Illinois Supreme Court ponders politicians using campaign cash for criminal defense

By Patrick Andriesen

01/21/2022

Chicago Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez argued a publicly elected official facing corruption charges should not be able to use campaign funds for a legal defense. If the person is not running for office, the legal bills are a “personal” expense, he contended.

TAGS: campaign finance, Illinois Supreme Court

Illinois elections board gives state leader’s campaign a pass for $225K spent on cars

By Dylan Sharkey

11/16/2021

A former state lawmaker’s campaign committee was not aware it couldn’t spend $225,109 on personal vehicles, according to Illinois State Board of Elections members. That lawmaker now oversees public spending for the state.

TAGS: campaign finance, Frank Mautino, ISBE: Illinois State Board of Education

AFSCME funnels union dues to Mike Madigan

By Mailee Smith

09/27/2018

State records show AFSCME Council 31 funnels membership dues into its political action committee, which just gave a record-breaking $767,800 donation to Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, campaign finance, Janus v. AFSCME, Mike Madigan

If Frank Mautino didn’t break the rules, the rules are broken

By Austin Berg

07/12/2018

Mautino might not be corrupt. But his conduct mirrored that of a person engaging in corrupt behavior.

TAGS: campaign finance, corruption, Frank Mautino, Illinois Auditor General

Martwick, property tax lawyer, fails to disclose political cash

By Austin Berg

07/22/2017

State Rep. Robert Martwick blamed “poorly written” ethics laws for his failure to disclose income from political consulting work.

TAGS: campaign finance, ethics, property taxes, Robert Martwick

Mautino committee fined $5K for campaign finance disclosure violations

By Eric Kohn

05/15/2017

The Illinois State Board of Elections cast a tie vote on whether to refer to the Illinois attorney general or LaSalle County state’s attorney the disclosure violations case regarding Illinois Auditor General Frank Mautino’s previous campaign funds.

TAGS: campaign finance, corruption, Frank Mautino, Illinois State Board of Elections

Mautino pleads the Fifth in campaign finance case

By Greg Bishop

04/20/2017

The gas the Mautino campaign claims to have purchased over 16 years would equate to more than 35,000 miles every year. The circumference of the earth is 24,901 miles.

TAGS: campaign finance, corruption, Frank Mautino, good government, transparency

Calumet City aldermen and state representative Thaddeus Jones accused of exploiting campaign funds

By Brendan Bakala

01/13/2017

The Illinois State Board of Elections is accusing state Rep. Thaddeus Jones, who is now running for mayor of Calumet City, of misusing thousands of dollars of campaign funds.

TAGS: campaign finance, corruption, Thaddeus Jones

Libertarians sue to lift Illinois’ ban on campaign giving by medical marijuana industry

By Mark Fitton

11/24/2015

Plaintiffs ask the court to find the campaign contribution ban unconstitutional and forbid its enforcement.

TAGS: campaign finance

Continuing the trend: Union PACs give big money to Democratic Quinn

By Justin Hegy

01/16/2014

In the race for Illinois governor, campaign contribution restrictions have legally been lifted. Labor union’s political action committees, or PACs, have long been primary financial backers of Democrats both in Illinois and nationally. Unsurprisingly, these PACs are now throwing extraordinary amounts of cash behind Gov. Pat Quinn’s re-election bid. Quinn’s political war chest is closing...

TAGS: campaign finance, labor, PAC: political action committee, unions

Unlocking Opportunity: How Occupational Licensing Reform Would Promote Equitable Empowerment in Illinois

Illinois finds itself at a crossroads: will it empower minorities and poor people to unleash their potential, or will it perpetuate an inequitable status quo? For far too many Illinoisans, opportunity is unfairly and unnecessarily out of reach. Illinois ranks in the bottom ten among all states in social mobility and last among Midwest states...

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Unlocking Opportunity: How Occupational Licensing Reform Would Promote Equitable Empowerment in Illinois

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Brandi Lentz

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students