Worth Township Supervisor Resigns Amid Red-Light Camera Probe

ALSIP, IL — The Worth Township supervisor, whose involvement in a politically connected red-light company fell under federal scrutiny, has resigned from office. John O’Sullivan, of Oak Lawn, submitted a letter to the Worth Township manager announcing that his resignation would take effect Feb. 28. The letter did not give a reason why he was resigning and described his sudden departure as a “retirement.”

“It has been a privilege and honor to serve as the Worth Township Supervisor ... Although I am looking forward to retirement I will truly miss being part of the Worth Township Team,” O'Sullivan wrote.

O’Sullivan ran unopposed for township supervisor in 2017 on the Worth Township Community First slate.

Known as “Johnny O” in south suburban political circles, O’Sullivan and former Oak Lawn trustee Mike Carberry were appointed in 2010 to finish out the terms of retiring Rep. Kevin Joyce (D) and Rep. James Brosnahan (D). O’Sullivan and Carberry served long enough to pass Gov. Pat Quinn’s unpopular 67-percent state income tax increase — the largest tax hike in state history. O’Sullivan ran unopposed for township supervisor in 2017 on the Worth Township Community First slate.

>>> Red-Light Camera Sales Agent Bribed Oak Lawn Trustee: Feds

The controversial O’Sullivan has also been hired and fired three times from Cook County jobs, once for falsifying time cards for his $72,216-a-year job as a hospital system laborer. Although he appealed and won his job back, he left in 2010 for the state legislature. Following his short stint in the Illinois General Assembly, Sullivan was hired as a regional superintendent for the Forest Preserves of Cook County. He was let go by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle for not being “a good fit” with the forest preserves. O’Sullivan was hired back a third time as an $85,000-a-year aide to then-Cook County Commissioner Ed Moody, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

It’s O’Sullivan’s side gig for the troubled SafeSpeed LLC, a company that provides red-light cameras to numerous municipalities, that has drawn the attention of the feds. O’Sullivan is said to have been interviewed or subpoenaed by federal investigators along with several people, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. O'Sullivan has been said to use his political clout while township supervisor to win contracts for the scandal-plagued red-light camera company, including overseeing the Village of Oak Lawn’s account. He has not been charged with wrong doing.

O’Sullivan is also linked as an associate of Patrick Doherty, a top aide to Cook County Commissioner Jeff Tobolski. Doherty was indicted in January on three felony counts of bribery. In the federal indictment unsealed last month, Doherty and another unnamed “Individual B” were sales consultants working for an unnamed company that attempted to bribe an Oak Lawn trustee by providing the trustee’s family member with a job that paid $4,000 over a three-month period in 2017. Doherty allegedly told "Individual B" that his company would be paying the trustee's relative "if it's going to get us the job." Although the red-light company is not named in the complaint, Oak Lawn had a contract with SafeSpeed to provide red-light cameras at two village intersections. The village board voted not to renew its contact with SafeSpeed, which expired Dec. 31, 2019.

Doherty and Individual B, through their own unnamed “consulting company” received a commission from revenue garnered from approved-and-paid-for tickets captured by the red-light cameras after SafeSpeed took its own cut, according to the federal indictment.

Crestwood Mayor Lou Presta, who has also been interviewed in the federal probe, reported to the Sun-Times of receiving a $1,000 campaign contribution from O’Sullivan’s consulting company last August. Presta told Patch that it was for his annual golf outing-political fundraiser, however, he could not remember the name of O’Sullivan’s consulting company. A search of Presta’s campaign finance disclosure statements and Illinois Secretary of State records found Gateway Consulting LLC, of which Sullivan’s wife, Patricia, a teacher in Alsip-Hazel Green-Oak Lawn Dist. 126, is listed as the registered agent.