We are shocked by the information in today’s plea agreement and the betrayal of public trust both by Sen. Sandoval and a person who had an interest in the company, who was not authorized by the company to engage in any illegal behavior or make any commitments or contributions on behalf of the company or its executives. It appears both individuals committed crimes without SafeSpeed’s knowledge and in violation not only of the law but of SafeSpeed’s culture. We are shocked and saddened by that allegation. We are fully committed to investigating these matters and sharing any information we find with federal authorities. We applaud the government for rooting out corruption.
You might want to read the recent open letter to Comptroller Susana Mendoza penned by SafeSpeed CEO Nikki Zollar before you proceed. Click here.
* Also, the government chose to include this passage in the plea deal…
CW-1 told SANDOVAL that CW-1 had provided half of Company A’s annual campaign contribution, and SANDOVAL said it was not a problem for Company A’s President to break up the annual contribution into two contributions because CW-1 said Company A’s President did not want the contribution to “shout out,” meaning raise a red flag.
Keep in mind that people claiming things doesn’t mean somebody actually said what was claimed.
“I used my office as state senator to help SafeSpeed — er, company A … (and) be its protector in the Illinois Senate and influence other officials to roll out the red-light camera program in Illinois,” Sandoval said.
Prosecutors did not name the SafeSpeed representative who bribed Sandoval, referring to him in the plea agreement only as Cooperating Witness-1. Several sources familiar with the investigation identified the informant for the Tribune as Omar Maani, a Burr Ridge businessman who is one of SafeSpeed’s founders and biggest rainmakers.
Overall 15 people connected to the mistaken registrations voted in 2018 and 2019 elections. State election officials have said three in central [Illinois] turned out to be citizens with at least two others believed to be in the same category.
Chicago had three voters in question, according to State Board of Elections spokesman Matt Dietrich.
But Chicago Board of Election Commissioners spokesman Jim Allen said two were outstanding.
By his calculations, six people linked to the mistaken registrations cast ballots. Four had long voter histories and were thought to be citizens, he said. That left two voters in question.
Allen said voter registrations were canceled and no further action was planned. Neither Allen nor Dietrich could explain the discrepancy.
Minutes ago, ex-state Sen. Martin Sandoval stopped to talk to reporters, saying he was “deeply ashamed” by his actions but declining to answer questions. pic.twitter.com/3iVbTvHRJ1
I am deeply ashamed of my actions. I take full responsibility. And I apologize to the people of Illinois and most importantly to the constituents that I have served over the last 17 years.
CW-1 asked how much SANDOVAL wanted to be paid in protection money for acting to advance Company A’s interests in the Illinois Senate, and SANDOVAL asked, “But how would we do that? So how many companies do you have?… Do you have a bologna company or something innocuous?”
* People are starting to have fun with it online…
Previously we've had bribe money called "cheddar" and "lettuce" by various elected officials. And of course, Ald. Edward Burke allegedly said he hoped to "land the tuna." Am I missing any?
"Do you have a bologna company?" is going to have to be one of the kits when I get my "cross-stitches of Chicago political quotes" Etsy store up and running. https://t.co/DKHPBoIhJb
— Luigi D’Napla is only sort of a fake name (@LuigiDNapla) January 28, 2020
When's the "I want a pizza box of cash, and make it deep dish. None of that thin crust garbage." wiretap transcript coming? https://t.co/ZDuYiXnNFb
Sen. Joe McCarthy has been dead for more than 60 years, but the Red Scare may still not be over in Illinois.
State Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton, D-Western Springs, said Illinois can save money by removing the state’s optional loyalty oath, a Cold War-era vestige in which candidates for office pledge they are not affiliated with a communist organization.
Glowiak Hilton introduced a bill that would remove the loyalty oath from a packet of forms candidates file when they run for office. Candidates can sign an optional form affirming they are “not affiliated directly or indirectly with any communist organization or any communist front organization.”
“This dated Cold War scare tactic wastes taxpayer dollars and has an immeasurable cost to our natural resources,” Glowiak Hilton said in a statement. “Printing a separate page for the oath for every candidate who files in Illinois not only wastes paper, but the time and energy of the public servants who administer our elections.” […]
Dietrich said most candidates print the forms they need to run for office on their own, meaning the Board of Elections prints few, if any, loyalty oaths.
It’s indeed a relic of a bygone era and should be eliminated, but the savings are practically nil.
As lawmakers prepare to come back to the Illinois State Capitol this week, some Republicans want to address delays in renewing Firearm Owners’ Identification cards.
State Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, said there had been a lot of conversation at the statehouse about the Firearm Owners’ Identification card process.
“The bureaucratic process, the fees, everything and I think there’s a lot of us that would like to see significant reform to that system,” Plummer said. […]
“The FOID card this year is a huge issue with the renewals,” state Sen. Neil Anderson, R-Andalusia, said. “Having people nervous about having their Second Amendment right taken away because we’re behind on getting their new FOID card – that’s a big issue.”
Anderson said he doesn’t blame state police.
“We’re in one of those ten-year cycles where everybody’s FOID card is coming up for renewal at the same time,” he said.
* Press release…
Today, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) and State Representative Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) join legislators from around the country in unveiling a national bipartisan campaign to phase out corporate giveaways by establishing an interstate compact. This bold proposal seeks to liberate states from participating in tax-payer funded subsidy battles by having states join together and refuse to provide companies with tax breaks or other incentives, as in the case of the Amazon HQ2 bidding war.
As of January 28, the legislation is filed in New York, Hawaii, Maryland, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, West Virginia and New Hampshire.
The legislation would bring each state into a formal agreement with other states to phase out corporate giveaways through two main provisions. First, member states agree to end the practice of offering tax breaks to a facility located in another member state as an inducement for the company to move. Second, member states participate in a national board of appointees to discuss and propose enhancements to the existing agreement for future consideration by each state.
“Corporate giveaways are one of the least effective uses of taxpayer dollars for job creation because companies too frequently take tax incentives to choose locations that they would have chosen anyway,” Senator Villivalam said. “So instead of creating additional jobs, they simply deplete a community’s tax base instead, which often affects communities who can least afford it. This legislation is a good first step in phasing giveaways out and in creating a level playing field for all employers.”
“While our state budget is already starved by excess tax breaks, we want to build support over time and appeal to our colleagues who don’t wish to unilaterally disarm in the giveaway game.” said Representative Morgan. “This is a reasonable go-slow approach, and can help us refocus our state budget on priorities such as education and human services funding.”
Please see EndTaxGiveaways.org for links to the legislation in other states as well as the names of legislators who are supporting the effort.
* CBS 2 had pretty comprehensive Twitter coverage of former Sen. Martin Sandoval’s guilty plea today. From that coverage…
Former Illinois State Sen. Martin Sandoval has entered U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood’s courtroom, for his arraignment this morning on federal corruption charges. U.S. Attorney John Lausch also is in the courtroom, in the front row of the gallery.
Sandoval’s attorney, Dylan Smith, says he intends to plead guilty to bribery and tax charges. […]
In addition to his possible prison sentence, Sandoval is agreeing to restitution of $72,441, divided between the IRS and the Illinois Department of Revenue. Also agreeing to repay the government $70,000 for the cost of his prosecution.
According to the plea agreement, Sandoval is expected to face a sentencing recommendation of 121 to 151 months. Plea deal also anticipates his cooperation with the feds with ongoing investigations. […]
Prosecutors have agreed to recommend a sentence below the established guidelines if Sandoval fully and truthfully cooperates with the federal investigation.
Feds say between beginning of 2016 and end of 2019, Sandoval arranged for $20K in annual campaign contributions from a red light camera firm, identified only as Company A in exchange for his opposition to legislation to ban cameras, and to get IDOT to authorize additional cameras.
Sandoval later agreed to split up those payments to “just kind of make it not obvious.” Unbeknownst to Sandoval, the person he was talking to was cooperating with the feds.
Sandoval also arranged for $5,000 monthly payments in exchange for acting as Company A’s “protector” in the Senate, saying would “go balls to the wall for anything you ask me.” In total, feds say he accepted more than $250,000 in bribes.
Sandoval admits “I accepted money in exchange for the use of my office as a state senator to help SafeSpeed, or Company A.” That’s the fist time the company has been named, and it’s not clear if Sandoval meant to let the name slip.
Sandoval also admits he “influenced IDOT officials who were authorized to roll out the red light camera program.”
Feds say Sandoval also under-reported his income on federal tax returns from 2012 through 2016.
Judge says she’s satisfied with the explanation of facts of the case. Sandoval’s attorney also says he’s satisfied, so asks Sandoval for his plea on both counts.
“I plead guilty, your honor” Sandoval says for both counts.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys not ready to set a sentencing date yet, so Sandoval will be back in court for a status hearing on July 21, to schedule sentencing matters.
Sandoval will be released on unsecured $10,000 bond pending sentencing, and may not leave Illinois without court permission, possess a gun, or use or possess any drugs other than prescribed medication.
…Adding… From the US Attorney…
Sandoval admitted in the plea agreement that he solicited and accepted financial and other benefits from an individual affiliated with a Chicago-area red-light camera company, in return for Sandoval using his official position as a state senator to block legislation harmful to the red-light-camera industry. Sandoval also admitted that he engaged in corrupt activities with other public officials and accepted money from other individuals in return for using his official position to attempt to benefit those individuals and their business interests. Sandoval admitted accepting more than $250,000 in bribes as part of criminal activity that involved more than five participants.
In addition to the bribery, Sandoval admitted that he willfully caused his accountant to file income tax returns that Sandoval knew underreported his income for the calendar years 2012 through 2017. Sandoval admitted in the plea agreement that his tax offenses caused a total loss to the IRS of at least $72,441, and a loss to the Illinois Department of Revenue of at least $13,384.38, which he has agreed to pay.
“(E)ngaged in corrupt activities with other public officials,” eh? And the criminal activity involved “more than five participants”? Hmm.
…Adding… Oh this does not look good for the president of SafeSpeed. From the plea agreement…
On or about August 16, 2017, SANDOVAL spoke by phone with CW-1. During the call, SANDOVAL discussed splitting up Company A’s annual campaign contribution to SANDOVAL into smaller amounts. CW-1 told SANDOVAL that CW- 1 had provided half of Company A’s annual campaign contribution, and SANDOVAL said it was not a problem for Company A’s President to break up the annual contribution into two contributions because CW-1 said Company A’s President did not want the contribution to “shout out,” meaning raise a red flag
…Adding… This sounds like Sandoval got a piece of the fabulously successful Oakbrook Terrace red-light cam (or maybe he was just saying he helped them get the red light cam and didn’t receive any cash. It’s not totally clear as I look at it again)…
During the meeting, SANDOVAL discussed receiving payment for his official support of Company A. SANDOVAL asked, “Can I bring up something personal with you?… You’ve been good to me, politically. But I’ve learned that there are people who helped [Company A] who get a monthly, um…” CW-1 interjected, “Consulting fee, sales-consulting fee.” SANDOVAL continued, “When they have helped with the sighting of a camera…. On a monthly basis, infinitum.” CW-1 responded, “100%. They get a percentage of the revenue that is brought in by specific community.” SANDOVAL said, “Like I did in Oakbrook [Terrace].”
…Adding… “I usually say”? So, apparently this was a thing with him…
SANDOVAL discussed being paid to act as Company A’s “protector” in the Illinois Senate. When discussing the amount of the payment he would receive, Sandoval said, “I usually say, ‘What’s reasonable? You tell me.’”
…Adding… According to the plea deal, Sandoval admitted taking “$70,000 in protection money” from a SafeSpeed cooperating witness and $250,000 overall from various sources.
* Gov. Pritzker was asked yesterday whether former Sen. Martin Sandoval’s indictment meant it was time to reconsider allowing local governments to install red-light cameras. The governor’s response…
First of all, this kind of behavior, this kind of activity is utterly repellent. The people who are committing these crimes, people who get elected to public office and then serve their own pockets and not the interests of the people that they are supposed to be representing, those people need to get out of public office. We’re going to root them out. That is the job not only of our [applause] It’s not only a job for the federal government, it’s a job for the government of the state of Illinois. We need to pass new ethics legislation. We need to go after these people. We need to scare off the people that think that they should hold public office to make a buck for themselves.
Now, as to the question of red light cameras, I will just say this that I think there should be a robust debate about this question. There are some people in law enforcement who will say that red light cameras can save lives, that they reduce traffic fatalities. There are others who see them only as a way of bilking people who are driving their cars and may make a mistake along the way. So I am open to the question.
But most of all, we what we need to make sure is that no matter what policy we adopt, that the people who are implementing those policies, voting on them, are people who are of good repute, people who are standing up for the people of Illinois, who are following the law and following the ethical considerations that every elected official should have.
Again, I think that the legislature needs to consider whether or not these continue to be effective and listen to law enforcement as well as, you know, people from around the state.
But it’s clear that really almost anything can be corrupted by somebody who wants to be corrupt. So it’s also a question about, you know, who is it that’s implementing these laws.
Chicago’s red light cameras fail to deliver the dramatic safety benefits long claimed by City Hall, according to a first-ever scientific study that found the nation’s largest camera program is responsible for increasing some types of injury crashes while decreasing others.
The state-of-the-art study commissioned by the Tribune concluded the cameras do not reduce injury-related crashes overall — undercutting Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s primary defense of a program beset by mismanagement, malfunction and a $2 million bribery scandal.
Emanuel has credited the cameras for a 47 percent reduction in dangerous right-angle, or “T-bone,” crashes. But the Tribune study, which accounted for declining accident rates in recent years as well as other confounding factors, found cameras reduced right-angle crashes that caused injuries by just 15 percent.
At the same time, the study calculated a corresponding 22 percent increase in rear-end crashes that caused injuries, illustrating a trade-off between the cameras’ costs and benefits.
The Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) announced today Larita Clark has been appointed CEO of the Authority. Since October, Clark has served as Acting CEO and CFO, and has been with the Authority since 1984. As CEO, Clark will oversee modernization efforts as MPEA continues to compete with other world-class convention centers, as well as work to ensure that the Authority is on sound financial footing.
“Selecting the CEO is one of the most important responsibilities for the board,” said Brett J. Hart, Chair of MPEA’s Board of Directors and Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for United Airlines. “Larita Clark brings outstanding operational and financial expertise that made her the right choice for MPEA. We have complete confidence that under Larita’s leadership, the Authority will continue to deliver outstanding service to our customers.”
The MPEA board conducted a search to identify a new CEO for the Authority following the resignation of Lori Healey, who stepped down from her post in October 2019. The board’s process included a review of joint recommendations by both the Mayor’s Office and the Governor’s Office.
“Larita Clark has outstanding credentials and a deep understanding of MPEA and the convention industry and I am confident she is the right choice to lead this organization,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “With decades of leadership and financial experience at the Authority, I know that Larita will be a strong partner as we work to attract more conventions to Illinois, grow our tourism industry and enhance MPEA’s campus and the surrounding communities.”
“The McCormick Place campus is critical to Chicago’s thriving tourism and convention industry, and Larita Clark brings the necessary leadership experience and financial acumen to ensure the continued success of this economic engine for our city and state,” said Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. “Under the leadership of Larita and her team, the campus has grown, maintained a strong financial standing, and strengthened the diversity of its workforce and supplier base. I have no doubt that MPEA will continue to expand, increasing economic opportunities for every community across our great city.”
The four Democrats vying for Cook County state’s attorney butted heads Monday over the best way to use the office to ensure public safety and tackle crime while also pushing systemic reforms to help vulnerable populations during a meeting before the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board.
But in a wide-ranging interview that touched on how the candidates would use the office to weed out government corruption, stem improper political influence and improve morale in the prosecutors office, the talk kept coming back to Jussie Smollett. More than half of the hourlong meeting — which also touched on transparency and campaign finance, among other topics — centered on current State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s handling of the Smollett case and why the 16 charges initially brought against him were dropped.
Notice the passive voice: “the talk kept coming back to Jussie Smollett.”
Vying to lead the prosecutor’s office of a county with more than 500 murders last year, the four Democrats on the March ballot for Cook County state’s attorney faced off Monday in a forum that focused largely on how incumbent Kim Foxx handled charges nearly a year ago in a celebrity scandal.
During the one-hour forum, held by the Chicago Tribune editorial board, the journalists focused the first 30 minutes on Jussie Smollett, the Empire actor charged with faking a hate crime, and a decision by Foxx’s office last March to drop 16 grand jury counts against him.
A former assistant prison warden, at the center of an explosive 2012 government email in which a lobbyist alludes to a rape cover-up and illegal hiring, gave false information during an investigation four years earlier into whether he misplaced a bulky ring of keys at a state lockup, documents obtained by The Associated Press show.
The Illinois Department of Corrections refused to say Monday whether Forrest Ashby, then paid $86,400 annually as the acting assistant warden for operations at Western Illinois Correctional Center, faced discipline for the infraction which could have resulted in his firing. The investigator said Ashby “impeded the investigation by giving inaccurate and false information” during the inquiry.
According to the report obtained under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, Ashby told an internal investigator that his keys, which an employee found in the men’s restroom, had been with him the entire day.
Ashby, 56, is the subject of a July 2012 email in which Michael McClain, then a powerful government lobbyist and confidante of longtime House Speaker Michael Madigan, asked top aides to then-Gov. Pat Quinn to show Ashby leniency in a disciplinary matter he faced in his new job at the Department of Human Services.
Keep in mind the keys incident took place in 2008 and the report was written in early 2009, three years before the McClain email and before he started a job with the Department of Human Services.
DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos today announced Betsy Dirksen Londrigan in the first round of candidates the DCCC is naming to its highly competitive Red to Blue program.
Betsy Dirksen Londrigan has earned a spot on the DCCC’s Red to Blue program by surpassing aggressive goals for grassroots engagement, local support, campaign organization and fundraising. Beyond Betsy’s demonstrated ability to build a winning campaign infrastructure, she has a strong record of service, an authentic message that connects with voters in her district and deep ties to the communities she aims to serve.
“Betsy Dirksen Londrigan knows from personal experience the worry and tough decisions families face when confronted with the diagnosis of an unexpected illness, and she will be the advocate for working families that the residents of central Illinois need in Congress,” DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos said. “Betsy is running for Congress to champion access to affordable health care, lower the price of prescription drugs and to end the corruption that has plagued our political process. With strong grassroots support and momentous fundraising on her side, Betsy is ready to unseat Congressman Rodney Davis in 2020.”
“Because of the strength of Democratic candidates running in 2020 we are on path to protect and expand the most diverse House Majority in American history,” said Bustos. “These Red to Blue candidates are veterans, farmers, doctors, public servants and advocates who are committed to serving their communities and ensuring they will finally have a voice in Congress.”
Red to Blue is a highly competitive and battle-tested DCCC program that arms top-tier candidates with organizational and fundraising support to help them continue to develop strong campaigns. Additionally, through Red to Blue the DCCC provides strategic guidance, staff resources, candidate trainings and more.
The Trump campaign has announced a major effort it calls “unprecedented” to have surrogates campaigning on behalf of the president on Monday, Feb. 3, the day the Iowa caucuses are behind held.
Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Senior Campaign Advisor Lara Trump, National Chair of Trump Victor Finance Committee Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Campaign Manager Brad Parscale will lead a group of over 80 surrogates across the state of Iowa.
“Our Caucus Day operation is just a preview of what is to come,” said Parscale. “We are putting the Democrats on notice— good luck trying to keep up with this formidable reelection machine.”
* I love this splash of “color” that Hannah Meisel included in her Sandoval story…
The extremely thin court filing against him is one indication Sandoval has been cooperating with prosecutors. But observers are certain Sandoval has “flipped” on others who the feds are investigating.
A source who spoke to The Daily Line on the condition of anonymity said that more than once this fall, Sandoval had been spotted getting dropped off by a family member at a Chicago Dunkin’ Donuts, and from there was picked up by federal agents. Hours later, Sandoval was spotted being dropped back off at the Dunkin’ Donuts and taken home by his daughter.
Political allies, lobbyists, business owners — anyone who did a dirty deal with Sandoval — knows after Monday that he is not only in a position to give them up, but is required to do so under the terms of any cooperation agreement.
And that means his case should have repercussions far beyond the spare details contained in the two-count criminal information brought against him in U.S. District Court.
That document, typically used in place of an indictment when a defendant has already agreed to plead guilty, accuses Sandoval of bribery in connection with his efforts on behalf of red-light cameras and for filing a false tax return for unspecified unreported income in 2017.
But a far better picture of the damage Sandoval could do was contained in a federal search warrant served on his offices back in September, which clearly showed investigators were pursuing him for a wide range of suspected corrupt activity.
A Chicago Tribune investigation found that Sandoval directly intervened with the Illinois Department of Transportation on behalf of SafeSpeed to install a red-light camera at an Oakbrook Terrace intersection, all while receiving thousands from the company in campaign contributions.
State Representative David McSweeny (R-Barrington Hills) tried to pass legislation in 2015 that would have banned red light cameras, only to see the bill die in Springfield when Sandoval was the powerful chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee.
“I think the U.S. Attorney John Lausch is doing an outstanding job. I applaud the efforts of the FBI. I hope they keep going and we need to get to the bottom of all this – Sandoval is a good first start,” McSweeney said.
Governor JB Pritzker said the charges show how, “almost anything can be corrupted by almost anyone.”
“This kind of activity is utterly repellent, the people who are committing these crimes, people who get elected to public office and then serve their own pockets and not the interests of the people they are supposed to be representing those people need to get out of public office,” Pritzker said.
The charges have been widely anticipated ever since federal agents executed a high-profile search of Sandoval’s office in Springfield and his home on Chicago’s Southwest Side last September.
Three days later, the FBI and Internal Revenue Service also raided government buildings in a number of suburbs in Sandoval’s district, including Lyons and McCook. Authorities have also sought records on the towns of Cicero, Bridgeview and Summit. […]
Newly chosen Senate President Don Harmon said Monday that the Sandoval charges serve “as a reminder of the challenge we face in restoring the public’s trust and why that issue is a priority this session.”
“The searing image of federal agents toting boxes out of former Senator Sandoval’s Capitol office was an embarrassment to all of us who take public service seriously,” Harmon, D-Oak Park, said in a written statement.
The two-page charging document doesn’t reveal much. But a Tribune investigation from September 2017 found that Sandoval pressured Illinois Department of Transportation officials to approve red-light cameras at an Oakbrook Terrace intersection that IDOT considered ineligible for the program. The intersection of Illinois Route 83 and 22nd Street was considered safe, and cameras were instead supposed to be used at crash-prone sites to slow down drivers.
