Rise of the Democratic Raunerites?
Tuesday, May 19, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Greg Hinz writes about a new Democratic candidate for Cook County State’s Attorney…
Throwing her hat in the contest against incumbent Anita Alvarez is Donna More, a one-time assistant to Richard M. Daley when he ran the office before becoming mayor. She since has gone on to much bigger posts.
“Our current state’s attorney has too often had the wrong priorities,” More said in a statement announcing her candidacy. “The office is shrouded in secrecy and has too often had the wrong priorities. . . .Cook County needs and deserves a state’s attorney with the independence and accountability to restore integrity to the office.”
I’m not quite sure what More is getting at there—Alvarez’s office did not have an immediate response—but More has some resources to throw into her campaign, if she so chooses.
After leaving Daley, she moved to the U.S. attorney’s office and became first chief legal counsel to the Illinois Gaming Board. She’s now managing partner of the Chicago office of Fox Rothschild, a 600-lawyer firm.
More, 57, has made political donations on both sides of the aisle, giving to both County Commissioner Bridget Gainer, a Democrat, and Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican. Watch for the latter $2,500 gift to get lots of attention.
She has made five reportable state/local contributions since the early 1990s and one was to Rauner?
With the advent of the ostensibly “Democratic” but pro-Rauner IllinoisGO PAC, and Rauner transition co-chairman Bill Daley pushing his own candidate for US Senate, is a pattern developing here?
Or maybe I’m just being paranoid.
- Tournaround Agenda - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 12:45 pm:
Raunernois.
- chi - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 12:51 pm:
According to the Fox Rothschild website, there are only 9 attorneys in the Chicago office.
- Wordslinger - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 12:59 pm:
On its website, Fox Rothschild Chicago touts its gaming and regulated cannabis practices.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 1:00 pm:
US Senate and CCSO seem like exceedingly odd places to put some pro-Rauner Democrats.
- Precinct Captain - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 1:00 pm:
Having installed one of their own as a Republican governor, special interest millionaires and billionaires are now working to consolidate their power up and down the tickets.
- jerry 101 - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 1:02 pm:
“The office is shrouded in secrecy and has too often had the wrong priorities”
This coming from someone who worked for the guy who covered up John Burge’s torture chamber?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 1:07 pm:
You’re not paranoid.
Rauner and the Democratic Raunerites can’t tout their own growth; they want no one to notice, then they’ll call it “bipartisanship” with a laugh and a mock.
- ArchPundit - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 1:10 pm:
===Bill Daley pushing his own candidate for US Senate
Well, I guess at least he isn’t floating his own name every time.
- Southside Markie - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 1:21 pm:
These contributions will be the least of her problems. She was in-house general counsel for the Tropicana in Atlantic City when its license was revoked. The NJ appellate court came down hard on her when it affirmed the revocation: “More testified that she had simply overlooked the potential conflict of interest, stating, ‘[S]hame on me. It never occurred to me that this sentence would become problematic in terms of evaluating [Silver’s] independence.’ Such circumstances clearly raised a question as to Silver’s independence, and formed a basis for DGE’s complaint against Tropicana…” “The Commission finding that More lacked credibility in her various justifications for Tropicana’s regulatory defiance is well-founded. The record demonstrates that More has vast experience in the field of casino regulation, initially as a regulator and later as the legal representative of various parties subject to casino regulatory authorities. She was uniquely qualified to determine the manner in which Tropicana should operate to avoid regulatory transgressions. With her background, a succession of inadvertent regulatory missteps should not have been the norm. Moreover, she, of all Tropicana professionals and executives, should have appreciated the need for an independent audit committee.” See, In Re Petition of Admar. http://www.nj.gov/casinos/news/archive/pdf/2008/tropicana_appellate_division_decision.pdf.
- OneMan - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 1:26 pm:
“Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you”?
- birds - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 1:27 pm:
I agree with Willy, no paranoia there. A number of Rahmocrats in Chicago aren’t that far off from Rauner, so it should come as no surprise that the $$ would draw them in.
- OneMan - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 1:27 pm:
Because the key to the conspiracy is Cook County States Attorney….
