Hired Truck Program - Clout On Wheels, Chicago Sun-Times Investigation of The Program

Clout On Wheels, Chicago Sun-Times Investigation of The Program

The Sun-Times investigation began when a reporter, Tim Novak, spotted a red truck parked on the city block where he resides. This single red dump truck bore a sign saying it was leased to the city of Chicago's Hired Truck Program. The reporter eventually staked out a city water crew for five days, watching four Hired Trucks sit idly during each eight-hour shift. Each truck cost taxpayers $50.17 an hour. During these days of investigation, Novak and fellow reporter Steve Warmbir commented that the only excitement these truck drivers experienced was a lunch break to the local McDonald's.

Novak and Warmbir began to research the program, resulting in "Clout on Wheels"—a three part series released by the Sun Times in January 2004. This on-going series exposed how the city of Chicago spent $40 million a year on privately owned dump trucks. Part one gave detailed information about the program, where part two sparked conversation about mob ties and part three confronted political ties between the Hired Truck Program and the current political power base.

Between 1996 and 2004, companies in the Hired Truck Program gave more than $800,000 in campaign contributions to various politicians, from House Speaker Michael Madigan to Gov. Rod Blagojevich to a host of Hispanic politicians. Mayor Richard M. Daley got at least $108,575 and his brother, John Daley, and his ward organization took in more than $47,500 from firms in the Hired Truck Program in the same period.

Mark Gyrion is the son of Daley's cousin. Gyrion is the grandson of the mayor's aunt, Rita Green. Rita Green was the sister of the mayor's mother, Eleanor "Sis" Daley. Gyron was a superintendent of garages for the City of Chicago's Water Management Department who was accused of "betraying the public trust" when he concealed the fact that his mother-in-law cashed in on the HiredTruck Program - to the tune of $1 million since 1998. Gyrion also neglected to disclose that his mother-in-law's firm, Jacz Transportation, bought a 1989 Ford dump truck three days after City Hall sold it to a Franklin Park dealership and then leased it back to the city. Gyron was fired and Jacz Transportation was suspended from the Hired Truck program.

The scandal eventually sparked a Federal investigation into hiring practices at Chicago City Hall, with Robert Sorich, Mayor Daley's former patronage chief, facing mail fraud charges for allegedly rigging city hiring to favor people with political connections. On July 5, 2006, Sorich, 43, was convicted on two counts of mail fraud for rigging city jobs and promotions. Nick "The Stick" LoCoco was also of prime concern. He was discovered as the city employee whose primary job was to determine which trucks were used for work with the city's transportation department. LoCoco, a well-known mob bookie, was later charged but did not make it to trial because of a horseback riding accident.