Ethics? Moi? Berrios says nepotism rules don't apply to him

The Cook County Board of Ethics has confirmed that Assessor Joe Berrios is flouting county ethics rules by employing his relatives. It's a decision that's plain as day to everyone except Joe Berrios.

Shortly after Berrios was elected assessor in 2010, he hired his son and his sister to work for him. They weren't hard to find — they already worked for him at the Board of Review, which handles property tax appeals.

"All I did, really, was transfer them from upstairs to downstairs," Berrios told the Tribune. "I trust them. It is what it is."