- Timmeh - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 1:30 pm:
The game stays the same.
- Amalia - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 1:30 pm:
“one time assistant” what does that mean? was she an actual assistant to Daley? or was she one of hundreds of Assistant State’s Attorneys? how long was she in the office? what positions did she hold? never heard of her.
- Southside Markie - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 1:32 pm:
The NJ Casino Control Commission order regarding the Tropicana is more critical of More’s conduct. http://www.nj.gov/casinos/news/archive/pdf/2008/tropicana_appellate_division_decision.pdf
- OneMan - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 1:34 pm:
A 2008 ruling from New Jersey comes up on the post in less than an hour. Looks like someone saw this coming
- Wordslinger - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 1:37 pm:
I don’t know if Zopp or More are Raunerite candidates, but wouldn’t it be smart to start building a Republican Party in Cook County?
Mitt Romney got 479,000 Cook votes in 2012, Rauner 431,000 in 2014. That’s with virtually no organization at all.
- Wordslinger - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 1:40 pm:
OneMan, one word: google.
It’s going to be big. Trust me.
- Southside Markie - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 1:43 pm:
Everyone who has been involved in Illinois gaming knows about her background. The newspaper articles on her involvement with the Tropicana are available on Google.
- OneMan - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 1:54 pm:
Wordslinger…
When I google “Donna More” (even with the quotes) NJ does not show up in at least the first three pages of results. Gonna doubt in 45 minutes someone found it and read 44 pages of it.
If the best you have on her is a NJ casino regulator complaining that she didn’t want to set up an audit committee a certain way, that is kind of weak IMHO.
- Anonin' - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 1:56 pm:
Mr/Ms SS Markie
Nice catch….to bad the BVR crew didn’t notice….oppps.
- The obvious - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 2:01 pm:
I don’t see a pattern. Bill Daley wants to unseat Mark Kirk with a black woman at the top of the ticket. Smart move and one which Rauner/Schneider would rather not see happen.
- Liberty - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 2:08 pm:
Probably all connected to career aspirations. Do we really know what a Raunerite is except rich and antiunion?
- Southside Markie - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 2:28 pm:
The link posted for the NJ Casino Control Commission order at 1:32 is the wrong link. Here is the correct link: http://www.nj.gov/casinos/news/archive/pdf/opinionandorder.pdf See pp. 39-40.
- NewWestSuburbanGOP'er - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 2:33 pm:
Rauner and his friends want to take over both parties and will spends oodles of money doing whatever it takes to achieve their goal.
- Gooner - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 2:41 pm:
Sam Adam, Jr. is talking about that race too. Unlike this person, Sam starts out with name recognition and likely will get support from progressive.
This candidate is looking, at least from the start, with a candidate who may have money but not much else.
- Gooner - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 2:49 pm:
One more note on this — if the goal is to get more people with GOP views into office, why not just work to elect a Republican as SA?
Alvarez won last time because she had a badly funded opponent. I question the depth of her support (and as noted, if Sam Adam, Jr. runs, I think he’s got a good opportunity).
This seems like a race where the GOP could be competitive again. Somebody to the right would have a better chance in November than in a primary.
- walker - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 3:08 pm:
Alvarez can be beaten. Please find a better candidate.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 3:10 pm:
It is how this governor is BUY-partisan!
- AlabamaShake - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 3:12 pm:
**Sam Adam, Jr. is talking about that race too. Unlike this person, Sam starts out with name recognition and likely will get support from progressive.**
What progressives are going to support Sam Adam Jr?
- Amalia - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 3:18 pm:
Anita, Sam, Fritchey, Preckwinkle person, now this new name for the race. How many will stay in? and who is running to help another candidate?
- North Shore Joe - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 4:48 pm:
Part of the deal.
- Fred - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 6:52 pm:
Amelia
The more the merrier for Anita. A big, multi candidate primary got her elected in th first place.
- Amalia - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 9:20 pm:
Fred, there are currently three women in the race and Donna is into the gaming industry. sounds like she’s there to help someone other than Anita.