Pols use campaign funds to pay probe legal fees

Cook County Treasurer Edward Rosewell has spent $31,888 incampaign funds so far this year to pay a law firm that isrepresenting him in a criminal investigation of his office, recordsfiled Wednesday show.

Rosewell joins an ever-growing list of Illinois politicians whohave used their campaign kitties in recent years to fend off federalprobes. In the last six months alone, at least four other localofficeholders dipped into their political funds to pay their defenselawyers.

Federal agents seized boxes of records from Rosewell's office inDecember. Just weeks before, Rosewell's housemate, Rodney Zobjeck,quit his post as deputy treasurer after subpoenas were served on thetreasurer's office in connection with a ghost-payrolling inquiry.

"Eddie has not been accused of any wrongdoing," said Tom Leach,a spokesman for Rosewell. "There is a federal investigation of hisoffice. Therefore, it would be foolish not to seek legal advice."

Beginning Feb. 1, Rosewell made seven payments to the firm ofKatten Muchin & Zavis, where he is represented by criminal defensespecialists Harvey Silets and Sheldon Zenner.

The payments left Rosewell with only $4,146 in campaign funds,according to campaign finance reports made public Wednesday coveringthe first six months of 1996.

Rosewell was among at least five local politicians who reportedusing campaign funds to pay lawyers during the latest period.

State Rep. Miguel Santiago (D-Chicago) paid $10,000 to Freeborn& Peters, where John Farrell is representing him in theghost-payrolling investigation.

Santiago has come under scrutiny in the probe of Rosewell'soffice, where he was employed, and in a separate investigation of theCook County Board of Appeals, where his ally, Commissioner JosephBerrios, also is under investigation.

Berrios paid $2,000 in campaign funds to his lawyer, SamuelBetar, bringing his legal defense total to $56,497.

A campaign fund controlled by Ald. Jesse Evans (21st) paid$3,000 to Michael Monico, who originally represented the alderman inthe federal Operation Silver Shovel investigation. Evans, who hassince switched lawyers, was charged July 16 in a 16-count indictmentthat accused him of taking $7,300 in bribes from an undercover FBIagent.

State Rep. Joseph Kotlarz (D-Chicago), who was indicted lastyear by a DuPage County grand jury on charges of taking an illegal$190,000 fee on an Illinois Toll Highway Authority land deal, paid$3,300 to his lawyers.

The campaign reports show that Cook County State's Attorney JackO'Malley is mounting a large fund-raising advantage over hisDemocratic rival, Richard Devine.

Through the June 30 reporting period, O'Malley had compiled$607,561 to Devine's $131,583. Devine spokesman Bill Scott said thecampaign picked up $148,000 in July, but William Dahlborn III,executive director of O'Malley's campaign, said the state's attorneyalso gained ground.