Deal with feds would let former Ald. Danny Solis avoid conviction, prison time for bribery charge

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Former Ald. Danny Solis can avoid a criminal conviction that might lead to prison time for bribery charges, as part of a deal he made with federal prosecutors more than three years ago, but which was kept under wraps until Tuesday.

Federal prosecutors announced the bribery charge against Solis last week, accusing him of soliciting campaign contributions from a real estate developer in exchange for his help with a zoning change in his ward.

As part of what is known as a deferred prosecution agreement, signed in late 2018, but not made public until Tuesday, federal prosecutors have agreed to drop the charges against Solis after three years if he continues to cooperate with federal prosecutors, and does not commit any more crimes during that time.

"This agreement is based upon the substantial assistance Mr. Solis has provided to law enforcement to date," the agreement states.

As part of his deal with the feds, Solis admitted that, in July 2015, he asked a developer for a campaign contribution in exchange for his help getting them a zoning change to build a multi-unit rental building on a site in his ward that had once been a restaurant. In August 2015, two executives from the developer contributed $5,000 each to Solis' 25th Ward organization campaign fund, and informed Solis they planned to attend a September fundraiser.

About two weeks after that fundraiser, the Zoning Committee approved the zoning change the developer sought. The same day, another executive at the same developer gave $5,000 to Solis' campaign fund, and three days later, the City Council approved the project.

The deferred prosecution agreement does not specify which cases Solis is cooperating in, but it already has been revealed he wore a wire for the FBI in federal investigations against Ald. Ed Burke and former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, who both have been indicted in separate cases.

Solis' deal requires him to appear to testify in any case at the request of federal prosecutors, and provide "complete and truthful testimony."

Solis is scheduled to be arraigned on the bribery charge on Wednesday, at a hearing that will be conducted by phone conference, as most arraignments have been in federal court since the start of the pandemic. Prosecutors and defense attorneys are expected to discuss the deferred prosecution agreement at that hearing.

In late 2018, Solis announced he would not be running for re-election, just months before published reports revealed he'd been wearing a wire for the FBI in a probe that resulted in corruption charges against Burke.

He resigned as Zoning Committee chairman in January 2019 after the Sun-Times first revealed his cooperation with federal investigators.

According to a federal search warrant affidavit obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, Solis used his City Council position to further the interests of contributors who supplied him with money, Viagra, and even sex acts in return.

The feds listened in to more than 18,000 hours of Solis' conversations in one year and on three occasions watched him come and go from massage parlors – visits allegedly paid for by a political fixer seeking favors.

In court filings, federal prosecutors have revealed Solis' involvement in the case against Burke, who allegedly tried to get the managers and developers of the Old Main Post Office to hire his law firm in exchange for help with city issues and permits.

According to court filings, Solis was an intermediary in the alleged bribery, identified in the documents as "Alderman A." In the court documents, prosecutors stated, "Alderman A was alderman of the 25th Ward in Chicago," adding Solis began cooperating with the feds in August 2016.

Burke has pleaded not guilty, and is still awaiting trial.

Solis also wore a wire to record conversations with former Madigan, who was indicted on racketeering charges last month, based in part on those wiretap recordings.

The indictment also claims that in 2018, that Madigan agreed to accept business steered by Solis to his private law firm, and in exchange, agreed to advise then-Gov. Bruce Rauner to appoint Solis to a state board. Solis was Chairman of the City Council Committee on Zoning, Landmarks & Building Standards at the time, and was working as an informant at the direction of law enforcement - which Madigan and McClain did not know at the time, prosecutors said.

The indictment reveals that Solis helped in the investigation. Solis, referenced in the indictment as "Alderman A," recorded several conversations with Madigan regarding a parcel of land owned by the State of Illinois in the Chinatown community - which was used as a parking lot.

In July 2017, Madigan and Solis discussed the transfer for the parcel from the state to the City of Chicago, so it could be transferred in turn for possible development, the indictment said.

The indictment said Solis told Madigan that if Madigan could take care of the Chinatown land transfer, the developer would "appreciate it" and would give Madigan tax work for his private law firm, the indictment said.

Solis himself was being watched by the feds at the same time he was cooperating, as it was revealed that contributors supplied him with money, Viagra, and sex acts in a separate case.

No one has heard from or seen Solis since he cooperated with federal agents. He is now a key witness against Madigan, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges.