A man who once worked for the Cook County assessor’s office was sentenced to probation Tuesday after admitting to a 2017 bribery scheme for which others have been cleared.
Basilio Clausen pleaded guilty to a conspiracy and agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors back in October 2023. Then he testified during the 2024 trial of Robert Mitziga, an Indiana businessman also accused in the scheme.
But jurors acquitted Mitziga, setting off an unusual streak in which prosecutors largely failed to secure convictions in corruption trials at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse. In three such trials since Mitziga’s, only ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan has been found guilty.
Prosecutors also called off the February trial of Lumni Likovski, another former assessor’s office worker charged with Clausen and Mitziga. The feds cited Mitziga’s acquittal as they moved to dismiss charges against Likovski.
Then, earlier this month, prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly to give Clausen five years of probation. During Clausen’s sentencing hearing Tuesday, Kennelly said Clausen’s crime contributed to the “sorry state of affairs” in which public distrust in the government has soared.
But the judge said he also found Clausen to be “candid” during his testimony in Mitziga’s trial, and he noted that Clausen suffered collateral consequences such as being “branded as a felon.” The judge then gave Clausen three years of probation.
Charged separately but accused in the same scheme was Lavdim Memisovski, a third former assessor’s office worker who pleaded guilty in 2022 but has yet to be sentenced.
The scheme Clausen admitted to took place between February and November 2017, when Joseph Berrios served as Cook County assessor. Clausen agreed, along with Likovski and Memisovski, to reduce the assessed value of certain properties in exchange for golf outings supplied by Mitziga and another businessman, according to Clausen’s plea deal.
Property assessments are a key factor in determining property taxes.
During Mitziga’s trial, Clausen testified about his role in the plan to have property assessments lowered for Mitziga, in exchange for free rounds of golf at the Lost Dunes Golf Club in Bridgman, Mich.
Mitziga also took the stand, and he denied there was any such deal. He told jurors he once considered Clausen to be one of his “best friends” and said he “would have done anything for him.” So when Clausen asked if he could take advantage of Mitziga’s membership at Lost Dunes, Mitziga agreed.
Meanwhile, Mitziga said he thought Clausen was simply giving him friendly advice about having property assessments lowered.
“I think I was being played,” Mitziga testified. “We were close friends, but I think he had a motive.”
The feds accused Mitziga of telling Clausen that, if Clausen helped lower the assessments, then “you guys” could be guests at Lost Dunes.
Clausen told Likovski and Memisovski about the deal, and the three men agreed to use their positions at the assessor’s office to lower the property assessments, according to a 2023 indictment.
An FBI special agent testified that the lowered assessments saved the businessmen more than $158,000 in taxes over three years.