Disclosure questions
Monday, Dec 1, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Some commenters pointed this out the other day, and I heard the same thing from some Statehouse types…
Meanwhile, somebody pointed out to me that at makeillinoisgreat.com, which is the website for the transition to the Rauner administration that takes the reins of government on Jan. 12, there’s an interesting combination of actions a visitor can take.
While there is a place to provide ideas, there is also a place to submit a resume, and another to donate to the transition.
Given the difficult history of Illinois, where donations and jobs have sometimes come too close together for comfort, I asked Rauner spokesman Mike Schrimpf about this.
“Personnel decisions aren’t impacted by contributions,” Schrimpf said. As in the case of contributors to the campaign, he said, there will be “no special favors. Period.”
“We didn’t want taxpayers to have to foot the bill for the transition and believe disclosing contributors will provide the sunshine necessary for taxpayers to feel confident in the process.”
Neither “Make Illinois Great” nor “Bruce Rauner Transition Committee” is a registered political action committee, so we won’t know if somebody contributed and later got a job unless Rauner publicly discloses all of his contributions.
* While I highly doubt that we’re looking at a potential money-changing situation here, in the interest of transparency, Rauner probably ought to consider disclosing everything.
Then again, I can also see the other side. If Rauner does disclose those contributions and a highly qualified person gets a state job after contributing to the committee, that person will undoubted be smeared by the media’s broad brush.
So, perhaps a rethink may be in order here.
…Adding… From Mike Schrimpf…
Our November 5 press release about the transition said that we’d be disclosing contributions.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Dec 1, 14 @ 10:34 am:
Money should be the one thing that a Rauner Transition Team should remove from any/all equations;
Remember the rhetoric you guys used, do you really want even a wiff of alleged impropriety, especially if there is no need for that shadow to be cast?
- Del Clinkton - Monday, Dec 1, 14 @ 10:39 am:
I thought Bruce was going to “Shake Up Springfield!”
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
- The Captain - Monday, Dec 1, 14 @ 10:41 am:
Remember, the feds alleged a corrupt transaction took place when Ali Ata gave money to a candidate that at the time had no power to hire anyone and then several years later got a job at an agency that didn’t even exist at the time the contribution was made. The connection between donating and jobs on the Rauner transition site, while still weak, is much stronger than that.
- Sunshine - Monday, Dec 1, 14 @ 10:43 am:
Set up a separate site for “contributions” with a note that all contributions will be made public.
Having a can of gasoline (contributions) sitting beside a fire (jobs) isn’t smart. Hey, like OW said…….
- LizPhairTax - Monday, Dec 1, 14 @ 10:50 am:
I’m going to withhold judgement until a soft-focus Diana Rauner to-the-camera ad tells me what to think. Sounds like Bruce doesn’t owe anyone anything and that scares special interests.
- walker - Monday, Dec 1, 14 @ 11:00 am:
Schrimpf: Wake Up!
Didn’t you learn anything from your camapign attacks on Quinn? Or were you not serious about perceptions of corruption by the Governor in any way?
Fix it today!
- South of Sherman - Monday, Dec 1, 14 @ 11:10 am:
If the media reports the facts about those who get jobs and those who make contributions, and any overlap between the two, how exactly is that a “smear”?
- LizPhairTax - Monday, Dec 1, 14 @ 11:32 am:
…Adding… From Mike Schrimpf…
Our November 5 press release about the transition said that we’d be disclosing contributions.
My January 1 press release about my resolutions said that I’d lose 20 pounds and quit smoking.
Saying and doing are two different things.
- Publius - Monday, Dec 1, 14 @ 12:04 pm:
I have tried to send info and a resume three times on that site. It does not work.
- DuPage Dave - Monday, Dec 1, 14 @ 12:21 pm:
I thought this guy had all the money in the world. Why is he soliciting contributions? He’s going to fix up the mansion on his own, right?
- thechampaignlife - Monday, Dec 1, 14 @ 12:59 pm:
===that person will undoubted be smeared by the media’s broad brush===
Easy enough: if a contributor gets a job, donate their contribution to the Red Cross.
- A guy... - Monday, Dec 1, 14 @ 2:01 pm:
much ado…