CHICAGO - Former State Rep. Derrick Smith (D-Chicago) was sentenced to five months in jail after being convicted for bribery.
Smith accepted a $7,000 bribe in 2012 shortly after he was appointed to the Illinois House. He took the money from an FBI informant who negotiated a deal between Smith and a fictitious day care center that supposedly needed a state grant. He'll begin his sentence on July 31st.
The Chicago Tribune's editorial board argued with the judge's sentence, saying,
He got off too easy. Smith was convicted of pocketing a bribe of $7,000, and maybe crooked pols would consider that chump change. But Smith's crime can't be measured by how many digits fall to the left of the decimal point.
Smith traded his public position — a priceless commodity — for personal gain.
