Stringer/Reuters
A Chicago politician received sex acts, Viagra, campaign contributions, and free use of an Indiana farm once owned by Oprah in exchange for pushing through official City Council actions, federal prosecutors alleged in court filings cited by the Chicago Sun-Times. A 120-page federal affidavit shows federal investigators listened in on more than 18,000 cell phone conversations between retiring Ald. Danny Solis and others over the course of at least one year, in addition to running surveillance of his private meetings and trips to massage parlors. The allegations, detailed in a search warrant application, shed light on why the powerful chairman of the City Council’s Zoning Committee agreed to cooperate in the federal investigation lasting more than two years. During that time, Solis reportedly secretly recorded at least a dozen conversations with Ald. Edward M. Burke, the former chairman of the City Council’s Finance Committee who was charged earlier this month with one count of attempted extortion. Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, the longest-serving state House speaker in the country, was also reportedly secretly recorded by Solis, though he issued a statement Tuesday noting that he is not under investigation. Solis resigned as chairman of the City Council's Zoning Committee on Tuesday shortly after the new allegations were reported by the Sun-Times. No charges have been filed publicly against him.