— INC. hears former mayoral aide Clarence McClain just got served with a federal grand jury subpoena. He will be one of the first called in the feds`
investigation of corrupt government contracts. P.S. Remember folks: INC. told you first about the videotapes and that McClain would emerge as a major focus of the inquiry.
— INC. hears the feds are hoping that at least 12 indictments, linked via a conspiracy charge, will be issued next month as part of the
investigation. Yes, the batch will include Chicago pols. Yes, some will be alderpersons. No, the mayor is not on the list. Yes, the government is confident that its case is a strong one.
— INC. hears that when the case goes to trial, the videotapes are so voluminous that the court sessions will be branded a ”Cecil B. DeMille Production.”
P.S.S. INC. is getting the strangest vibes from the Big Apple. Is it true that the attempted suicide of a New York pol last week is connected to the FBI investigation of city contracts here? Does it have anything to do with political greed?
TOP SPOTS . . .
Egads! INC. hears Pat Quinn, the Cook County Board of (Tax) Appeals commissioner who is running for state treasurer, made a mistake on his income tax return. A subtraction error was noted by the IRS on tax returns Quinn passed out to reporters at the Capitol Thursday while disclosing his personal finances. ”Here is a man who wants to be responsible for investing a billion bucks in state income and he can`t add or subtract,” a source told INC. The tax statement noted an error ”in subtracting your deductions from your adjusted gross income.” P.S. Remember when Quinn had to retract a release listing the state`s double dippers–pols who are knocking down two salaries
–because he had erred by publishing wrong salaries?
THE POL MAUL . . .
— The Springfield Retreat: Leave it to the Guv! He decided to send his entire staff and Cabinet to a retreat. The site he selected: the Springfield mansion! INC. hears Gov. James Thompson held an all-day rev-up session entitled ”A Retreat.” Thompson, dressed in blue jeans, gave a fiery speech to ready his team for the coming election. ”It was a first,” said an INC. source. ”He wanted us to know that it wasn`t where we`ve been that`s important, but where we are going.” The Thompson team was treated to a buffet at lunch and a sumptuous feast for dinner. Wonder whose paying the tab on this one? No doubt the Thompson war chest.
— INC. hears longtime Thompson staffer and legislative ace Zale Glauberman, who ”left” the staff of House Minority Leader Lee Daniels, will join the brain trust of Public Aid chief Greg Coler. Glauberman will become part of the senior advisory staff working on contracts. He also will help design legislation for Project Chance, Thompson`s welfare-to-work program.
STATIC ON THE AIR WAVES . . .
— WLUP-FM`s Johnathon Brandmeier has been telling listeners that he and sidekick Buzz Kilman and traffic reporter Chris Torres are expecting a baby, but he is expecting a baby–in a more conventional manner. INC. hears Johnny and wife Lisa will become parents in July. (No, you`re not the only one who didn`t know he was married.)
— And now, on to the static generated by the out-of-work-but-still-on-the- payroll status of WLS-AM`s Steve Dahl and Garry Meier, who were bumped off the air (again) last week. . . . INC. hears there are several WLS radio advertisers who will not even consider buying time in any time slot occupied by Steve and Garry. . . . Did you know that technically, Garry doesn`t work for WLS, but is Steve`s employee? . . . Has Jim DeCastro of WLUP-FM shown you the contract he wants Steve and Garry to sign? Join the club. . . . Isn`t H&W Communications, which owns WLUP, negotiating to buy a Chicago AM station, like WCFL maybe? What a perfect spot for Steve and Garry, and what a great way to kick off a new enterprise. H&W exec Earl McDaniel is coming to town–from Hawaii–later this month. Sewing up a deal, Earl?
— Meanwhile, on other turf, insiders say a ”bloodbath” took place Friday afternoon at Chicago Magazine. A marketing exec and two advertising reps were given their walking papers–and told they had 15 minutes to clean out their desks. Within an hour of their departure, locks on their office doors were being changed.
TV TIDBITS . . .
If producer Ken Erlich`s wildest dreams were to come true, the climax of the Feb. 25 Grammy Awards telecast would be a live re-creation of the recording of ”We Are the World.” . . . Don`t be surprised if a children`s version of ”Jeopardy” hits the tube in the fall. . . . Looks like ”Love Boat” won`t sail off into the sunset to die with dignity. Instead, it will be transformed from a weekly series to an occasional two-hour special, with Lauren Tewes returning as the cruise director. . . . So how`s hard-drinking, heavy-smoking Redd Foxx these days? Well, he`s not drinking or smoking any more. Foxx, whose new series debuts Jan. 18 on ABC-TV, told Frank Sanello that during his last series he was downing ”a couple of fifths a day” and smoking three or four packs of cigarettes, but he quit two months ago after seeing pictures of diseased livers and lungs. To encourage more people to quit, Foxx said, ”they should put diseased lungs in store windows.” This very instant, window dressers across the country are feeling faint. . . . Is there very bad blood between former ”Headline Chasers” host Wink Martindale and Merv Griffin, whose company produced the now-defunct show? Oh, mercy, mercy, yes. The show is dead, and Wink has returned to the Barry-Enright stable from whence he came (”Tic Tac Dough”). But INC. hears Wink was told by Merv never to set foot in his buildings again. And Merv has many buildings. . . . Chicago native Tom Hodges has a guest-starring role in Sunday`s ”Amazing Stories” on NBC-TV.
INC.LINGS . . .
Sick call: Howard (”Dallas”) Keel just had double-bypass surgery, Jimmy Stewart is having ear problems, Placido Domingo just had a double hernia operation and everybody else has a cold. . . . Sunday birthday: Glenn Yarbrough, 56. . . . United Air Lines has flown the winners in 14 of the 19 Super Bowls. Good news: The Bears Fly United. Bad news: The Rams fly United.
