Phil Pagano, chief of Chicago’s commuter rail system Metra, committed suicide Friday by walking in front of one of his own trains. The suicide comes right after Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., asked the Transportation Inspector General to investigate the use of federal money on Metra.
From Crain’s: The longtime chief of Metra apparently committed suicide Friday morning, just as his employer was expected to fire him for financial irregularities.
There have been several Chicago political suicides in recent years, usually by people who made big money in Chicago’s world of big government. Most were about to get caught, or sent to prison, or both. Among them:
- Chris Kelly, a fundraiser and close associate to Gov. Rod Blagojevich, D who was involved in some of the schemes described in Blagojevich’s indictment. He and Tony Rezko had participated in the same crime spree, but he had already been convicted of a separate tax crime by the time prosecutors came to Gov. Blagojevich’s prosecution.
- Michael Scott, president of Chicago’s Board of Education. He had been subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury regarding the rigging of the admissions process at the city’s best schools. He had also run up extravagant charges on his board-issued credit card. Like many Chicago insiders, Scott had also been involved in a plan to buy up lots whose values would skyrocket in the event that the Olympics came to Chicago.
- Orlando Jones, former chief-of staff to his godfather, late Cook County President John Stroger, D. Jones, who once worked for Tony Rezko. Jones was taking in an annual six figures for an Illinois state pension investment referral he’d given in 2004, under a deal whose terms were incredibly generous to him. In September 2007, one day after the Sun-Times reported on his pension kickback, Jones’ body was found in New Buffalo, Mich. He had shot himself.
For the best piece on this, read John Kass’ column of today:
When politicos play musical chairs in Illinois, what happens after the music stops and there’s no safe place to sit?
