Robert Sweitzer

Robert M. Sweitzer (May 10, 1868 – April 6, 1938) was an American politician. A Democrat, Sweitzer served as Cook County Clerk for 24 years, and briefly served as Cook County Treasurer until his removal from office due to allegations of financial impropriety.

His father was Martin Johann Sweitzer and his mother was Sarah Lamping Sweitzer . Sweitzer was a loyalist to Sullivan, who Harrison had been in a power struggle with throughout his fifth term as mayor. Sweitzer also benefited from Harrison running a poor campaign. He would lose the 1919 general election to Thompson by a close margin, with the election seeing four significant candidates (the other two being Maclay Hoyne and John Fitzpatrick).

Cook County Treasurer In 1934, he was elected Cook County Treasurer. He assumed office on December 4, 1934.

In Spring of 1935, Michael J. Flynn, his successor as Cook County Clerk, reported apparent discrepancies in the accounts of the office. An audit and subsequent disclosures revealed a deficit of $414,129 in the real estate tax redemption fund. Shortly after this, the Cook County Board held a unanimous vote to remove Sweitzer from office and replace him with Joseph L. Gill, the Clerk of the Municipal Court.

A grand jury indicted Sweitzer on charges of withholding $414,129 in public funds from his successor. However, he was acquitted after six hours of deliberation by the jury. Sweitzer subsequently unsuccessfully attempted to get the courts to rule his removal from office as unconstitutional.

After his acquittal, Sweitzer proclaimed that he would run for County Treasurer again, but he never did.

Death After a year of ailing health, Sweitzer died on April 6, 1938, at St. Anne's Hospital in Chicago.