Miriam Santos Explained

Miriam Santos
Office:City Treasurer of Chicago
Term:2000
Predecessor:Barbara Lumpkin
Successor:Judith Rice
Term Start1:1989
Term End1:1999
Predecessor1:Cecil A. Partee
Successor1:Barbara Lumpkin
Birth Place:Gary, Indiana[1]
Party:Democratic
Education:DePaul University

Miriam Santos is an American politician who served as City Treasurer of Chicago.

City Treasurer of Chicago

In 1989, Santos was appointed by newly-elected mayor Richard M. Daley as City Treasurer of Chicago.[2] She was appointed to replace Cecil A. Partee, who had resigned in order to accept an appointment to succeed Daley himself as Cook County State's Attorney.[2] Santos was being the first Latinx individual to hold citywide office in Chicago.[3]

In 1991, after Santos raised alarm over the city's management of pension funds, mayor Richard M. Daley made an attempt to decrease her powers.[4]

Santos was reelected as City Treasurer in 1993 and 1995, and 1999. In 1998, Santos unsuccessfully ran for Illinois Attorney General.

Santos' 1999 reelection came despite the fact that she was, at the time, under federal indictment for mail fraud and attempted extortion.[3] Months after the 1999 election, she was convicted and forced to resign.[3] Mayor Daley appointed Barbara Lumpkin as Santos' successor.[3] However, Santos' conviction was overturned in 2000, and she was allowed to reclaim her elected position with back pay.[3] [5] However, six months later she again had to resign, as she pleaded guilty to a single count of mail fraud rather than facing retrial.[3]

Notes and References

  1. News: McEvers. Kelly. Santos' plunge from grace: Real or backroom revenge?. May 27, 1999. Newcity. April 26, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20000930225309/http://audiojournal.com/santos.html. September 30, 2000.
  2. Web site: Simpson . Dick . Gradel . Thomas J. . Patronage, Cronyism, and Criminality in Chicago Government Agencies Anti-Corruption Report Number 4 . University of Illinois at Chicago . 21 December 2020 . February 2011.
  3. Web site: More money no problems. Dukmasova. Maya. March 28, 2019. Chicago Reader. en. 2020-03-26.
  4. Web site: Kass . John . Pearson . Rick . SANTOS PUTS UP PENSION PANEL FIGHT . chicagotribune.com . Chicago Tribune . 26 March 2020 . 23 October 1991.
  5. Web site: SANTOS RETURNS TO CITY TREASURER POST. Hepp. Rick. April 17, 2000. chicagotribune.com. en-US. 2020-02-18.