Ex-Chicago official indicted for allegedly bribing lawmaker

A federal grand jury has indicted a former Chicago deputy aviation commissioner on a bribery charge for allegedly paying a former state senator at least $5,000 to support a road project.

The indictment returned Thursday accuses William A. Helm of bribing former state Sen. Martin Sandoval in 2018 on behalf of an unidentified construction company.

The company recruited Helm and his consulting company to help win Illinois Department of Transportation approval for the suburban Chicago project, the indictment said. Sandoval chaired the Senate Transportation Committee.

Sandoval in January pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in a separate case and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

Helm at one time held a high-level position with the Department of Transportation.

Online court records do not show an attorney for Helm who might comment on the case.