But after multiple calls and pressure from Sandoval, IDOT authorized the camera installation, creating a money spigot for the village. Meanwhile, federal raids last year at the homes of several individuals connected to the camera company, SafeSpeed, turned up piles of cash. Earlier this month, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the FBI in October had seized $60,000 from a safe in the home of Oakbrook Terrace Mayor Ragucci, although the reason for the seizure was not disclosed. Ragucci resigned abruptly this month.
Oakbrook Terrace is home to perhaps the most eye-popping numbers. Since installing two cameras in August 2017, the city of just over 2,000 residents has collected over $9.3 million before vendor payments. Oakbrook Terrace’s fiscal year 2019 revenue from red-light cameras was $5.4 million, far more than any other suburb. The city made more than one-third of its total revenue in fiscal year 2018 from red-light cameras, according to city budget documents. The city paid red-light company SafeSpeed LLC $1.5 million of the $3.8 million it collected from the cameras that year.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Here we go…
AUSA Christopher Stetler is walking through the charges, notes Sandoval faces a maximum prison sentence of 13 years. Ten on bribery and three on filing a false return.
Sandoval confirms his signature on the plea agreement, and acknowledges he's read it and reviewed it with his attorney. Says his decision to sign the agreement was completely voluntary. Pleading guilty to both counts, bribery and filing a false tax return.
In addition to his possible prison sentence, Sandoval is agreeing to restitution of $72,441, divided between the IRS and the Illinois Department of Revenue. Also agreeing to repay the government $70,000 for the cost of his prosecution.
According to the plea agreement, Sandoval is expected to face a sentencing recommendation of 121 to 151 months. Plea deal also anticipates his cooperation with the feds with ongoing investigations.
Sandoval's conviction would mean he'd likely be in line for a sentence of roughly 10-12 years. But if he cooperates, the government has promised to ask for a sentence below that range — it's just not clear how far below.
Sandoval later agreed to split up those payments to make them less obvious. Meanwhile, "someone who had an interest in Company A" turned out to be cooperating with the feds, starting around 2018. The feds call him "CW 1."
During a meeting at a restaurant in Burr Ridge, Sandoval said he'd "go balls to the wall for anything you ask me" but complained about others who had "consulting fee" arrangements.
I’ve been reading the reports over the “glitch” at the [secretary of state] over [automatic voter registration]. I thought you might be interested in some of the back story regarding the negotiation of the bill that may or may not have some relevancy.
When I was negotiating the AVR bill in 2017 one of the points of contention was the implementation date. The proponents wanted a firm date for implementation ahead of the 2018 election. I thought that was unreasonable and the SoS shouldn’t be trying to implement software for both REAL ID and AVR at the same time, but rather they should finish REAL ID then devote their attention to AVR. In the end a hard date of July 1, 2018, was part of the agreed bill, though I had some assurances that we could reopen the implementation date if necessary.
By the end of 2017, it was clear to me that the SoS and IL State BOE were not going to be ready on the aggressive date set in SB1933. I filed HB4749 (100th GA) in Feb 2018 to extend the implementation date that reflected the need to work on only one piece of software at a time - setting the date for AVR to 90 days after certification of the REAL ID database. My actual language is in the filed amendment, since LRB drafted the extension into the wrong section and I was up against the filing deadline. Despite some of our verbal agreements in 2017, the proponents didn’t want to lift the date and the pressure to get it done, so there was no hearing or vote on HB4749.
I don’t know if the extra time I sought in HB4749 would have helped the SoS avoid the mess they got in, and obviously it wouldn’t have affected the lack of transparency once the errors were identified. But, I thought you’d appreciate that rushed implementation that could lead to errors was a concern from the outset.
Mike
Advocates are now concerned with what they describe as unnecessary roadblocks the secretary of state’s office has included in the registration process.
Currently, citizens have access to an opt-out model of automatic voter registration when receiving a Real ID; when citizens receive a Real ID, they are automatically registered to vote unless they choose not to.
There is an opt-in process when getting a standard driver’s license or state ID in Illinois. Citizens need to check a box and sign their name attesting to citizenship to ensure that non-citizens don’t accidentally get registered, according to Matt Dietrich, spokesperson for the Illinois Board of Elections.
But, during the process, Illinoisans are required to submit a second signature — something advocates of automatic voter registration are wary of and feel is a requirement unrelated to voter eligibility.
* Indeed, this story was published just before the AVR glitch was widely reported…
Automatic voter registration seemed to be the only thing Illinois state Democrats and Republicans could agree on in 2017. The bill received not only bipartisan, but unanimous support by state senators, making Illinois the 10th state to sign in automatic voter registration in August 2017.
Throughout the process of implementation, however, many advocates have had concerns with how the Secretary of State’s office has carried out the bill’s provisions.
The initial criticism was with the delay of implementation, which state officials tied to Illinois’ struggle to roll out Real ID. While the law set an original deadline of July 2018, most provisions were not enacted until July 2019.
Advocates are now concerned with what they describe as unnecessary roadblocks the secretary of state’s office has included in the registration process.
* Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider was on WJPF today and was asked about the automatic voter registration “glitch” at the secretary of state’s office…
When you look at the rhetoric that they espouse every day, the Democrats, they’re always, they’re, they’re asking for illegal immigrants to be able to vote. So, when you see, and these are just non-citizens who got greencard holders and the like who are here legally but were non-citizens who were registered to vote here.
But if you take their rhetoric and you put it together, you wonder if this was really done on purpose or if it was just a so-called glitch as you call it.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said a “glitch” that resulted in non-citizens being registered to vote has been “overcome,” and he sees no reason to pause an automatic registration program as electoral agencies determine how the prohibited voters ended up on the rolls in the first place.
“We’re being very careful at our agencies and how it’s being implemented now, but there’s no reason to have an across-the-board pause, especially when the glitch has been fixed,” Pritzker said at a Monday news conference. “And we’re going to have hearings to make sure we’re ferreting out what went wrong with this glitch.”
