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Steve Rhodes
Jesse Jackson Jr.'s Dark Days
By Steve Rhodes
Once one of the most promising politicians in the nation, Jesse Jackson Jr. has seen his career go horribly wrong—marked most recently by his mysterious disappearance and the revelation that he’s suffering from bipolar depression. What happened to Junior? Read more
The Fawell Affair
By Steve Rhodes
He was George Ryan’s chief aide——a gifted, arrogant operator who spent his life in politics. And, prosecutors say, Scott Fawell stood at the center of a vast network of corruption. His story mixes tragedy, farce, and soap opera (a scorned husband helped bring him down)——and adds up to a dismaying case study of the political culture of Illinois Read more
Agent Zero
By Steve Rhodes
A streetwise kid who later became a Baptist prison minister, Mark Rizzo made a name for himself as a former FBI agent who could lecture authoritatively on crime. That is, until his recent arrest uncovered a web of deception. Read more
What Does Junior Want?
By Steve Rhodes
From our May 2005 issue: After Jesse Jackson Jr. spoke out against corruption in the Daley administration, speculation erupted that he was running for mayor. But while city hall may be in his sights, the son of the famous Reverend seems to have other things on his mind Read more
Devils’ Advocate
By Steve Rhodes

From our March 2005 issue: To people accused of doing bad things—embezzling millions, bribing judges, putting a bullet in someone’s head—Ed Genson may be the go-to lawyer in town. For years the Mob had him on speed dial. And pols in trouble (including Larry Warner, Governor Ryan’s friend and codefendant) regularly sign up with him. He’s cunning, funny, sometimes outrageous—a master of the cross examination. But what matters most to his clients: He’ll do (almost) anything to win.

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