♪ COOK COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY KIM FOX IS NOT RUNNING FOR ELECTION IN 2024.

THE OUTCOME OF THE SO-CALLED CONRAD TRIAL AND SOME OTHER FAMILIAR FACES ARE WORKING ON PRESIDENT BIDEN'S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN.

JOINING US ARE SOME FACES OF OUR SPOTLIGHT POLITICS TEAM.

SO KIM FOX IS NOT RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION.

WHAT IS SHE OPERATING IN?

>> SHE SAID SHE HAS DONE WHAT SHE SET OUT TO DO.

SHE RAN IN 2016 ON A PROMISE TO REMAKE THE COOK COUNTY JUSTICE SYSTEM AND MAKE IT MORE MODERN AND TO ADDRESS WHAT SHE SAID WAS A BACKLOG OF WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS, AND SHE HAS DONE THAT.

SHE SAYS THERE IS NO NEED FOR A THIRD TERM.

WHAT SHE DIDN'T SAY, BY THE WAY, IS THAT SHE HAS COME UNDER SO MUCH PRESSURE AND SCRUTINY.

SO I THINK SOMETIMES PEOPLE FORGET THE HUMAN SIDE OF THINGS, AND THAT IS THAT IT SURELY TOOK A TOLL TO CONSTANTLY BE THE PERSON WHO IS IN THE HEADLINES, OFTEN IN A NEGATIVE FASHION, AND FURTHER THAT SHE COULD HAVE HAD A TOUGH BATTLE THIS TIME.

PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT LAST TIME AND SHE SUCCEEDED.

STILL, THERE IS ALWAYS THAT CHANCE.

>> THAT IS GOING TO COME ALONG WITH ANY OTHER ELECTED OFFICIAL, CERTAINLY IN CHICAGO AND COOK COUNTY.

BUT AT HER SPEECH YESTERDAY , KIM FOX DEFENDED HER RECORD.

>> I REFUSE THE SUPPOSITION THAT WHERE WE SEE OURSELVES TODAY WITH THE RISE IN VIOLENT CRIME THAT COINCIDES WITH THIS ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME PANDEMIC IS SOMEHOW THE RESULT OF COOK COUNTY.

IT JUST DOESN'T ADD UP.

>> HOW DO YOU THINK SHE WILL BE REMEMBERED?

>> SHE WILL CERTAINLY BE CELEBRATED BY THOSE WHO APPLAUD HER FOR, AS HEATHER DESCRIBED IT, REALLY REMAKING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN COOK COUNTY .

SHE IS REALLY A HERO WHO ACCOMPLISHED WHAT SHE SAID SHE WAS GOING TO DO AND STUCK BY IT.

TO OTHERS THOUGH, YES, SHE IS VERY MUCH AT FAULT FOR BEING TWO LACKS ON CRIME, BE IT SHOPLIFTING OR GUN CRIMES THAT DON'T INVOLVE MURDER.

THEY SAY THAT HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR AN UPSWING DURING COVID AND THAT YES, HER APPROACH HAS LED TO AN INCREASE IN CRIME IN CHICAGO.

>> SWITCHING OVER TO ENTRENCHED LEGAL BATTLES FOR A CONSULTANT THAT THEY HIRED FOR A WHOPPING $700,000, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?

>> PAUL VALLAS SAYS THAT HIS CAMPAIGN WAS ESSENTIALLY DEFRAUDED.

THEY SIGNED A CONTRACT TO TAKEDOWN DEFACED LAWN SIGNS, AND FOR THAT HE WAS PAID A TOTAL OF $680,000.

SO VALLAS IS SUING TO RECOVER THAT MONEY, SAYING THAT ESSENTIALLY HE DIDN'T PERFORM ANYTHING FOR THAT MONEY.

THE OPPOSITION SAYS THAT IT IS 100% NOT TRUE AND THAT HE CONTRACTED FOR THAT SERVICE, PERFORM THAT SERVICE AND WAS PAID FOR THAT SERVICE.

SO NOW IT IS GOING TO BE IN THE HANDS OF A JUDGE TO STRAIGHTEN THIS OUT.

NOW VALLAS HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HIS CAMPAIGN HAS WRITTEN CHECKS TO OTHER CONTRACTORS THAT ARE BOUNCING BECAUSE THEY DID NOT ANTICIPATE THESE FUNDS BEING WITHDRAWN FROM HIS ELECTION ACCOUNT, WHICH HAS LEFT A LOT OF PEOPLE VERY UPSET.

SOMEBODY WHO DID GET PAID BACK, THOUGH?

PAUL VALLAS LOANED HIS CAMPAIGN $100,000 BELOW THE CAP.

HE PAID THAT LOAN BACK TO HIMSELF ON MARCH 20th, JUST A FEW WEEKS AFTER MAKING IT.

>> OKAY.

I AM SURE WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THAT MORE.

BUT $700,000?

IS THAT A TYPICAL AMOUNT?

>> NOT FOR THIS TYPE OF WORK.

IF YOU LOOK AT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE REPUBLICAN SIDE, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF SCRUTINY OFF OF RUNNING ELECTIONS THAT WERE VERY UNSUCCESSFUL.

SO TO SAY THAT IT IS COMPLETELY UNCERTAIN, A LOT OF PEOPLE MAKE A LOT OF MONEY OFF OF THINGS!

WHEN THEY COULD MAKE $700,000 WHEN THEY ARE NOT THE CAMPAIGN MANAGER, WHEN THEY WERE JUST SUPPOSED TO BE TAKING DOWN YARD SIGNS, NO.

THAT IS ASTRONOMICAL.

>> LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY.

OKAY.

THE CLOSING ARGUMENTS BEFORE TRIAL, AMANDA.

>> THAT IS WHAT WE HAVEN'T HEARD.

WE DON'T KNOW WHEN WE ARE GOING TO KNOW.

WE FELT THAT THE JURY HAD ONE QUESTION AND THAT ANOTHER JURY IS SET TO GO ON VACATION MAY 1st.

THAT MIGHT BE SOME OTHER AMOUNT OF PRESSURE.

SO I DON'T THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE FOCUSED ON THAT.

WHAT WE DID HEAR FROM WAS BOTH SIDES.

THAT WAS THEIR CLOSING ARGUMENT.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THEIR PERSONALITIES AS WELL AS THEIR CONDUCT, YOU COULD SAY THAT IF YOU WERE ONE OF THE DEFENDANTS, THIS WAS ALL ON THE UP AND UP AND THAT THIS IS A WITCHHUNT REALLY GOING AFTER FORMER ILLINOIS HOUSE SPEAKER MICHAEL MADIGAN.

IF YOU ARE THE PROSECUTION, THE GOVERNMENT SIDE, YOU SAY NO, NO, NO.

THIS IS NOT REGULAR BEHAVIOR.

YOU HAVE WHISPERS, NICKNAMES, PLOTS LIKE THIS.

YOU DON'T PAY PEOPLE ON A GHOST PAYROLL FOR A UTILITY COMPANY THAT -- IT IS ALL VERY, VERY ILLEGAL, BASICALLY.

>> NOT ONLY WILL THE DEFENDANTS BE WAITING, BUT I IMAGINE THAT MICHAEL MADIGAN IS ALSO VERY