A federal grand jury has subpoenaed the records of the 47th Ward Regular Democratic Organization, chaired by former Chicago Park District Supt. Edmund Kelly, as part of an investigation into the district`s awarding of boat mooring assignments, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
In addition, park district Executive Vice President Jesse Madison said Friday that he has asked for an internal review of the district`s marine division, which is run by Gerald L. Pfeiffer, a political associate of Kelly`s, in response to ”complaints we`ve been hearing about the whole harbor situation that give us some concern.”
Madison said that some of the complaints ”have to do with questions of potential payoffs” and that they will be investigated by a security consultant recently hired by the park district board.
Former U.S. Atty. Dan Webb, who is representing the ward organization in the federal investigation, said he is cooperating with investigators in providing the documents. Webb said it was his understanding that Kelly, longstanding committeeman of the 47th Ward, is not under any federal investigation.
Kelly said that he has not been subpoenaed, but he declined to comment further.
Federal officials last month issued subpoenas for marine division records dating to 1980 that detail mooring assignments for all park district slips and show which park district employees were assigned to the harbors.
According to Thomas Murphy, Pfeiffer`s attorney, the investigation is focused on the marine director and not Kelly, who resigned as park
superintendent July 20, three weeks after Mayor Harold Washington`s allies wrested control of the vast parks system from Kelly.
”I can guarantee you the target of this is my guy,” Murphy said. ”It`s to look at the harbors and whether or not boaters were forced to contribute to Kelly.”
Murphy said that based on conversations with federal prosecutors, he believes investigators are examining the records to determine if boaters
”made contributions to Kelly or paid extra” in exchange for Pfeiffer`s granting them moorings. He said the inquiry ”has no validity.”
A previous investigation by the U.S. attorney`s office into Pfeiffer`s activities at the park district ended in 1981 when officials declined to prosecute.
More Top Picks Best Warm White Led Bulbs For Reading
In an interview in his park district office, Pfeiffer, 53, denied any wrongdoing.
”We have always been under siege,” Pfeiffer said. ”This particular department has always been under pressure, and it rises and falls with the season.
”I go home and shake my head at these rumors that if you don`t do such and such Pfeiffer`s going to put you on 59th Street. If you took all the
(boaters) I`ve thrown out in 13 years, you couldn`t fill a bathtub.”
George F. Galland Jr., newly named general counsel to the park district, said park officials will ”fully cooperate with the federal investigation, but we`re not going to simply wait to see if somebody gets indicted. We will take our own look at the problem, and if we think action is needed–regardless of whether any criminal activity has taken place–we will take it.”
Access to the park district`s 7,000 moorings has been traditionally coveted by boaters, who vie for dock space in an annual lottery. Competition for space in Belmont Harbor, among the most desired by boaters, is
particularly stiff. However, for the past three years, Pfeiffer said, there have been vacancies in park district harbors. This year 100 moorings remained vacant, he said.
An annual report for the 47th Ward Regular Democratic Organization on file with the Cook County clerk does not list Pfeiffer as an officer.