Congrats are in order to Alvin Parks, who barely won the East St. Louis Township supervisor’s seat, by a mere 15 votes, in the April 4 elections. A recent scandal may have influenced Parks’ victory.
I’m speaking of two video postings on YouTube, depicting what appear to be teens riding on a party bus, during which time they are visibly filling out absentee ballots, while simultaneously indulging in the consumption of liquor and cigarettes.
Seen driving the bus while young passengers audibly joke about how cheaply they are being paid to vote is Roy Mosley Jr., a St. Clair County Board member and former ESL Public Works director.
A second video shows the same group of passengers being dropped off at ESL City Hall and voicing their frustration at not being paid.
Finally, referencing a man climbing into a gray SUV, several people shout, “Alvin Parks; there’s Alvin Parks….Looks like we’re not gonna get paid.”
Parks has since reviewed the video and denies having any involvement in the alleged vote-buying arrangement, the party bus or the provision of liquor to the young passengers. As for his presence at City Hall, Parks implies that it was a coincidence and that he was merely there to pick someone up.
Hopefully, St. Clair State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly and the authorities can solve this riddle. According to Kelly, “the videos have been received by multiple law enforcement agencies.” Kelly asked anyone who can identify the passengers on the videos to call the corruption task force at 618-589-7353. The identity of all callers will remain anonymous.
Email: jtingram_1960@yahoo.com; Twitter@JamesTIngram.
