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* Not too difficult to connect the dots on who’s backing this new group…
Thursday marks [ousted Chicago legislative inspector general Faisal Khan’s] first official day as CEO of the nonprofit Project Six — named after The Secret Six group of Chicago businessmen who helped bring down Al Capone.
Khan won’t say who’s paying the bills at Project Six — which employs Khan, three full-time investigators and a communications director out of offices in the historic Monadnock Building — but he insists the organization has no political or ideological bent. Its only aim is to take on corruption, ethical lapses and misguided policy, wherever it occurs in city, county or state government, he said.
Nate Hamilton, the group’s spokesman, said the money folks are being kept secret so politicians don’t go after them.
“We protect the privacy of our donors to prevent anyone from being targeted, harassed or retaliated against by the system that we will be fighting to reform,” said Hamilton, a former spokesman for the Illinois Policy Institute, a “free market” think tank that Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has donated more than $500,000 to over the years.
* Paris Schutz did some actual legwork…
Project Six describes itself as an “independent, non-profit organization dedicated to investigating, exposing and ending government corruption in Chicago and across Illinois.”
It was initiated by and is affiliated with the libertarian-leaning think tank Illinois Policy Institute, an organization that has received more than $500,000 from Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. Project Six has a separate board of directors and will not disclose its list of funders.
The group’s spokesperson, Nathaniel Hamilton, a former Policy Institute spokesperson, denied any connection between Project Six and his old organization. This is despite the fact that the offices for Project Six were initially housed within the Policy Institute and job candidates were interviewed by members of the Policy Institute. An explicit connection between the two organizations could raise questions about whether or not investigations are politically motivated.
“We are a completely independent organization,” Hamilton said repeatedly on the phone.
Emphasis added.
For a self-described reform group to be telling what looks like a major whopper right off the bat doesn’t exactly inspire a whole lot of confidence.
* From this past February…
Faisal Khan, Chicago’s $250-an-hour legislative inspector general, says he faces financial calamity.
He can’t afford to pay his taxes. He’s forced to maintain two homes because his pregnant wife lives out of state and can’t fly. And on top of that, he has massive travel expenses from shuttling back and forth weekly, Khan, a part-time contract employee, said in a Feb. 3 court filing.
So who’s to blame? According to Khan, the city, which he says owes him $75,325 in back pay. […]
But while Khan pleads poverty, records show he collected $228,707 in city payments in 2014 — well exceeding his former $202,000 a year salary cap.
The records also indicate that since 2012, more than 60 percent of his office budget has gone straight into his pocket. That leaves him with limited resources to conduct investigations and pay his employees.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 11:36 am
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They called it Project 6 because Plan 9 from Outer Space was already taken.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 11:39 am
The BGA is a joke as well. Another distraction just to pad there pockets. At the end of the day its about money.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 11:44 am
–The group’s spokesperson, Nathaniel Hamilton, a former Policy Institute spokesperson, denied any connection between Project Six and his old organization. This is despite the fact that the offices for Project Six were initially housed within the Policy Institute and job candidates were interviewed by members of the Policy Institute. –
LOL, can I get cheese on that whopper?
What is the purpose of such a ridiculous lie? Can they just not help themselves?
Here’s a case for them:
I hear a prominent officeholder lied about his official residence in order to get his child clouted into a prestigious Chicago public school.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars were involved. Follow the money.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 11:45 am
Khan knows lots of dirt to throw at Rahm and the city government.
Comment by DuPage Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 11:48 am
Don’t they know? Misfeasance, malfeasance, mischief, and whistleblower retaliation never occurs at the state government level.
What a “ridiculous” concept. - Just ask Lisa Madigan and others in state agency management.
Comment by Qui Tam Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 11:49 am
So Project 6 hires the Khan-man as CEO. You can’t make this stuff up.
Comment by PublicServant Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 11:53 am
Only in Illinois. Not only is the Inspector General under investigation the “independent” Watchdog groups are corrupt.
