While Sandoval held significant power over transit agencies as the chairman of the Illinois Senate’s Transportation Committee, his daughter and daughter-in-law were hired by the CTA — after his son was hired by another transit agency, the Pace bus system.
By Robert Herguth Nov 27, 2019, 8:32am CST
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The CTA hired two close relatives of state Sen. Martin Sandoval while he was chairman of the Illinois Senate’s Transportation Committee that holds huge sway over transit funding and legislation, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
Sandoval has since stepped down from heading that committee after federal agents raided his Chicago home and government offices on Sept. 24 as part of an ongoing political corruption
investigation.
While Sandoval ran that committee in June 2018, the CTA brought on board Sandoval’s daughter, Jennifer, as a $13-an-hour college intern, and his future daughter-in-law, Maryte Castillo Zavala, as a full-time employee, now making $56,593 a year.
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Both landed spots in the CTA’s Government and Community Relations department — known as GCR — that worked with Sandoval and his colleagues on legislative initiatives and, more broadly, serves as “the intermediary between elected officials and the CTA.”
Neither Sandoval nor his daughter could be reached for comment. His daughter-in-law declined to comment.
Sandoval faces other allegations that his clout led another transit agency, Pace, to hire his son, Martin Sandoval Jr., in 2016 into a community and government relations post.
An applicant who lost out on that job sued Pace in federal court in 2017 alleging Pace, the government agency that operates public buses primarily in the suburbs, engaged in “a corrupt and unlawful hiring process” that “pre-selected” the senator’s son “as a bribe to Sen. Sandoval for favorable treatment in the Senate Transportation Committee.”
In court papers, Pace denied the accusations. The younger Martin Sandoval, who was married in March, couldn’t be reached.
The $170,000-a-year CTA executive who oversees GCR, Gerald Alder, wouldn’t say whether Sandoval asked for his relatives to be hired or if the CTA hired them to curry favor from a politician who helped control the agency’s purse strings.
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“I’m going to direct you back to” the CTA’s media relations department, Alder said. “I have to go, I apologize.”
Alder used to work at the law and lobbying firm run by veteran political operative Victor Reyes, a longtime Sandoval pal.
Alder also once worked for former Mayors Richard M. Daley and Rahm Emanuel.
CTA spokesman Brian Steele said Sandoval’s relatives “went through the same hiring process as anyone,” with the agency’s human resources arm vetting them.
Both women had solid backgrounds, with Sandoval’s daughter-in-law carrying a master’s degree and considerable work experience, according to another CTA official.
Among her roles: scheduling meetings, answering calls, preparing invoices, maintaining records
including payroll and analyzing the department budget, CTA officials said.
She did not “have any role in policy-making relative to the department,” which has seven full-time employees and one intern, according to Steele.
Through Alder’s office, the CTA has regular “discussions with the state Legislature about funding needs for CTA’s operating and capital budgets,” Steele said.
Sandoval’s daughter left the CTA in June after a yearlong internship that included “research and information gathering, data entry and analysis,” dealing with “complaints and concerns,” and attending community meetings that dealt with CTA construction projects, officials said.
Another Sandoval daughter, Angie, works for ComEd, the electric utility that, with parent company Exelon Corp., received two subpoenas this year from federal investigators — one seeking information on lobbying activities in Illinois, the other looking for information about Sandoval.
The search warrant on Sandoval’s offices and home sought records on ComEd, as well as the red-light camera contractor SafeSpeed, LLC, and the video gambling firm Gold Rush Gaming.
There is patronage in every industry in the country, why is this such a problem? If the person is qualified then what is the big deal? A 13$ an hour job as an intern is an issue? Every single industry in this country has patronage, that includes the news media. So when a reporter asks you a question about your job, ask them how they got their job. In my opinion, its really nobodies business how anyone got their job, its are they doing their job. Shakman decree should be overturned.
ReplyDeleteWhy do Hispanics seem to become whiter when they become well off?
ReplyDeleteBecause they are not, its too easy being taken care of when you have juice. The tax payers have been ripped off for trillons in the last few decades.
ReplyDeleteTaxpayers being ripped off is not due to employment. You should really look deep into why we are being taxed. I don't have the time or energy to educate you. Employees for the city of Chicago do a great job for us, and because they may have received their opportunity to provide for their family because of a recommendation is no different than how others received their opportunities.
DeleteMake no mistake, Sandoval will flip, he's going to attempt to mitigate his alleged crimes and cut a deal. The FBI is fully aware of all Marty's alleged crimes. Tough Guy Marty is a conduit to Cicero. And who runs Cicero? The clubhouse in the Western Suburbs of Cook County where the wanna be tough guys/mafioso's had their meetings was wired for sound and video by the G. Indictments are forthcoming. Tobolski is MIA and has not been seen in public for about 2 months. Raids are done for many reasons: Collect evidence, pressure and to shake the tree to see who is talking. I'm certain the G has many active 'Phone Taps and persons wearing wires.' 2020 will be very interesting.
ReplyDeleteHard to flip when the Outlaws can bring in out state members to go after your family lol!
DeleteYou're watching too much television or you're just delusional........ Marty is going to flip
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