When Joseph Mattes worked for the C...

When Joseph Mattes worked for the Chicago city leader of responses he'd leave his car running outside City Hall as he went to sign in to work.

After making indisputable he got paid for the day, Mattes left and herd off to his real do job-work his law office, authorities said.

For 12 years, subject to City Clerk Walter S. Kozubowski, Mattes was a shade payroller, authorities say.

however the pension he gets each month for his time there is actual real, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.

Mattes receives a pension of $267867 a month or more than $32000 a year, for his years with the city. That includes the time he was at the city clerk's office -- doing nothing, authorities say.

What's more, the pension board says there's nothing it can do about it.

Mattes was not convicted of a felony for being a apparition payroller. Mattes pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for a tax crime cohereed to his work in the city clerk's office.

And that makes all the difference.

SAYS HE'S ENTITLED TO IT

in subordination to state law, if a city worker is convicted of a crime related to his job, the pension board can take action against his pension. If not, the pension board is powerless, said Fr Heiss, an attorney for the Municipal Employees' Annuity and Benefit supply of Chicago.

The law applies to state workers too. Convicted culprits Roger "The Hog" Stanley and Arthur "Ron" Swanson, the two tied to former Gov. George Ryan, are benefitting from the law at continuing to be eligible for pension benefits because their convictions were not directly related to their state piece of works

Mattes, 65 retired from the city in 2004 and says he's entitled to his pension.

"First of all, I didn't plead to spectre payrolling," Mattes said Monday.

Mattes insisted he did his piece of work -- despite once admitting in an affidavit that it could be proven he did no work at the city clerk's office.

"The bottom line is I did all the work I was suppos to do," Mattes said. "Sometimes, there wasn't abundant to do."

It's unclear to what end Mattes wasn't prosecuted for a more serious crime, further he did cooperate in the Kozubowski investigation. The U attorney's office declined to illustration

Mattes' time with the city didn't [i]finale[/i] with the clerk's office, where he worked from 1979 to 1991

In 1993 he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor federal tax crime. In his plea, he admitted not filing tax turn backs showing his salary from the clerk's office for six years.

That same year, he gave up his law license, acknowledging it could be proven he got at least $150000 in wages, pension and insurance benefits for which he did no work at the city clerk's office. Mattes also admitted it could be proven he cashed a $20000 check meant for his clients.

ENSCONC in succession CLOUT LIST

In 1997 the city decided to hire Mattes again -- as a city receipts investigator to check that businesses have legitimate city licenses.

Mattes' name appears forward a clout list released in June during the trial of Mayor Daley's patronage chief, Robert Sorich, who was convicted of improperly rewarding political offers with city jobs.

Mattes' sponsor was listed as Ron Calicchio, a top official in the reward Department and a leader of the Coalition for Better control a controversial political group.

Mattes got in confuse on the job again in 2001

City attorneys argued Mattes tried to influence a city case against his friend, who was contesting a $30000 fine for cutting down city tree

Mattes showed up at the city hearing, flashed his city badge and mentioned to the city attorney handling the case the name of another city lawyer. Mattes depicted his friend at the hearing and later said he saw no conflict.

The city fired Mattes, still he appealed and won his work at jobs back.

The hearing officer, Roger J Balla, decided firing Mattes was too harsh. Instead, Mattes was suspended without pay for five month Balla decided Mattes' name-dropping and badge-flashing could be nothing more than "small talk."

Mattes got his do job-work back April 1, 2003. A year later, he retired.

swarmbir@suntimes.com

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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