Chicago-Area Mayor Pleads Not Guilty to Insurance Scam

The longtime mayor of a Chicago suburb pleaded not guilty to federal charges that he took part in an insurance kickback scheme that earned him more than $400,000 over three decades. Mayor Nicholas Blase of Niles pleaded not guilty last week to a federal indictment, which was handed up on Oct. 5, according to published reports. Federal prosecutors charged that Blase pressured businesses in his community to buy insurance from an agency operated by a friend. The friend's son, Steven Weiner, was also indicted and is reportedly cooperating with authorities, according to the U.S. Attorney's ...