At the press event, Pritzker was joined by U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., and members of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, to talk about election security measures.
Last week, Republican lawmakers sent a letter to Democratic Speaker of the House Michael Madigan, demanding answers from Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White about how 545 self-identified non-U.S. citizens were mistakenly registered to vote through the state’s new automatic registration system.
* Related…
* Illinois lawmaker raised concerns with automatic voter registration program in 2016: “This legislation is very problematic,” the Hawthorne Hills Republican said. “Under this proposal, non-citizens will be automatically registered to vote and then perhaps later removed from the rolls. If a non-citizen is registered and the state fails to remove that person in a timely fashion, they will get a voter card in the mail and likely believe they can legally vote. And if they do vote, they will be committing a felony.”
* Barrington High School holds voter registration drive for eligible students: Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed legislation Wednesday to allow students to be excused for two hours during a school day “to vote in a primary, general, special, or any election in Illinois at which propositions are submitted to a popular vote in Illinois.”
Quincy Media Inc. has opened a statehouse bureau serving outlets in Quincy, Rockford, Peoria and the Carbondale area.
“Collectively, our television stations in Illinois are the primary news source in 37 counties serving over a million and a half viewers,” said QMI president and CEO Ralph Oakley, in a statement.
For bureau chief Mike Miletich, the new assignment marks a return to Springfield. An Alsip native with a broadcast journalism degree from Illinois State University, Miletich, 25, was an intern with WCIA-TV in Springfield as he earned a master’s in public affairs reporting in 2017 from the University of Illinois Springfield. He comes to the new job from Quincy Media’s stations in Peoria, including WEEK-TV.
QMI has stations in Rockford (WREX), Carbondale (WSIL), Peoria (WEEK) and, of course, Quincy (WGEM).
The lack of adequate Statehouse press room office space was actually an issue during the last Legislative Correspondents Association meeting. Imagine that.
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) today announced the 39 school districts that are eligible for the fiscal year 2020 Property Tax Relief Grant – a significant increase in eligible districts over the previous year. The grant, part of the Evidence-Based Funding for Student Success Act, allows eligible school districts to cut local property taxes and replace that revenue with state funds.
Governor JB Pritzker’s FY 2020 budget appropriated $3.65 million more for the grant than in FY 2019. The FY 2020 grant can serve 11 more districts than it did in FY 2019, when 28 school districts received the grant.
The $53,650,000 grant can replace a total of $57,313,122 in local property taxes, once school districts proceed with the abatement. The districts that are eligible for the grant are those that have the highest tax rates within their organization type (elementary, high school, or unit district) out of all those that applied. Eligible districts must submit an abatement resolution to their county clerks by March 30. ISBE will distribute the grant to each eligible district after receiving the Certification of Abatement Form from the county clerk.
Public Act 101-0017 made changes to the program effective this year to expand eligibility to additional districts and to require tax abatement for two consecutive years for the grant amount to become a permanent part of the school district’s Base Funding Minimum going forward.
While important to those individual communities and while it will make a difference, that $53.6 million grant is around 0.2 percent of the total property tax levy of about $30 billion.
The state of Illinois has lost out on an estimated $10.7 million in federal matching dollars during the past four fiscal years as a result of “miscoding errors” that marked American citizens or permanent residents as undocumented in the state’s Covering All Kids health insurance program, according to a new audit.
Auditor General Frank Mautino’s office found the state likely lost out on $2.6 million in federal matching dollars in the 2018 fiscal year because of the persistent and widespread errors within the All Kids program, noting this has been an issue since the first time the program was audited a decade ago. […]
All Kids, which offers universal health care to Illinois children regardless of how much their family earned, was expanded a few years later to include undocumented immigrant children. But Illinois’ Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act moved some citizens and documented immigrants to Medicaid, instead of the expanded All Kids program.
Though the participation rate of undocumented immigrant children in All Kids has dropped precipitously in the past decade — from 54,000 in 2009 to 22,000 in 2018 — the new audit found that number inaccurate. In the 2018 fiscal year, Mautino’s office found more than 4,200 All Kids recipients who had been listed as undocumented, but actually had verified social security numbers or alien registration numbers.
It’s a tiny amount of money in the grand scheme of things, but when the budget is this tight every dollar is important. And these findings date back to 2014. Do better, already.
* Background is here if you need it. This press release was issued on Friday, but I took the day off…
Today, Bloomingdale Township Supervisor Michael D. Hovde, Jr. called on Robert Czernek, Bloomingdale Township Highway Commissioner, to resign after federal agents executed a search warrant on the office of the Bloomingdale Township Highway Department Tuesday.
“After the execution of the federal search warrant of the Bloomingdale Township Highway Department relating to alleged financial improprieties at the Bloomingdale Township Highway Department, the current Highway Commissioner must resign immediately.” said Hovde.
Supervisor Hovde further added “the Bloomingdale Township office was not the subject of the federal search warrant which related solely to alleged conduct within the Bloomingdale Township Highway Department and a handful of its vendors. The Bloomingdale Township Supervisor’s Office is housed at a different facility than the Bloomingdale Township Highway Department.”
I’m told this probe isn’t connected to the wider federal corruption investigation.
January 23, 2020
Honorable Toni Preckwinkle
President, Board of Commissioners of Cook County
118 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60602
Dear President Preckwinkle,
It is with deep regret that I tender my resignation from the Cook County Board of Ethics, effective February 26, 2020. It has been a great honor to serve on the Board since you first appointed me in March 2016.
When I first began my service, I was honored to be in the company of Margaret Daley, Juliet Sorenson and Executive Director Ranjit Hakim. Later, the Board added two additional members of great integrity, Thomas Szromba and Von Matthews. I believe that we were doing an excellent job of enforcing and strengthening the ethics ordinance of Cook County.
