Preckwinkle attacks Mendoza as polls show both mayoral candidates have lost support

Mayoral candidate Toni Preckwinkle went on the attack Wednesday after an explosive revelation about Susana Mendoza’s political ally, Alderman Danny Solis.

“This is the second one of Susana Mendoza’s closest friends and allies who've been caught up in this FBI scandal,” Preckwinkle said.

The Sun-Times reports Alderman Solis secretly recorded the powerful Alderman Ed Burke to help a federal extortion investigation into Burke. Now, other Chicago politicians are smelling blood in the water.

Mendoza says she's "transparent" about her long relationship with Alderman Burke and his wife, but rival candidate for Mayor Toni Preckwinkle is not.

“She's been cutting these backroom deals, elevating patronage jobs, you know, covering up after cover up,” Mendoza said.

For her part, Preckwinkle acknowledged regret about one patronage hire, Ed Burke Junior, the alderman's son, when Ed Junior faced allegations he made inappropriate sexual comments to co-workers.

“If we had known of the investigations, I wouldn't have hired him,” Preckwinkle said.

Mendoza regrets taking a $55,400 campaign contribution from Alderman Solis, now that Solis is embroiled in the FBI’s investigation of Burke. She promises to give that cash immediately to a local veterans group while noting that Preckwinkle has not yet reported delivering on her promise to dispose of more than $100,000 Preckwinkle got from a fundraiser at the home of Alderman Burke and his wife.

Perhaps we should call it the "Burke-Solis effect." New polling indicates support for both Preckwinkle and Mendoza has dropped since the City Council scandal first broke.