Martin Preib, a Chicago dissident of HERE Local 1 that paid large fees to allegedly bogus consultants, called Feb. 13 on Chicago Alderman Patrick Levar (D) to account for $260,000 his firm was paid. Preib requested that HERE explain the payments or recover money paid to Levar’s firm, Gateway Associates, between 1988-96.
Under his contract, Levar’s firm received $267,488 “for consulting on state and federal matters” from Oct. 1988 to Nov. 1996. Kurt W. Muellenberg, the former-court-appointed monitor over HERE said there is no indication what Levar did.
Levar’s involvement with HERE surfaced in Aug. 1998, in a report by Muellenberg. It questioned millions of dollars in contracts to Hanley’s associates. Among the contracts cited were $50,000 to Dan Rostenkowski for producing one memo, and $213,700 to the son of reputed Chicago mobster Pat Marcy for “public relations.” Levar is running for Cook County Circuit Court clerk. [Chi. Trib. 2/14/00]