Last Tuesday, I was advised that you have elected to terminate the services of Margaret Daley, the Chairman of the Board of Ethics. You did so without so much as even doing Chairman Daley the courtesy of a phone call. I can only surmise that your action was the result of 1) Chairman Daley’s support of Lori Lightfoot in the past mayoral election, 2) the hard line the Board of Ethics has taken with regard to violations of the ethics ordinance by your friend, Joseph Barrios, and/or 3) the latest recommendations of the Board of Ethics to strengthen the existing ethics ordinance, which, among other things, brings it more in line with the serious effort by the City of Chicago to strengthen its own ordinance.
In light of your action, it is clear that you do not welcome a Board of Ethics that is serious about its duties. As such, it would simply be a waste of my time to continue in my role with the board. As of February 26, 2020 you are free to fill my vacancy with someone more likely to do your bidding.
Sincerely,
David Grossman
Member, Cook County Board of Ethics
Party leaders in the General Assembly need to hold themselves — and be held — to a high standard on disclosing outside employment, income and conflicts. That includes the Senate’s minority leader, Republican Bill Brady of Bloomington, who the public learned last year had become a key player in a lucrative video gambling company. The members of his caucus who preen about ethics reform should start with their own leadership. How is it that a high-ranking elected official in Springfield can also be an investor in a state-regulated, multimillion-dollar gambling company?
In the House, Speaker Michael Madigan has never been required to reveal the extent of his law practice, its clients or its income, despite representing high-profile companies seeking property tax reductions. Madigan’s law firm, Madigan & Getzendanner, is among the city’s most clout-heavy firms in winning property tax reductions for its clients. Those reductions mean the county’s overall tax burden gets spread to other property owners. Where are the demands for Madigan to separate from his law practice? Where are the calls for more disclosure? House Democrats who huff and puff about the need for ethics reform in government should start with their own leadership.
The same goes for Republican House leader Jim Durkin, also a lawyer, who doesn’t have to disclose the clients his firm serves. Where are the demands for more transparency?
Any other economic interest or relationship of the person or of members of the person’s immediate family (spouse and minor children residing with the person) which could create a conflict of interest for the person in his or her capacity as a member of the General Assembly
///BREAKING/// Former state Sen. Martin Sandoval charged in federal court with bribery involving his support of the red-light camera industry as head of the Transportation Committee. He was charged in an information, a sign he’s cooperating and will plead guilty. Story to come.
The indictment also says Sandoval filed a false 2017 income tax return, in which he said his income was $125,905, when he "knew that the total income substantially exceeded that amount."
Rumors have been circulating for months now that Sandoval flipped and started cooperating after the FBI raided his Springfield office in September. That would certainly seem to be the case given how these charges were brought.
The feds filed the charges against Sandoval on Monday in a two-page, lightly detailed information, a document that typically signals a defendant’s intention to plead guilty. His attorney, Dylan Smith, declined to comment.
No court hearings have been scheduled in Sandoval’s case.
The bribery count against Sandoval alleges that, between 2016 and September 2019, he “corruptly solicited, demanded, agreed to accept and accepted” money for “continued support for the operation of red-light cameras in the State of Illinois, including opposing legislation adverse to the interests of the red-light camera industry.”
Sandoval is also accused of filing a 2017 income tax return that said his total income was $125,905, when he “knew that the total income substantially exceeded that amount.”
…Adding… Arraignment tomorrow…
Allegedly corrupt Illinois state senator is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday at 11 am https://t.co/iEgeSN7xhz
* The Tribune has a well-written and pretty thorough session preview…
Illinois lawmakers return to Springfield on Tuesday for a spring session that will be a test of whether Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Democratic-led General Assembly can address issues at the root of the state’s long-running problems with fiscal instability and political corruption.
Remedies for the state’s notoriously high property taxes, soaring public pension debt and weak government ethics laws top the agenda for lawmakers and the second-year governor. All figure to be especially tough tasks in an election year and under the cloud of an ongoing federal corruption probe. Pritzker isn’t on the ballot, but voters in November will decide the fate of his signature initiative: a constitutional amendment that would shift the state to a graduated-rate income tax.
Further complicating the political dynamics are Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s continued push for help from Springfield on a Chicago casino, a new Democratic leader in the state Senate and the ongoing federal probe that has reached into House Speaker Michael Madigan’s inner circle.
Pritzker said in an interview with the Tribune earlier this month that passing a balanced budget is his top priority. He also said he needs to balance his “impatience” to get things done with “a desire to bring everybody along on this journey to fixing the challenges the state faces.”
* The Question: What should be the governor’s State of the State “theme”?
* The company continues to impress. From Bloomberg…
Rivian Automotive Inc., the electric-truck startup backed by Amazon.com Inc. and Ford Motor Co., will provide the “skateboard” platform for a premium, high-performance electric Ford vehicle, its top executive said.
“In Ford’s case, we provide the platform.” Rivian Chief Executive Officer R. J. Scaringe said in an interview on Saturday. “They will provide the top hat, the body and the interior.”
The “skateboard” is the entire platform, including the motor, battery pack, computer systems and wheels. The design is modular and allows for different vehicle body types to be added on top. Rivian is seeking partnerships to scale and grow beyond its own consumer electric vehicle offering.
Ford invested in Rivian in April and announced its intention to build a vehicle using Rivian’s technology. Scaringe declined to comment on the vehicle class or design, and didn’t confirm which party would assemble the final Ford vehicle or give a date for its release.
Rivian has invested $29.4 million in its future Normal production facility in recent weeks as work progresses inside and outside the former Mitsubishi Motors North America plant to reconfigure for electric vehicle manufacturing later this year.
“2020 is going to be a significant year for Rivian, not only for construction of the vehicle but for the facility as well,” Zach Dietmeier, Rivian plant communications manager, told The Pantagraph.
