* A.D. Quig at Crain’s…
Alaina Hampton, a former political staffer and campaign manager for House Speaker Mike Madigan and the Madigan-controlled Democratic Party of Illinois, says the PAC, People for Women’s Empowerment, is being run by people with more allegiance to Madigan than to empowering women.
State and city lobbyist Tiffany Elking, who has ties to Madigan, filed paperwork to launch the PAC in January. While she says the group was not created to benefit the speaker, she would not elaborate on what candidates or causes the group might support. The PAC has yet to disclose raising or spending any money.
“Women in Illinois politics, my colleagues, have long discussed the idea of a PAC to support women candidates. But the People for Women’s Empowerment PAC is my brain child, with invaluable input from the six other founding board members,” Elking said in an email. “That’s it. Meanwhile, we are currently developing our action plan. Stay tuned.” […]
Hampton pointed out that Elking, a former assistant counsel to Madigan, was among a group of women to publicly support then-House Majority Leader Lou Lang when he was accused of sexual harassment before an investigation into his behavior began. The Skokie Democrat resigned from the Legislature in January 2019 to become a lobbyist.
That show of support for Lang had a chilling effect on those who might have experienced harassment, Hampton said.
That Lang press conference still upsets some folks to this day. But there are some fine people on that group’s board, and even Hampton says she hopes they end up doing some good. Becky Carroll’s comment…
“While there are some great organizations in Illinois working to prepare women to run for re-election, like IWIL (Illinois Women in Leadership), virtually nothing exists that focuses exclusively and effectively on giving women the resources they need to run a successful campaign,” she said. “This new entity might be able to help fill that gap. Let’s see how they raise their money and who they invest those dollars in.”
- Save Ferris - Thursday, Feb 20, 20 @ 2:37 pm:
Anything Speaker Madigan does or does not do Alaina Hampton will take issue with. She is still bitter about not being involved with his organization.
- Steve - Thursday, Feb 20, 20 @ 2:40 pm:
- Save Ferris -
How would you like to be treated the way Alaina Hampton was?
- So_Ill - Thursday, Feb 20, 20 @ 2:45 pm:
I think Ms. Hampton is going to realize that a LOT of people in Illinois have ties to the Speaker and that doesn’t mean them or what they are doing is inherently bad.
- Perrid - Thursday, Feb 20, 20 @ 2:47 pm:
Hampton seems to think that no one is allowed to have opinions of people contrary to hers, or should be allowed to publicly support long time friends. Or if they do, they shouldn’t be allowed to work. I just don’t get the whole idea around cancel culture, where you try to make people that do something you don’t like (hold a presser for Lang, here) into pariahs. It’s petty.
- Rejected - Thursday, Feb 20, 20 @ 2:49 pm:
There are so many things wrong with this story and its insinuations. What bothers me is that this story shows women perpetuating the stereotype that women are beholden to men. Why would you go out of your want to knock other women’s attempts to support women? Even if Madigan were somehow behind this, what’s wrong with raising money for women? You’d think women would support that effort, unless there’s some other agenda.
- Ron Burgundy - Thursday, Feb 20, 20 @ 2:52 pm:
—I just don’t get the whole idea around cancel culture, where you try to make people that do something you don’t like (hold a presser for Lang, here) into pariahs. It’s petty.—
I think perhaps she acts this way in part because they unfairly made her into a pariah.
- Louis Carol - Thursday, Feb 20, 20 @ 3:01 pm:
“That show of support for Lang”
(Editor’s Note: Lang was exonerated if charges which later turned out to be completely laughable.)
False accusations like those flung at Lang do nothing to help and everything to hurt legitimately injured victims like Ms. Hampton.
- Wizzard Of Ozzie - Thursday, Feb 20, 20 @ 6:42 pm:
Who are they raising money from? Who are they giving it to?That will answer all of anyone’s questions.
Lobbyists with a PAC seems like a really bad idea. Are they funding it themselves? If not, why would someone give to the PAC when it will engender good will for them and their clients, and not the actual donor?
Will they support challengers? Any woman against any man?
This seems like a really ill conceived idea to me.
- SBEtrollers - Thursday, Feb 20, 20 @ 9:59 pm:
== Lobbyists with a PAC seems like a really bad idea. ==
Go through PAC filings and you’ll see it’s not that uncommon for lobbyists to be running PACs or raising money for them.
- {Sigh} - Thursday, Feb 20, 20 @ 10:43 pm:
Instead of bashing women (like Elking} who are interested in advancing other women, maybe Hampton should focus her efforts on the non profit she was trying to create to help victims. Whats the status of that organization?
Furthermore, Hampton kind of hurts her own “platform” by constantly being critical of other successful women. {sigh}
- Wizzard of Ozzie - Friday, Feb 21, 20 @ 12:02 am:
SBE- I understand that lobbyists advise their clients on their political giving, but what lobbyist started their own PAC?
Just go through PAC filings? I’m not sure you understand how this works.