* The Daily Herald took a close look at the governor’s latest campaign finance report, which covered the last six months of 2007…
A total of 73 percent of money recently raised by Blagojevich came from those doing business with the state, lobbying the state or facing state regulation, a Daily Herald investigation found.
Most of that money, in turn, went to pay his legal bills.
• State contractors chipped in at least 55 percent of the $1.5 million Blagojevich raised from individual donors in the last half of 2007.
• Those contractors reaped nearly $6 billion in state business since Blagojevich took office in 2003.
• Road builders and construction companies were the most lucrative source of the campaign cash — $455,750.
• Companies or individuals who rely on the state for favorable EPA rulings, utility regulation or professional licensing made up 13 percent of donations, or $202,701.
• Lobbyists gave $72,500 to the governor’s campaign and accounted for 6 percent of all donors. Blagojevich has railed against lobbyists in “Gucci loafers” as the reason nothing gets done at the statehouse.
* A companion editorial quotes the governor’s campaign spokesperson…
“People donate to the governor’s campaign for a clear reason: Because they are supportive of the governor and the things he is trying to do for the state of Illinois.”
And then follows up with…
Or perhaps for the things they believe he can do for them. In court filings related to the Rezko case, prosecutors allege the governor told a fundraiser he had “lots of ways of helping his friends” and that “he could award contracts, legal work and investment banking to help with fundraising.”
* Meanwhile…
Gov. Blagojevich’s administration went on the attack Friday over questions about his pre-election decision to sanitize the past of a political candidate who twice ran against House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie.
Backed by U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.) and other lawmakers and activists, Deputy Gov. Louanner Peters said the Chicago Sun-Times and House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) wrongly suggested politics played a role in Blagojevich’s 2005 pardon of Sharon Latiker.
Peters’ comments came at a news conference called to “respond to allegations that clemency petitions for the African-American community are political.”
Latiker, who was convicted in 1992 of stealing $17,000 from the city treasurer’s office, left a well-paying Blagojevich administration job after getting her pardon and took on Currie, a loyalist of the governor’s chief legislative nemesis, Madigan.
“When I read the suggestion this morning . . . I don’t where it came from — Speaker Madigan or the Sun-Times — that Sharon Latiker got an expungement for political reasons, that’s just ridiculous. That’s ridiculous,” Peters said.
Not noted in the article is the ironic note that Peters oversaw the outreach to the African-American community and black churches during the 2006 campaign.
In other words, take whatever she says with a grain of salt on matters like this. She was also reportedly involved with the effort a week ago to figure out whom to blame for the Pilgrim Baptist Church mess.
I believe the Sun-Times when it lays out how it figured out the story. They got the pardon list, they looked at it, they noticed Latiker’s name (which is fairly well known among anyone who follows this stuff), they ran the story. Simple.
* More reform and renewal…
* Ethics legislation in political limbo?
* Rezko’s $7 million fraud trial about ties to Illinois governor
* Who’s giving Blago the big bucks
* Here’s what’s up at the Rezko trial, gov
* One Tony, three trials
* Cross-examination of governor’s ex-counsel to continue
* Dirtying up Levine
* Busy days on the Blago beat
- Robert MW Stanford - Monday, Mar 10, 08 @ 8:24 am:
A person has to wonder when the public is final going to get tired of all this and use it power of the voting lever to do something about it.
- Flounder - Monday, Mar 10, 08 @ 8:32 am:
Regarding - Road builders and construction companies were the most lucrative source of the campaign cash — $455,750.
The Feds should really investigate the IllinoisTollway, Blagojevich’s magic money machine.
- Blago House of Cards - Monday, Mar 10, 08 @ 8:43 am:
When are the Federale’s going to cut Rod Blagojevich’s campaign money off?
He should pay his own legal bills.
- Garp - Monday, Mar 10, 08 @ 8:53 am:
Surrounded by politicians, Deputy Gov Louanner denounced suggestions that politics played a role in Governor Blogo’s decision to pardon a politician.
Priceless
- What's in a Name - Monday, Mar 10, 08 @ 9:13 am:
The difference between Howard Peters and Luanner Peters as public servants….day and night.
- RBD - Monday, Mar 10, 08 @ 9:18 am:
Who will play the role of “Big Jim” for Rod?
- wordslinger - Monday, Mar 10, 08 @ 9:21 am:
It’s funny, but in a couple of years, Blago might look at this time as the calm before the storm.
- Ghost - Monday, Mar 10, 08 @ 9:24 am:
Wow that 73% sure sounds bad. Although without knowing what percenatge of off election year donations Edgar, Thompson etc recieved from folks doing buisness with the State its hard to tell the actual significance of that number.
