July 21, 1998 Investigators HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE H2 187 Ford House Office Building Washington, D. C. 20515 Re: Investigation of the Justice Department in Chicago Dear Sir or Madam:The Justice Department in Chicago appears to be as corrupt and politically run as the rest of the city.
The F.B.I. is aware of a conspiracy to defraud me and my father's estate by the lawyer who drafted my father's will. The scheme involves conspiracy with my own lawyers and judges in Cook County Probate Court. The conduct in my case is flagrant and not unique. Other litigants complain of identical conduct in Probate court. The U.S. Attorney and the F.B.I. are completely indifferent to this and refuse to investigate.
I have been involved in litigation in Probate Court since 1993. My father's Will was deliberately drafted to create litigation after he died. I have had a succession of 9 lawyers that have undermined my case by conspiring with the lawyer who wrote my father's will. The Probate judges connive and conspire with the lawyers. I have had a Change of Judge for Cause from Arthur Perivolidis. My second judge, Frank Siracusa, recused himself amidst allegations that he accepted $5,000.00 from an attorney who appears before him, and that he had signed fraudulent court orders in my case. My new judge completely ignores the law and court rules.
I have included my correspondence to U.S. Attorney Scott Lassar, two years of correspondence with the F.B.I., letters to Kevin Illia, Chief Judge O'Connell's administrative assistant and a letter to the State's Attorney's "Public Integrity" unit. These correspondences outline in detail my allegations.
I've also included two newspapers articles describing conduct similar to that in my case--conspiracy to steal the estates by years of needless litigation. The estates that testators believe they are leaving to charity, is stolen by lawyers, who specialize in probate law, but pretend that they don't understand law that was settled almost 100 years ago and involve the estates in an endless stream of needless litigation. There are more cases in Probate where lawyers are outright stealing estates they are "administering" without even the pretense of needless litigation. There are hundreds of cases, like mine, where there is conspiracy between the lawyers and judges to defraud the estates and beneficiaries by years and years of needless litigation. The lawyers decide amongst themselves who will lose the case based on their pretenses of ignorance of uncomplicated legal issues.
I never expected to get any results from the hierarchy of Cook County Circuit Court. The lawyers' and judges' criminal activity is pervasive and obvious. One is forced to conclude that the presiding judges and chief judge are aware of it. The lawyers and judges are so brazen about their conduct, it appears that corruption is routine in Cook County Court.
The State's Attorney has never investigated court corruption or prosecuted lawyers or judges for their criminal conduct. Judge Siracusa said that the probate judges have a "special relationship" with the State's Attorney. After meeting with a State's Attorney from "Public Integrity," I know exactly what Judge Siracusa meant: the State's Attorney covers up for the criminal conduct of the Probate judges.
Cook County Circuit Courts have a long standing reputation for being the most corrupt and politically run in the country. Until you are a litigant here, you can't imagine how flagrant the corruption is. Corruption is the unwritten official court policy. There is no one to stop it, so everyone feels they can just do it out in the open. Imagine what it feels like to know that the Court System you are paying taxes for, and relying on for justice, is a criminal enterprise. For the litigants whose lives are ruined by it, it is simply a nightmare.
Operation Greylord, the largest Justice Department investigation of a court system, only scratched the surface. It has had no lasting impact on the conduct of lawyers and judges in Cook County Circuit Court. Greylord never investigated Probate Court where many millions of dollars are being stolen by the lawyers and judges, who are charged with protecting the estates.
Congress has passed legislation allowing individuals to have larger estates before the Federal Estate tax kicks in. I'm certain it wasn't the intent of Congress or any taxpayer that the additional assets of the estates would just be stolen in fraudulent litigation fees. Yet, that is exactly what is happening in Cook County Probate Court.
I trust your investigation of the Justice Department in Chicago will determine why the U.S. Attorney and the F.B.I. refuse to investigate and stop the corruption in our Circuit Courts and the Judiciary Committee will force them to begin an investigation.
I can document all of my allegations.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Very truly yours, Renee Kalish bcc:
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July 21, 1998