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* Claire Bushey at Crain’s Chicago Business managed to convince Mike Kasper to consent to an interview. The whole thing is worth a read, but here’s his defense of his battle against remap reformers…
Kasper’s opponents in the redistricting fight sought to take the process out of the sole control of legislators and spread the power among the state auditor general and members of the Supreme Court.
“I happen to believe in the apparently blasphemous proposition that people who draw maps ought to be accountable to the voters who have to live under them,” he says. “The process that we have today is a democratic one—democracy with a small ‘D.’ “
* And this is a good insight into how the game works…
Election law doesn’t pay the bills for any political lawyer, Kasper included. After all, there are only two elections a year, notes Burt Odelson, a veteran in the field. The key is to leverage the relationships it builds into more lucrative work. The 21 attorneys at Odelson & Sterk in Evergreen Park represent 13 municipalities, 11 school districts and a couple of park districts, winning the work “on the back of election law as an ‘in,’ getting into these towns.”
“I can take a pretty darn good guess that (Kasper) makes almost no money in election law, same as me,” Odelson says. “If I can get a few bucks for doing petitions, OK. But if it could lead to a potential big client, then I usually donate my services, just like Mike.”
Fletcher O’Brien Kasper & Nottage boasts big-name lobbying clients, including Uber, Airbnb, Advocate Health Care, Arlington Park racetrack and the Wrigleyville rooftops that overlook Wrigley Field. Public records show Kasper handled $5.1 million in contracts to lobby the city in the last four years. He declines to provide the firm’s total annual revenue.
Interesting that Odelson would freely admit to using campaign legal work as leverage to obtain government work. But that’s how it goes here.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Sep 26, 16 @ 9:45 am
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Kasper is the best! Odelson not bad either!
Comment by Old Timer Dem Monday, Sep 26, 16 @ 9:49 am
Yeah, it makes total sense in a democratic society that politicians chose their voters so that they can represent them the way they best see fit.
Why don’t we just eliminate elections entirely and save us the trouble of having to vote at all.
Comment by Not It Monday, Sep 26, 16 @ 9:54 am
A memory of the former Illinois State Board of Elections Office in Springfield: petition filing deadline had passed and Michael Kasper was slumped over a table in the public viewing area studying reams of nominating petition sheets and looking as if he had not slept in days.
Election Law never looked less glamorous, but it is a detail oriented game.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Sep 26, 16 @ 10:04 am
So had the nearly identical plan Mike Madigan claimed to support had passed, would Kasper be publicly proclaiming the same “belief”? I happen to believe not.
Comment by lake county democrat Monday, Sep 26, 16 @ 10:08 am
- people who draw maps ought to be accountable to the voters who have to live under them -
But only after they have the opportunity to draw the maps to make them less accountable.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Monday, Sep 26, 16 @ 10:09 am
Is there a way to read the linked article without buying a subscription?
Comment by titan Monday, Sep 26, 16 @ 10:38 am
The only people who don’t like Mike are the people who haven’t met him.
Comment by The Captain Monday, Sep 26, 16 @ 10:42 am
Did Burt think he was off-the-record?
Comment by Tom T. Monday, Sep 26, 16 @ 11:04 am
I still think this is all about 2018 and Rauner, ironically, wanting control of the map. Heck, for all I know, he’ll fund some judicial candidates and try for a hat trick among branches of Illinois government.
Comment by Earnest Monday, Sep 26, 16 @ 11:23 am
Burt didn’t let out any secret. Practicing election law doesn’t make a lawyer any money in and of itself.
It is either a “loss leader” item for someone with a governmental practice or a hobby sideline done because it is fun (for people with a warped sense of what’s “fun”).
Comment by titan Monday, Sep 26, 16 @ 11:33 am
– people who draw maps ought to be accountable to the voters who have to live under them —
He’s a regular “Mr Smith Goes to Washington.” Real man of the people, that Mr. Kasper.
Comment by JB13 Monday, Sep 26, 16 @ 11:54 am
Happy to read how Mike is doing these days. He truly is a smart and nice person and he deserves to be happy. Lucky for us, he is happy doing the work. And great that even those who disagree with him on substance like him as a person. we need more of that in the world. Oh, but Mike, you are over 50, so you can be a dean of something!
Comment by Amalia Monday, Sep 26, 16 @ 12:28 pm
Burt is lucky that no one at ARDC reads Crains
Comment by Annonin' Monday, Sep 26, 16 @ 12:42 pm
According to Kasper’s philosophy of elections, if someone wants to run for office the government should create a district for them to campaign in. Offensive beyond belief.
Comment by Not It Monday, Sep 26, 16 @ 1:16 pm
Let’s just read what Kasper said, and not invent a “philosophy” for him.
Comment by walker Monday, Sep 26, 16 @ 1:50 pm
The only people worse than Illinois politicians are Illinois political lawyers, both sides.
Comment by Rhino Slider Monday, Sep 26, 16 @ 2:26 pm
It is not simply redistricting giving the edge to the insiders. Basic ballot access has never been more difficult in Illinois. Gone are the good old days when 300 valid signatures were sufficient to file Representative in the General Assembly or 600 to file for the State Senate. Judicial candidates used to need 500 signatures, but that requirement was revised upward with special emphasis upon the Cook Judicial Circuit. Challenges to nominating petitions seem to be the norm in Cook County now, so much so that the filing dates were pushed back to accommodate electoral board hearings which needed to be completed before the primary ballots could be certified. The time for seeking judicial review of erroneous electoral board proceedings has been shortened too.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Sep 26, 16 @ 5:28 pm
Mike Kasper and his partner, Courtney Nottage, are the gold standard for election lawyers. They paid the price with years of experience working in the trenches to build a foundation for their success today. You can’t find an opposing lawyer that doesn’t respect their ability and integrity.
Comment by Trapped in the 'burbs Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 9:15 am