But wow 73%!
Unless the Gov goes nuts with the budget negotiation stuff though I see nothing that will stop this madness between now and the next election. The legislature overall seems a bit too cowardly to move forward with impeachment proceedings at this stage.
- Northside Bunker - Monday, Mar 10, 08 @ 9:24 am:
For Illinois’s sake, hopefully it will be much sooner than a couple of years.
- Reddbyrd - Monday, Mar 10, 08 @ 10:07 am:
Capt Fax left out the best part of the ST story…A spokesman for the speaker said Madigan had nothing to do with making Latiker’s pardon an issue and ridiculed Peters for injecting race into the debate.
“I can only assume that the deputy governor must have bumped her head in the last few days,” Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said.
“They’re trying to divert attention from their constant, endless chain of screw-ups. This is just another pathetic example of that,” he said.
- Captain America - Monday, Mar 10, 08 @ 10:56 am:
Levine definitely is dirty, and what the jury will ultimately conclude when they convict Tony Rezco, is that “dirty birds of a feather flock together”, rather than believing the absurd defense proposition that that Rexco was an innocent dupe of a drug-crazed, brain-addled con man.
- Vole - Monday, Mar 10, 08 @ 11:32 am:
I have long suspected a great deal of graft, corruption and collusion happening within the road building industry and in their dealings with IDOT. When you see some of the shoddy looking work being done, relatively new bridges that have been rebuilt or replaced, road surfaces that last 3 or 4 years, and the contractors who always seem to get the contracts within a given area, etc. you really need to question who is influencing the specifications, the inspections, the contracting processes, etc. Is anyone really looking? Do these campaign contributions play any role in keeping this all below the radar and any potential whistleblowers quiet?
- North of I-80 - Monday, Mar 10, 08 @ 12:09 pm:
“Ethics legislation in political limbo” ??
Rich you typed it incorrectly. It should read:
“Ethics in limbo”
or
“Ethics in limbo, legislators and politicians look on”
- Cassandra - Monday, Mar 10, 08 @ 12:32 pm:
Like I’ve been saying all along…
Under Blago and the Dems in Illinois, the return on”investments,” that is, campaign contributions, is beyond lucrative for the lucky investors.
- wordslinger - Monday, Mar 10, 08 @ 12:39 pm:
In relation to the Rezko/Levine roundup:
In the plaza of the Thompson Center today, there is a large white tent festooned (love that word) with banners offering “Free samples of SPECIAL K BLISS.”
Imagine my disappointment when it turned out to be a promotion for a new cereal bar. Didn’t even try it.
- phocion - Monday, Mar 10, 08 @ 1:56 pm:
Isn’t Pilgrim in Dunkin’s district? Is he going to get a pardon, too?
- Anonymous - Monday, Mar 10, 08 @ 4:27 pm:
The more money the state takes from citizens the more corporate hogs line up at the welfare trough.
Corporate welfare is just as bad as social welfare at creating dangerous dependency, which is really bad for free speech and Democracy.
- Pot calling kettle - Monday, Mar 10, 08 @ 6:34 pm:
Pipe trades gave 100K in December…then a pipe “bursts” in the Capitol.
Call Fitzgerald…Where was the Gov when the Capitol got flooded?
- Pot calling kettle - Monday, Mar 10, 08 @ 6:36 pm:
I don’t see any $$$ from the IFT or the IEA. At least someone had the sense not to feed the beast.
- Anonymous - Monday, Mar 10, 08 @ 9:34 pm:
When it takes about 55% of $1.5M in “donations” to win $6B in state contracts, it suddenly becomes much clearer why our state has serious financial problems.
- Anonymous - Monday, Mar 10, 08 @ 10:28 pm:
Only individual citizens should be allowed to donate to individual politicians.
Corporations, unions, and other groups, including political parties, PACs, etc., which lack voting rights, should also be restricted to only voluntary funding from individual citizens.
Public ads should require disclosure of all individual citizens contributing to pay for the ad.
Refocusing politics on individual citizens should greatly help restore government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
- Disgusted - Tuesday, Mar 11, 08 @ 5:20 am:
If you want know anything about how road contracts are let or the quality of work done on Illinois roadways, contact co-schemer A. He’s been taking care of that for state government for years. You don’t make money using quality products when dreck will do for a couple of years.
- Sebbi - Tuesday, Mar 25, 08 @ 6:16 pm:
thanks for the post. i hope to listen some more.
Best regards from Sebbi