* Tribune…
Over four years, Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown reported $72,000 in income from a side business as a motivational and religious speaker. Former federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot made nearly $1 million last year as a law firm partner and gave $52,000 to charity. And former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas recorded no taxable income in the year before Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner appointed him to an administrative post at Chicago State University. […]
On Nov. 1, the Tribune requested four years of tax returns complete with all schedules and attachments for 16 declared candidates for mayor.
Lightfoot, Brown, Vallas, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, state Comptroller Susana Mendoza and state Rep. LaShawn Ford all provided full tax returns for 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Law firm partner Gery Chico provided only the top sheets of his Form 1040 for those years without the attached schedules and statements, leaving unanswered what investments he might hold and what tax exemptions he claimed, among other things. […]
Joining Daley in not releasing their tax returns: McCarthy, Enyia, wealthy businessman Willie Wilson, tech entrepreneur Neal Sales-Griffin, activist Ja’Mal Green, Southwest Side attorney Jerry Joyce and attorney John Kozlar. The Tribune also requested tax returns from former Ald. Bob Fioretti, a late entrant to the race who so far has not complied. Mayor Rahm Emanuel has released his complete tax returns dating back to 2005.
* Meanwhile…
Chicago Election Board hearing officer Barbara Goodman on Friday ruled three facets of Preckwinkle’s challenge to Mendoza’s nominating petitions can proceed, while agreeing with the Mendoza campaign to dismiss a fourth. […]
Goodman said the Preckwinkle campaign hadn’t established a pattern of fraud by some of those who collected Mendoza’s signatures, and so struck that argument from the challenge.
But she said evidence must be presented before she can rule on Preckwinkle’s allegations that more than 13,000 signatures the Mendoza campaign submitted do not match people registered at those addresses, as well as claims of duplicate signatures and other problems with the names. […]
[Mendoza campaign lawyer Tony Jacob] said Mendoza has been prevailing on the vast majority of the line-by-line signature arguments the campaigns are waging behind the scenes.
* This is small potatoes money-wise, but they need to pay more attention to this stuff over there…
He gave her the contribution in 2016.
* SEIU Local 1 has a long-running grudge against Simon, and the union is backing Toni Preckwinkle, so keep that in mind…
The following is a statement from SEIU Local 1 spokesman Nick Desideri in response to reports Susana Mendoza intends to return a campaign contribution from alleged mob associate and anti-worker United Maintenance head Richard Simon. Both Bill Daley and Gery Chico returned donations from Simon in 2013 and 2010 respectively:
“It speaks volumes about Susana Mendoza that she only returned alleged mob associate Richard Simon’s 2016 donation amid her mayoral run and serious federal scrutiny of her mentor Ed Burke.
“What is Mendoza’s relationship to Simon and Burke that it took her years and the pressure of a federal investigation to return this troubling donation from an alleged mob associate?”
*** UPDATE *** Ouch…
* Related…
* After latest allegations, Preckwinkle says she would strip Ald. Burke of powers
* Skepticism greets Chicago’s $10 billion pension bond plan
* The mayoral housing forum that almost wasn’t
- NeverPoliticallyCorrect - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 3:30 pm:
If Chicago wasn’t such a sink hole for Illinois, and yes I know it also is an economic engine, this would be laughable. It does illustrate the issues of power that drive elections at this level. Everyone wants their piece of the action and will pay to get it. Public funding of elections just seems too state controlled but maybe that’s the answer. Of course, it will never happen, the power brokers won’t allow it to happen.
- wondering - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 3:32 pm:
Why, I wonder, would anyone give the Trib anything anytime?
- Precinct Captain - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 3:43 pm:
Shame on the Disclosure Dodgers.
- Kettle? This is pot - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 3:45 pm:
Preckwinkle, who only went after her CoS when it got in the way of her ambition, trying to raise a stink over a $1k donation from 2016 would be hilarious if it weren’t sad
- titan - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 4:09 pm:
The loss of the “pattern of fraud” objections will make the math a lot tougher to the objector side - a proven “pattern of fraud” eliminates all of the signatures collected on all of the pages done by that circulator (a lot ore efficient than fighting line by line over individual signatures).
- Anonymous - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 4:20 pm:
Guess they didn’t care a month and a half ago when they endorsed her for Comptroller. Was all good then right?
http://www.seiu1.org/2018/10/19/seiu-illinois-state-council-2018-endorsements/
- Anonymous - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 4:21 pm:
As someone who’s experienced harrassment - I have no words for Mendoza’s tweet. Classless.
- Anonymous - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 4:23 pm:
The debates are going to be memorable.