C’mon, man
Monday, Jun 30, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Not good…
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s inner circle worked with outside lobbyists who were not registered to lobby on behalf of the city in the Illinois General Assembly, a practice his office defended after repeated inquiries into the makeup of his intergovernmental affairs team in Springfield.
Email records and Springfield sources indicate that three lobbyists — Lakeisha Purchase, Frank Bass and Vincent Williams — coordinated with top Johnson officials during the most recent session. But they did not update their state registration to show the city among their lobbying clients before the Illinois General Assembly adjourned June 1.
In an interview on Friday, the mayor’s new lead Springfield IGA director, John Arena, argued those lobbyists did not need to register because their contracts with the city were still “pending.” In the meantime, Purchase was only “helping facilitate” lobbying, while Bass was coordinating with the city’s team in his capacity as a lobbyist for the Chicago Teachers Union and Williams as one for the Chicago Transit Authority, Arena said.
* From the statute…
“Lobby” and “lobbying” means to communicate, including the soliciting of others to communicate, with an official as defined in subsection (c) for the ultimate purpose of influencing any executive, legislative, or administrative action at the State, municipal, county, or township government level. […]
Sec. 3. Persons required to register.
(a) Except as provided in Section 9, any natural person who, for compensation or otherwise, undertakes to lobby, or any person or entity who employs or compensates another person for the purposes of lobbying, shall register with the Secretary of State as provided in this Act
Always err on the side of caution. If someone might remotely be considered a lobbyist, then register that person.
Just fill out the freaking paperwork, for crying out loud.
* Scroll down through the Tribune story…
“This is the most, I would say, emaciated I’ve seen a lobbying team for a mayor of the city of Chicago in Springfield,” said state Rep. Curtis Tarver, a Chicago Democrat and an assistant majority leader in the Illinois House. “They’ve not had a comprehensive agenda. It’s hodgepodge.”
Um, the city’s top Statehouse lobbyist John Arena was paid almost $11,000 to run Josef Michael Carr’s 2022 Democratic primary race against Rep. Tarver. Some hard feelings might perhaps remain, but Tarver is far from alone in his opinion.
- fs - Monday, Jun 30, 25 @ 2:13 pm:
== Purchase was only “helping facilitate” lobbying==
== “Lobby” and “lobbying” means to communicate, including the soliciting of others to communicate==
Color me shocked that Lakeisha Purchase seems to have stepped on an ethical landmine. Again.
- Telly - Monday, Jun 30, 25 @ 2:25 pm:
The appointment of Arena as the city’s liaison was a head-scratcher given his lack of Springfield experience and his well-known reputation for making enemies when he was an alderman. The fact that he ran a primary campaign against a member of House leadership makes his appointment a head-slapper.
Can see why Curtis Tarver may have an ax to grind, but another quote he gave in that story is undeniably true:
“At this point now, saying the city is for something, I think, is the biggest detriment to getting it passed.”
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jun 30, 25 @ 2:26 pm:
===The fact that he ran a primary campaign against a member of House leadership makes his appointment a head-slapper===
Yep.
- Springfielder - Monday, Jun 30, 25 @ 2:32 pm:
Hard to imagine there’s any lower Lakeisha could go, and yet here we are.
- hisgirlfriday - Monday, Jun 30, 25 @ 2:39 pm:
We are now past the halfway mark in Brandon Johnson’s term as mayor.
If he can’t figure out this kind of stuff or get people who know stuff around him by now, it’s not going to happen.
When do we find out who is running against him?
- Been There - Monday, Jun 30, 25 @ 2:53 pm:
===Always err on the side of caution. If someone might remotely be considered a lobbyist, then register that person.
Just fill out the freaking paperwork, for crying out loud.====
While I agree with you 100%, and make sure everyone I am involved with registers, it does cost $300 per lobbyist. Obviously no big deal for the city. But way back when they upped the fee from $25 to $300 in the early 2000’s I think a couple thousand lobbyists went missing. I used to register all of our board of directors for an association I use to work for (15 of them). After the fee went up I would just register the ones that went to Springfield since the board wasn’t compensated.
- Helm - Monday, Jun 30, 25 @ 3:04 pm:
If Arena is saying that these 3 musketeers (Lakeisha, Frank & Vince) weren’t lobbying for the City this past session and that contracts were still pending, then it would appear to be obvious that none of them should be paid by the City for any work done this past session. Wonder how the three of them feel about that ??
Also, each one of the Keystone Cops in this story should Hope that none of the three filed any witness slips this past session on behalf of the City. If they did, that could be evidence of a violation of failing to register.
- Notgood - Monday, Jun 30, 25 @ 3:20 pm:
Another ethics issue for Purchase. One of many. Political work on state time while at IDOT. People should pay attention to who they have representing them.
- Naughty - Monday, Jun 30, 25 @ 3:47 pm:
I bumped into two of the people named at a bar in Springfield. They explicitly stated they were lobbying for the city. They also said they were looking to bring more people on but wouldn’t be able to pay them until the end of summer because of “city rules”.
The mayor needs to straighten up and get his house in order. Maybe hire someone with some experience so rule breaking like this finally stops being part of his office’s culture.
- Amalia - Monday, Jun 30, 25 @ 3:49 pm:
oh just filed the darn papers and pay the fee. even the smallest violation is icky. be better.
- Dotnonymous x - Monday, Jun 30, 25 @ 3:52 pm:
When doing your best isn’t working.
- Bud's Bar Stool - Monday, Jun 30, 25 @ 3:52 pm:
=== Hope that none of the three filed any witness slips this past session on behalf of the City. ===
Great point.
Williams registered for the city today. Purchase waited until 6/23 to register. Bass has not registered.
- Just a guy - Monday, Jun 30, 25 @ 4:08 pm:
Two years in…and here we are. Instead of always saying how you are mayor of “the greatest freakin’ city in the world,” let’s try doing what Rich says and fill out some freakin’ paperwork. Let’s follow the rules. Let’s learn how to govern. Let’s learn how to actually bring people together instead of using race as divider every time someone questions you or asks you why you did something. I can’t believe we have to endure two more years with this man at the helm of the city’s ship…
- Frida's Boss - Monday, Jun 30, 25 @ 4:12 pm:
Arena may need a nap?
- Henry Francis - Monday, Jun 30, 25 @ 4:38 pm:
2 years in and this administration still can’t get the basics done right.
The article over the weekend regarding the CHA is just another example of the widespread incompetence that is throughout administration.
- Candy Dogood - Monday, Jun 30, 25 @ 5:58 pm:
===But they did not update their state registration===
Pro-Tip: Don’t hire a lobbyist that screws up their lobbying registration.
All three of the named lobbyists should know better.