In this week’s Reader, Frank Smyth reports evidence that five-term southwest-suburban Congressman Jerry Weller may have failed to disclose his ownership of profitable beachfront Nicaraguan real estate. He’s on the House of Representatives Western Hemisphere subcommittee, and might already have been considered to have a conflict of interest, in that he’s the son-in-law of Guatemala’s former dictator. (At least Dennis Hastert found his property windfall in his own district.) Weller’s attorney declined to comment for Smyth’s story.
In a bit of bad timing, the Sun-Times just endorsed Weller for re-election next month. (The Tribune, having paid attention to the “vast conflict of interest” created by Weller’s marriage, made no endorsement in that race. On similar grounds, the Southtown has endorsed his Democratic opponent.)