Ex-leader of probed union seeks support for
Madigan
Mailing goes out over his name
By Rick Pearson, Tribune political reporter. Tribune staff
reporter John Chase contributed to this report
Published March 6, 2002
Thousands of union sewer and tunnel workers began receiving letters last week
urging them to support Democrat Lisa Madigan for attorney general, but the name
attached to the mailings was surprising.
The letters to members of Laborers Local 2 were signed, "Fraternally,
Richard S. Caravetta, business manager." They asked members to take part in
House Speaker Michael Madigan's "Friends and Family" political network
on behalf of his daughter. But only weeks before, Caravetta had resigned from
his union post in an agreement with national union officials investigating his
alleged ties to organized crime.
Aides to Michael Madigan, who is also the state Democratic chairman, and Lisa
Madigan, a state senator from the North Side, said they had never heard of
Caravetta. The letters bearing his name were sent out on union stationary but
were paid for by the state Democratic Party.
"Obviously, we don't want people with questionable backgrounds"
involved in Lisa Madigan's campaign, said Steve Brown, a spokesman for the House
speaker. Brown said the mailing was organized by the Chicago-area Laborers
District Council, an umbrella organization.
Caravetta, a Cicero resident, did not respond to questions.
The laborers local, which represents about 20,000 workers, has had a long
history of infiltration by organized crime. In 1994 the federal government
intervened to root out mob influence. As part of a consent decree between the
union and the government, federal courts have selected outside monitors to
oversee the local. The most recent monitor is a partner in the same Loop law
firm in which Lisa Madigan works.
The outside monitoring of the union ended last summer. Lisa Madigan's spokesman,
David Schaper, said he did not know whether she had any involvement with
oversight of the consent decree.
The "Friends and Family" mailing, sent out to union members over
Caravetta's signature, is part of an aggressive campaign being orchestrated by
the House speaker on behalf of his daughter. Lisa Madigan faces former U.S.
Justice Department official John Schmidt in the March 19 Democratic primary.
Through "Friends and Family," Madigan loyalists have created an
elaborate campaign chain letter to elicit names, addresses and phone numbers of
potential supporters and donors. Madigan has used wedding invitation and
Christmas card lists as well as union membership rosters to contact people for
support.
Once contacted, those people are asked to provide their own lists of friends and
family members.
Robert Luskin, general executive board attorney for the Laborers International
Union of North America, said Caravetta resigned his post as part of a settlement
that also brought to an end an investigation into Caravetta's "possible
association with organized crime." As part of the settlement, Caravetta
made no admission of wrongdoing.
A group of dissident union members, known as Laborers for Justice, requested the
probe of Caravetta. Jim McGough, the head of the group, said he also has filed
charges with Luskin's office alleging the local's membership list was given to
the Democratic Party in violation of the union's ethics code.
Luskin said the union would look into the charges.