Thousands of city employees tied to mayor's re-election

Nearly four out of every 10 city employees in Chicago registered voters for groups that advocated for Mayor Richard Daley's re-election, a Chicago Tribune investigation found. The Tribune compared city payroll data with the rosters of political groups that register voters in the city. "The analysis suggests extensive connections between city jobs and the mayor's political operation, a finding consistent with federal prosecutors' allegations that Daley administration officials rewarded campaign supporters with jobs and promotions," according to the Tribune. Under a 1983 federal court decree, all but about 1,000 of the city's 38,000 jobs are supposed to be filled based on merit.