Operation Silver Shovel
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| Date | 1990s |
|---|---|
| Location | Chicago, United States |
| Type | Political corruption investigation |
| Participants | John Christopher (FBI informant) |
| Convicted | 18 individuals |
| Charges | Political corruption, bribery, money laundering, illegal dumping, labor union corruption, drug trafficking, organized crime activity |
Operation Silver Shovel was a major United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) probe into political corruption in Chicago during the 1990s. By the end of the probe illegal activities from labor union corruption to drug trafficking, organized crime activity and elected city officials on the take were unearthed, and corruption convictions were handed out to 18 individuals.[1]
In the 1980s, the federal Operation Greylord investigation of the Cook County courts found almost 100 lawyers and judges who were eventually sent to jail, disbarred or suspended for illegal actions. However, when the individuals were heading off to jail, some lawyers and judges fixed cases. That produced Operation Gambat, which unearthed more corrupt officials and suspects.[2]