William helm chicago

Retiring Alderman Eugene Schulter had backed candidate Tom O'Donnell in the race to replace him, but young upstart Ameya Pawar stunned the political establishment by winning an outright victory that night, seizing just over 50 percent of the vote. According to the Chicago Police Department, one of Schulter's close allies lashed out on that election night. William Helm, president of the 47th Ward Democratic Organization, was arrested over the weekend on charges of battery for allegedly attacking a man outside a Western Avenue bar around midnight.

The victim alleges that Helm punched him in the face outside the Celtic Crown sports bar, according to the Chicago Tribune. Helm confirms that he was at the bar that night, and the he witnessed an altercation, the Sun-Times reports. But he was "amazed and shocked" at being arrested more than a month after the incident, and claimed that he had no part in the fight. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from.

To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Former deputy aviation commissioner William Helm is accused of bribing ex state Sen. Martin Sandoval for help in approving a construction project. A former top city official charged with bribing disgraced ex-state Sen. The old-school political operative has pleaded not guilty. Helm allegedly offered Sandoval an unspecified amount of money to secure IDOT approval, according to the indictment.

The company that retained Helm is not named in the indictment, but a source said it is owned by a member of the Palumbo family. Neither the company nor any of its owners have been accused of wrongdoing. Palumbo Brothers Inc. It was swept up in a federal investigation in the s that put some members of the family behind bars. Sandoval has already pleaded guilty in a separate case and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. Helm also worked as a paid sales representative for the red-light camera company SafeSpeed while on the city payroll, the Chicago Sun-Times has reported.

SafeSpeed has denied any wrongdoing. District Court in Chicago. Arraignment is set for March 10, , at p. Magistrate Judge Sheila M. The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr. The government is represented by Assistant U. Attorneys Christopher J. Stetler and James P. The company sought approval from IDOT in , the indictment states.