From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Feds zero in on powerful state lobbyist
July 3, 2003

BY STEVE WARMBIR AND TIM NOVAK Staff Reporters

Powerhouse state lobbyist Al Ronan is a focus of a federal probe into alleged corruption at McPier, the agency that oversees Navy Pier and McCormick Place, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.

Ronan is a close friend of former McPier CEO Scott Fawell, who was sentenced to 61/2 years in prison Monday for political corruption.

Federal prosecutors have subpoenaed numerous records from McPier about Ronan's lobbying for clients competing for contracts there, McPier sources said. In at least one instance, Fawell used his McPier credit card to pay $131.56 for a hotel room for Ronan in 1999 at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, according to McPier documents. It's unclear why that happened since Ronan was not a McPier employee.

Federal investigators also appeared at Ronan's lobbying office and seized documents in recent months, Ronan's attorney, James Cutrone, acknowledged Wednesday. Cutrone said he did not know what was taken.

Ronan declined to comment on the investigation.

"I don't talk to reporters," Ronan explained.

His attorney stressed Ronan has done nothing wrong and believed he had paid for the room.

While Ronan is one focus of the federal investigation into alleged corruption at McPier, he is believed to be far from the only individual or entity the feds are looking at.

"My opinion with Mr. Ronan is that it's not serious at all," Cutrone said.

The feds have subpoenaed McPier records over the contract given to law firm Mayer Brown & Platt to lobby for the expansion of McCormick Place in early 2001, McPier sources said. Mayer Brown & Platt hired two subcontractors for that job: Ronan's lobbying firm, Ronan Potts L.L.C., and a friend of then-Gov. George Ryan, Ron Swanson.

The feds also have subpoenaed McPier records concerning the construction management contract for the expansion that was awarded to Ronan's client, Jacobs Facilities.

Ronan's close ties to Fawell were raised this week during Fawell's sentencing hearing. When Fawell ran the secretary of state's office, the agency kept a list of contractors to determine who got state work. One important factor was whether the contractors had donated to Ryan, while it was also noted whether the firm had connections to Ronan, prosecutors said in court.

A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney's office could not be reached for comment late Wednesday, but the office, as a matter of policy, does not comment on investigations.

Ronan's lobbying firm ranks as one of the most successful in the state, with a client list out of Who's Who in Illinois politics and business. His lengthy client list runs from Argosy Gaming Company to the Wine & Spirits Distributors of Illinois Association, according to a state filing.

Ronan, 55, of River Forest, was a member of the ward organization of Chicago Ald. Dick Mell. Ronan served in the state House from 1979 until 1992, when he lost a re-election bid after a fallout with Mell. The two have since made up.

As for Ronan and Fawell, they are so tight they were roommates at a 2001 weekend golf event and Ryan campaign fund-raiser at a Traverse City, Mich., resort, according to a source.

As a lobbyist, Ronan had virtually unfettered access to Fawell's political patron, Ryan, when Ryan was governor. Ryan himself has not been charged with any crimes.

Fawell's attorney, Edward Genson, said that regarding the hotel room, Fawell said "he never paid for Ronan's room."

When asked why the hotel bill shows the contrary, Genson said: "I don't know."

In May, Fawell's girlfriend and former chief of staff at McPier, Andrea Coutretsis Prokos, was charged with perjury for allegedly lying to the federal grand jury on several topics, including whether she and Fawell had overnight stays at the Hyatt charged to taxpayers. Out of the more than 100 such hotel charges for Fawell, Prokos or a Fawell friend the feds don't name, many were allegedly for personal use.

A McPier spokesman, Billy Weinberg, said the current administration doesn't know why Fawell paid for the Ronan room, and if it was for personal reasons, it would violate McPier policy. That policy has been re-emphasized to current McPier employees with agency credit cards, and McPier has hired an auditing firm to examine agency safeguards, Weinberg said.

Contributing: Dave McKinney