CHICAGO — A disgraced former Chicago alderman who allegedly traded political favors for sex is still being paid by the city. Danny Solis is collecting a nearly six figure pension and could be cashing city checks the rest of his life.
A federal affidavit from 2016 said Solis used his clout to gain “personal benefits,” but he was never charged with a crime. Solis also allegedly recorded fellow council member Ed Burke and became a “council outcast”
He went into hiding, leaving his ward office with no representation. He hasn’t been seen in public in months.
But he’s still seeing a public paycheck.
The former alderman is collecting a $95,000 city pension, funded by taxpayers, despite his key role in the corruption scandal at city hall.
Current 25th Ward alderman Byron Sigcho Lopez replaced Solis.
“He walks away without any sense of responsibility – and the taxpayers have to take on that,” Alderman he said. “Our responsibility is to make this right. To make sure going forwards that we have processes that will hold public officials accountable and that we have transparency and clear guidelines moving forward.”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot was elected on a promise to bring ethics reform to city hall and said her experience as a former federal prosecutor tells her Solis will eventually face legal consequences.
“I’m confident he’s going to face charges,” he said. “I don’t want to get ahead of the U.S. Attorney’s office and the FBI, but I’m confident he will face charges and there’s going to be a day of reckoning for him.”
The 69-year-old former alderman could receive his pension for the rest of his life unless he’s convicted of a felony crime connected to his service as an alderman.
