Oh, c’mon
Tuesday, Sep 1, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This is a total non-issue…
The Federal Election Commission on Thursday asked Sen. Mark Kirk’s campaign about contributions from mega-donors Sam Zell, a Chicago investor, and Bernard Marcus, co-founder of Home Depot, and 11 others because their donations may have exceeded the legal limits.
The FEC wants answers from Kirk’s campaign by Oct. 1. Its request for information was triggered by his campaign report for April to June 2015.
Kevin Artl, a spokesman for Kirk’s campaign, said Friday that the campaign knew about the issues and was taking action. “Our internal controls identified these concerns in advance of the FEC letter, and we are proactively addressing,” he said.
In June, Zell gave Kirk $2,700 for the 2016 primary and $2,700 for the 2016 general election, reports show. Those are the maximum sums allowed.
But the FEC took notice because Zell already had given to Kirk’s primary with a $2,500 donation in 2011, reports show.
A contributor gave money five years ago, then gave again. This stuff happens a lot with US Senators and their six-year terms. I mean, it’s not like the campaign was trying to sneak something past the FEC and break a law here.
What usually happens in cases like this is the FEC sends a routine inquiry letter to the campaign, which is given about a month to fix the problem(s).
Sen. Dick Durbin’s campaign committee received one of those FEC letters this past spring (click here) regarding six different topics (including a contributor with a “foreign” address). There was no Tribune story about that letter because it’s really no big deal.
* On the other hand…
Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett’s ties to SUPES Academy were viewed as “a plus, not a negative” when the consulting firm landed a $20.5 million no-bid contract now linked to a federal criminal probe, former school board member and current U.S. Senate candidate Andrea Zopp said Monday.
During a meeting with the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board, Zopp also said CPS’ history of deficit spending was necessary to get better “outcomes” for students, adding that school board members had no control over larger issues like ensuring proper public funding for education. […]
Zopp said distract staff conducted a review process on the SUPES contract, though she acknowledged that the review staff also worked for Byrd-Bennett. Asked if contracting with Byrd-Bennett’s former firm raised any alarms, Zopp said, “No. I mean, actually it didn’t.”
“That was a plus, not a negative because she had experience with them,” Zopp said of Byrd-Bennett and SUPES. “So being an employee in and of itself would not raise a bell. To me it was (Byrd-Bennett saying), ‘I work there, I know what they do is good. I did it.’ Me, at the time, I had a lot of respect for her and what she had done so that was a plus.”
Yeah, go with that explanation. I’m sure it’ll work.
- Chicago Cynic - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 2:41 pm:
Zopp - wow. Just wow. Explains a lot. How can you not recognize the conflicts of interest all over than transaction. How could it possibly be a plus if you give a crap about ethics or even the appearance of ethics. As I said, wow.
- walker - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 2:42 pm:
Speechless
- Wordslinger - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 2:42 pm:
That Zopp story is a laugh riot. Up is down, sun rises in the west.
GOP front.
- Truthteller - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 2:47 pm:
Interview shows Zopp’s inexperience as a candidate. Questions are: 1) can corporate money sustain her and 2) will the African American community forgive her for closing 50 schools?
The CTU could blow Zopp out of the water before her boat leaves the dock
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 3:09 pm:
===That was a plus, not a negative because she had experience with them===
I think that’s the same calculus the FBI used before they decided to investigate.
- @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 3:13 pm:
Shorter Zopp: Conflicts of interest are a feature not a bug.
– MrJM
- Bogey Golfer - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 3:14 pm:
And so goes Ms. Zopp’s political future.
- Austin Blvd - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 3:34 pm:
Re: Kirk and Zell
What is really a joke is the FECs concern about $2,700 when guys like Zell can kick in millions to dark campaigns and…it’s OK…
Or when Zell can give large amounts to Illinois campaigns designed to help a certain candidate (Bruce Rauner) with no ramifications.
Our system is screwed up.
- Chicago Cynic - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 3:37 pm:
“Shorter Zopp: Conflicts of interest are a feature not a bug.
– MrJM”
PERFECT.
- Rod - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 4:01 pm:
In relation to Ms. Zopp, it has to be noted that Barbara Byrd-Bennett has yet to be indicted, but it is possible she is turning over on others nationally that worked for SUPES Academy as part of a plea deal. There are still two members of the current CPS Board who voted for the SUPES contract and they still expect that the IL General Assembly will hand over to them $480 million in so called pension relief.
It’s both tragic and a farce at the same time. It’s tragic because CPS will likely be required to carry out mid-year budget cuts along with additional borrowing. It’s a farce because even some suburban Democrats are reluctant to hand CPS more money for a bail out after the exposed corruption at the highest levels of CPS.
Even Lou Lang expressed some reservations about the bail out deal on WTTW some weeks ago.
Zopp is completely hopeless and the worse part about it is she doesn’t even realize her own culpability in relation to the lack of due diligence in relationship to the contract. Really Governor Rauner hurts his own image even further than it has been hurt by offering various bailout deals to a totally unreformed CPS as a trade off for his collective bargaining limitation legislation. President Cullerton and Speaker Madigan also want to hand over millions to the CPS Board without any serious reform or oversight of that corrupt entity. Let also recall it wasn’t that long ago that CPS Board President Scott was found in the Chicago River after committing suicide apparently in relation to CPS credit card misuse. The situation gets more depressing daily in relation to CPS.
- Lincoln Lad - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 4:38 pm:
I wanted to get on the Zopp bandwagon, but she’s not up to this (clearly).
- Mc Lincoln Park - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 4:53 pm:
Zopp seems like a nice person and she is book smart but now it’s confirmed she isn’t ready for prime time.