Either way, this latest indictment is a blow because it hints that the feds think Stroger may have been involved in the corrupt activity.

Mullins’ lawyer, Brunell Donald-Kyei told reporters that when Mullins was arrested, FBI agents asked if he had given any of the alleged kickbacks to Todd Stroger.

Frankly, it’s difficult to fathom Mullins was cooking up these schemes and Stroger didn’t smell it.

But Mullins is Stroger’s childhood friend. And if there’s one thing we know about Stroger, he is loyal to a fault.

Despite taking flak from editorial boards for hiring family and friends, Stroger hired Mullins in 2008 as a spokesman.

Stroger also elevated his cousin Donna Dunnings to chief financial officer despite criticisms that he failed to conduct a nationwide search. He ousted Dunnings after weeks of pressure from the media over her actions in a scandal involving her administrative assistant.

On Thursday, Stroger defended Mullins, even though the charges against him sounded eerily familiar.

“I’ve known Gene my whole life, and I can’t imagine Gene would do anything that would be…” Stroger said.

The feds went after another member of Stroger’s administration on similar charges in 2010.

Carla Oglesby, the former deputy chief of staff, was indicted for illegally steering $300,000 in county contracts to herself and companies she controlled. The indictment against Mullins mirrors the allegations against Oglesby in that all of the contracts were for amounts just under the $25,000 threshold that would have required a vote by the full Cook County Board.

Like Mullins, Oglesby had day-to-day contact with Stroger and access to just about all of the meetings he attended.

As spokesman, Mullins’ job was to keep Stroger from putting his foot in his mouth. Was he in a position to shake people down? Clearly he was. But the fact that he could have done so without it getting back to Stroger is mind-boggling.

That would either mean that Stroger was in cahoots or that he was such a weak administrator, he had no control over what was going on in that office.

Mullins has been charged with four counts of wire fraud and four counts of soliciting kickbacks in a 12-count indictment. He is accused of using his position to submit and cause others to submit false documents to the county.

Two of the people Mullins allegedly steered nearly $50,000 in census grants to returned the uncashed checks to the county.

Despite the ugly position these allegations have put Stroger in, he is adamant that his friend is innocent.“Gene knows the law and I can’t imagine him breaking the law,” Stroger told the Sun-Times. “I just know Gene Mullins’ character and he’s always been above reproach.”

Of course, the feds have to prove its case against Mullins. But the feds have a pretty good track record when it comes to putting politicians behind bars in this state.

Still, I would be surprised if Stroger had anything to do with kickbacks.

Because Stroger spent some time in the General Assembly and City Council and didn’t land in jail; because when Stroger left Cook County government, he had to beat the streets in search of a job like the average Joe, I doubt he was part of any financial schemes.

The real crime here is that Stroger was so ill-equipped to take over the helm of an entity that controls federal and state grants, he might have been easy pickings for anyone who was up to no good.