Skip to content

Judicial Watch, Inc. is a conservative, non-partisan educational foundation, which promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law.

Judicial Watch, Inc. is a conservative, non-partisan educational foundation, which promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law.

Because no one
is above the law!

Donate

Corruption Chronicles

Mayor Admits Taking Bribes Over Decades

The longtime mayor of a northwest Chicago suburb charged with federal corruption for taking bribes throughout nearly half of his decades-long tenure has finally admitted guilt.

The veteran politician, who served as Niles mayor for nearly 50 years, had firmly maintained his innocence since being arrested a few years ago but the prominent Democrat evidently had a change of heart amid mounting evidence against him.

Nicholas Blase finally admitted that he accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from his friend’s insurance agency to steer local businesses to buy policies they really didn’t need. In a 29-page federal complaint prosecutors claim the mayor threatened to withhold liquor and business licenses from restaurant owners unless they bought insurance from the company.

Authorities say Blase took nearly half a million dollars in bribes over at least 20 years. The 80-year-old mayor was extremely popular and well-known for fighting crime and driving the mob out of his cozy little town, which has a population of about 30,000 and is located only 15 miles from downtown Chicago.

Blase was first arrested at his home on his 78th birthday in 2006 but he didn’t resign until a few months ago. He immediately entered a not guilty plea and said he stepped down in August because he was tired and wanted other mayoral candidates to start campaigning without wondering if he’s running again.

Now the popular lawmaker faces 20 years in prison and a fine of up to a quarter of a million dollars. He actually got off easy because, in return for guilty pleas to mail fraud and tax evasion, the government agreed to drop nine additional corruption charges against Blase.


Related

VP’s Failed Initiative to Curb Irregular Migration Gets Another $170 Mil as Numbers Surge

Corruption Chronicles | March 28, 2024
As enormous amounts of U.S. taxpayer dollars pour into Central America under Vice President Kamala Harris’s ill-fated initiative to curb illegal immigration, the Biden administrati...

Judicial Watch: Federal Appeals Court Hearing in Lawsuit Challenging Illinois Counting Ballots up to…

Press Releases | March 27, 2024
(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that an appellate oral argument is set for Thursday, March 28 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in the case fil...

Judicial Watch Sues to Get 911 Call, Arrest Report of Laken Riley’s Murder

In The News | March 27, 2024
From Breitbart: Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton announced a Georgia Open Records Act lawsuit against the University of Georgia (UGA) Police Department to get the 911 call made ...