Cheating in Chicago

It’s comforting to know that longtime Democratic political consultant and former head of Chicago’s largest public interest group, Robert Creamer, ?never intended to enrich himself? when he ran a check-kiting scheme and failed to pay thousands of dollars in taxes.

At least that is what his wife, Democrat U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, said. Schakowsky, who represents the North Shore, was present in the Chicago federal courtroom when her husband plead guilty to federal bank fraud and failing to withhold taxes. Not surprisingly, she said she didn’t know her husband was taking part in the fraudulent conduct.

The crimes occurred while Creamer was head of the public interest group Citizen Action and after he left to start his private political consulting firm called Dynamics Inc. Prosecutors say he used the money to satisfy personal debts.

Creamer’s political consulting group has done work for several big Illinois politicians, including Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, Governor Rod Blagojevich and U.S. Congressman Bobby Rush. Currently his firm is working for a Democratic-allied coalition to defeat GOP plans to revamp Social Security by creating private accounts.