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Chicago files $300M suit over red-light camera program

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The city of Chicago has filed in a $300 million lawsuit against the former vendor for its controversial red-light camera ticketing program, seeking damages because the operation was based on a claimed $2 million scheme of kickbacks.

The complaint against Redflex Traffic Systems follows news earlier this month that the former CEO of the company has taken a plea in a federal bribery case. Other aspects of the criminal probe are still ongoing.

The city is seeking to recoup three times the $124 million dollars Redflex earned from the Chicago contract, plus another $10,000 for each false statement allegedly made to city officials, the Chicago Tribune (sub. req.) reports.

“Had the city known that these statements were false, the city would have canceled the contracts with Redflex,” the suit says. “The city suffered damages in reliance of Redflex’s false statements that it had not engaged in bribery or attempted to bribe any employee of the city.”

See also:

Chicago Sun-Times (sub. req., 2014): “Class-action lawsuit seeks to get cash back for red-light tickets”