The Chicago Sun-Times’ Carol Marin and Fran Spielman report the latest in an unfolding story about power in Mayor Richard Daley’s Chicago. Earlier this week the city’s inspector general office actually sued city hall– an unprecedented move, because the Daley administration wouldn’t say which administration official rewarded a $100,000 no-bid, sole-source contract back in 2005. All no-bid contracts are illegal in Chicago, though there is a “Non-Competitive Procurement Review Board” to review exceptions to this rule.

Well, the Sun-Times discovered that the no-bid contract was to Charles Bowen, who for fifteen years had been Mayor Daley’s liaison to black ministers. Bowen was supposed to earn his money by improving race relations within the Chicago Police Department: recruiting and retaining more minority officers and having officers meet with the black religous community. Bowen tells the Sun-Times he did his job and the city’s former police chief agrees. Still, it’s hard not to see the contract as a favor to Bowen, who is described as successfully bringing the support of black ministers to Daley’s campaigns. Of course, the only way to know for sure is if the city releases the details of the no-bid deal.

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