Rep. Joyce again tied to jobs scandal
Kevin Joyce, the son of one of Mayor Daley's top political advisers, had pushed a man for a job as a toll taker on the Chicago Skyway, but he wasn't working out, according to court testimony.
Supervisors were getting complaints that the man was banging his head against the wall of the collection booth.
For the second day in a row, Joyce, now a state representative, has been implicated in the alleged illegal hiring scheme at City Hall during testimony at a federal corruption trial.
Joyce has not been charged with any crime, but prosecutors have gone so far as to call Joyce a "co-schemer," during a private conversation with the judge in the case, according to a transcript.
TRIAL HIGHLIGHTS
PROSECUTION: State Rep. Kevin Joyce is tied to the allegedly illegal hiring scheme at City Hall for the second time in two days at trial.
DEFENSE: The defense suggests a key prosecution witness, Jack Drumgould, who oversaw personnel at the city's Streets and Sanitation Department, is lying to the jury to avoid prosecution and keep his pension.
UP NEXT: Drumgould undergoes more grilling from defense attorneys when the trial resumes Tuesday.
Joyce's name came up during the testimony of Jack Drumgould, who worked for the city for nearly 30 years, most recently as the man overseeing personnel in the city's Streets and Sanitation Department.
On trial is Robert Sorich, the mayor's former patronage chief; Sorich's right-hand man, Tim McCarthy, who worked with him at the mayor's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, and two high-level employees at Streets and Sanitation, Patrick Slattery and John Sullivan.
Drumgould testified that in 2001, he was talking to Sullivan at Streets and Sanitation when Sullivan told him that Joyce felt it was "very important" to get a certain man a job as a toll taker.
Joyce's choice got hired, but Drumgould heard complaints about him.
"He was in the toll collection booth. He was banging his head against the wall," Drumgould said.
Joyce's name first came up at trial Wednesday when another witness testified that he gave Joyce the names of three people working for the city who wanted promotions or a shift change, and Joyce allegedly got it done. Joyce could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Drumgould also testified about a color-coded list he saw in Sullivan's office. The list contained Post-It notes in Sullivan's handwriting, Drumgould said.
On the list were columns of names of people who wanted to be seasonal laborers for Streets and Sanitation.
Certain candidates were identified by the people backing them, including the Streets and Sanitation commissioner at the time, Al Sanchez, a leader in the mayor's Hispanic Democratic Organization.
Sanchez, for instance, put up 11 candidates for jobs, and all of them were hired.
Another person apparently with clout in the department was former high-ranking Streets and Sanitation official Vito Pesoli, according to the list. Three out of four of Pesoli's candidates got the jobs.
Pesoli is not charged with any wrongdoing. He retired from the city last year and went to work for his friend, trucking magnate Michael Tadin.
On Thursday afternoon, Drumgould began undergoing a blistering cross-examination by Sullivan's attorney, Cynthia Giacchetti.
Giacchetti suggested Drumgould wasn't being straight with the jury because he feared getting charged with a crime unless he told prosecutors what they wanted to hear, and that he wanted to protect his monthly government pension, which he would lose if convicted.