, more than five times the average salary of council members in other municipalities. That salary includes a $25,000 discretionary stipend the members can spend as they please or pocket as income. They also receive health insurance, pension and other benefits valued at more than $12,000 a year.
The Northwest Indiana Gazette has a post on the lovely home on the cul-de-sac Battle owns in Merrillville versus the small, very modest home in East Chicago he uses for voting residency purposes. It's pretty easy to figure out where Battle really lives.
The chickens are coming home to roost. The only difference between East Chicago and Indianapolis is access to corporate money. Where such access exists, it's possible for elected public criminals to engage in cronyism and graft. Where it doesn't exist, you take what you can get...drug dealing and murder. Not much different in theory.
ReplyDeleteEast Chicago, as a whole, is corrrupt.
ReplyDeleteTime for the Lake County Demo chairperson
to step in and take steps to get Battle
to resign and withdraw from the election.
He won't be able to do his job awaiting
trials at the Lake County Jail in Crown
Point or the Porter County Jail in Valpo
or at the federal lockup - the Metropolitan Correctional Center in downtown Chicago regardless of where he is being held so why
should he continue to get paid?
The world's largest drug trafficker is the CIA. There are a number of prominent businessmen in Indiana and across this country through whom those drug proceeds are laundered in their non-official cover roles for the agency. They are the largest campaign contributors to candidates for public office and some run for office and hold public office. Some of these people have their tentacles deep in East Chicago politics. Follow the money.
ReplyDeleteGreat point
DeleteThe only difference between East Chicago and Indianapolis is that in Indianapolis, no government official gets indicted or arrested for crimes committed.
ReplyDeleteThis man has a bright future in dc.
ReplyDeleteAlso, along with what Gary said, in the The CIA and the Cult of Intelligence by Vic Marchetti we read that the agency can paticipate in crimes to fund operations as long as an agent does not profit from that crime his or her self.
That doesn't apply to the NOCs. They have money laundered to the businesses they operate that may or may not ever turn a profit but allow them and their family members to live very comfortably. They know where their money is derived, and they support those candidates for public office who are beholden to the Outfit.
ReplyDeleteI worked in a gov agency and had a supervisor relate to me about known spooks at the agency who had an plush office and fat paycheck of a high ranking position, but not once did they ever even visit their office or put in a days work. They likely weren't even in the state.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of nocs;
ReplyDeletehttp://www.chiptatum.com/index.php/articles/50-jeb-bush-the-early-years