You can’t make this stuff up!
Comment by Chungas revenge Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 11:53 am
Live from the shadows, sunshine!
Comment by SMG Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 11:55 am
I hear Levine gets out this year, maybe they can get to the bottom of what he did for GCTR and how he got there.
Comment by Daniel Plainview Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 11:57 am
Why would they hire Kahn? No one takes him seriously — particularly the downtown reporters who covered him as IG.
Man, the Illinois Policy Institute crowd has plenty of cash, but not a lot of political sense.
Comment by Methinks Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 12:00 pm
“The records also indicate that since 2012, more than 60 percent of his office budget has gone straight into his pocket.”
The question, quis custodiet ipsos custodes? seems appropriate here.
Comment by JoanP Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 12:01 pm
Anonymous @ 11:44 - BGA is certainly a hog for the spotlight, but I don’t think they qualify as a joke. BGA regularly partners with old-school/established press outfits that long ago gutted their own investigative reporting outfits.
They may not always get what qualifies as “news” but they do pretty good work in comparison to what else is (or really, what isn’t) out there.
Comment by Former City Worker Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 12:13 pm
To follow up on Wordslinger, I have another case for them. I hear a prominent officeholder recently violated ethics regulations by campaigning on government time at government offices not once, but several times at several locations.
Comment by G'Kar Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 12:15 pm
Is this a spin off from “House of Lies”? Kahn and Associates? (Yes, I know it is Kaan on the show).
Comment by G'Kar Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 12:18 pm
Nice start
Let’s remember IPI is really a Rauner funded, dark money lobby group that tries to appear as a news organization.
Gotta wonder which whack job dreamup the name?
Proft, Tillman, Maze…sounds like their Marvel Comics fetish took over.
When we first heard the name we thought it was a band
Perhaps their first chore could be who picks winners for VSI checks.
BTW BGA is a similar fraud that tramples on a distinguished reputation and preys on media happy to lap up free content. Ya don’t Capt Fax slurpin’ up the slop
Comment by Annonin' Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 12:18 pm
this is the Koch brothers model. start your own news outlets and indp investigators. the. have them gin up rumours and tall tales and report in it, the. quote those news sources in campaign adds. pure political assasination points.
ask project 6 if they are investigating Rauners financial portfolio and comparng it to announcments anout cps bankruptcy and the timing of bond sales…..
Comment by Ghost Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 12:24 pm
“Project Six describes itself as an “independent, non-profit organization dedicated to investigating, exposing and ending government corruption in Chicago and across Illinois.”
This has the general election written all over it. It appears all of the city, state & federal politicians need to start keeping a better paper records of their campaign fund expenses, etc..
Comment by Mama Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 12:25 pm
“The records also indicate that since 2012, more than 60 percent of his office budget has gone straight into his pocket. That leaves him with limited resources to conduct investigations and pay his employees.”
Why is no one investigating Faisal Khan? No one is worth $250 an hour! Is this a non-profit org.?
Comment by Mama Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 12:30 pm
That would be a fun watchdog cage match - BGA (Better Government Andy) vs the wrath of Khan. There can be only one…
Comment by Ron Burgundy Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 12:31 pm
- Ghost - Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 12:24 pm: -
Ghost +1
Comment by Mama Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 1:10 pm
Gosh, I wonder if the person who thought up the Project 6 name was the same person who decided to stake Proft’s PAC with his $1,812 million donation. Oh so very clever.
Comment by Cheswick Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 1:31 pm
Oops, I meant $1,812 million, or whatever it was.
Comment by Cheswick Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 1:33 pm
Ahem: “Khaaaaaaan!” …sorry.
Comment by zorkon Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 1:33 pm
Judging from their other associated organizations, IPI has a very odd definition of independent.
Comment by Hank Thursday, Jun 2, 16 @ 2:21 pm
iirc, Mr Khan did well as inspector general until the city council tied his hands.
Chicago needs more like him.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Jun 3, 16 @ 3:23 am