Among building permits issued in recent weeks for Rivian, 100 N. Rivian Motorway, has been $11.3 million to Lesco Design and Manufacturing Inc., LaGrange, Ky., for construction of a conveyance line for final assembly of the vehicle.
“It’ll be done, hopefully, within the next month of so,” Dietmeier said.
Rivian’s first vehicles are getting a price cut of sorts months before they even roll off the line. Company founder RJ Scaringe told Reuters in a chat that the electric R1T truck and its R1S SUV counterpart would cost less than originally announced. He didn’t provide full pricing, but he indicated that a mid-range R1T with 300 miles of range and an electrochromic glass roof would sell for $69,000, while a comparable R1S would sell for $72,000. The automaker had pegged the starting prices for the R1T and R1S at $61,500 and $65,000 respectively.
It’s not certain what prompted the lower prices, though it might just be a matter of economies of scale. Scaringe told Engadget in 2018 that the initial production would focus on “thousands of units” and ramp up. Rivian has racked up “such a long queue” since then, according to Scaringe. If the company is better-prepared for production, it could meet that demand (and thus reach profitability) that much sooner.
Illinois became one of the first states in the U.S. to limit the out-of-pocket price of insulin when Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a measure on Friday that caps the cost of medication people with diabetes rely on.
Sen. Andy Manar, the downstate Democrat who sponsored the bill that caps the out-of-pocket cost for insulin at $100 for a 30-day supply regardless of how much is needed to fill a patient’s prescription, called it the “biggest step that we can take under Illinois law.” The law takes effect Jan. 1. […]
Illinois’ price cap applies to state-regulated commercial insurance plans but does not touch federally regulated plans. In his push for the state insulin cap, Manar has advocated for similar action at the federal level.
“We should take this and we should celebrate this victory when the governor signs this bill,” Manar said. “And then we should keep going, because we have so much more to do when it comes to the affordability of prescription drugs.”
With the signing of SB 667, Illinois became only the third state to cap out-of-pocket insulin prices. The law applies to people who are covered by health plans subject to state regulation. That includes most kinds of private insurance, the state Medicaid plan and the state employees’ health plan.
It does not, however, apply to self-insured plans, which many large companies with thousands of employees offer. Those plans are regulated under federal law.
The law also does not limit what prices insulin manufacturers are allowed to charge for the medication. It controls only how much of an out-of-pocket cost insurers can require patients to pay, essentially shifting a greater share of the cost onto insurance companies.
“I think one thing that we’ve all recognized in this process is there are an awful lot of middlemen that have caused a spike in the price and they need to work out among themselves how they’re going to deal with that change,” Pritzker said.
At the bill signing, state Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, said the actual number of Illinoisans with diabetes who will be benefit wasn’t known.
“That’s an open number,” Manar said. “So, I would describe it as this bill, now the law, is the biggest step we can take under Illinois law. Self-insurance programs are insurance programs that are not covered. Those are federally regulated.”
State Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Springfield, previously estimated Illinois regulations on insurance only affect 20 percent of the industry.
“So when you see a story that says ‘this kind of coverage is now required, the insurance to cover X, Y and Z in Illinois’ or there’s a restriction placed on something, that only applies to plans that are licensed and regulated by the [Illinois] Department of Insurance,” Demmer said.
Mackey: Clean energy legislation has been tied to demands from the electric utility ComEd and parent company Exelon. Given the federal investigation, is that green energy initiative dead on account of that, or should it be handled separately?
Pritzker: Oh, it is very much alive. Getting Illinois to comply, to move forward in our desire to bring more clean energy, to bring more renewable energy to our state — that’s something that I believe very strongly, and we’re going to be working on during this spring session.
We also have other major utilities that we need to consider. As you know, we produce a lot of nuclear power in the state. We produce a lot of other power, and all of that needs to be taken into consideration as we look to create a more environmentally friendly energy production, and as we try to lower costs for people across the state, and continue to be one of the most attractive states in terms of energy prices. […]
Mackey: When you say nuclear energy, that means Exelon and that means the potential of federal investigators listening in on phone calls. Do you feel confident you can negotiate on that topic with that company?
Pritzker: Well what I know is that you can’t do energy legislation that’s all-encompassing for the state without considering nuclear energy and other forms of production of energy. So we’ve got to consider all of that in the negotiations. And who represents them or that interest is yet to be seen, but important to me that they clean up their act and that if — whatever it is that the federal government discovers — that they act quickly so that we can move forward, because we’ve got to address the energy needs of our state and we’ve got to move toward cleaner energy.
That makes newly elected Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, key to whatever happens. Harmon says in an interview that Pritzker’s comments have changed the dynamic in Springfield, making energy legislation at least possible, unlike in the fall when the ComEd-related controversy was raging. “I’m pleased with the governor’s renewed interest,” Harmon says.
But Harmon acknowledges the task will be difficult, given disagreements between many renewable-energy developers and the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, the consumer and environmental groups backing the proposed Clean Energy Jobs Act, about how best to incentivize more wind and solar projects in Illinois.
“I have long been a supporter of renewables,” he says. “I support the aims of CEJA. We have to reconcile the ingredients of several of these bills.”
He emphasizes that renewable developers need to be confident they can finance their projects, signaling that they will have a stronger-than-usual say in whether something comprehensive can pass in the spring. Instead of CEJA, those developers have pushed for the Path to 100 bill that would boost the monthly ratepayer charge to support more renewable projects in Illinois.
Asked about Exelon, Harmon says the traditionally clout-heavy company’s loss of influence may help. “I have long wanted a truly level playing field in comprehensive energy legislation.”
Emphasis added because the renewable energy producers have been essentially shut out of the CEJA machinations. With ComEd and Exelon politically weakened by the federal probe and Harmon’s ascension to the senate presidency and a governor who has railed against the companies in the recent past, Path to 100 has a much better shot this year.
* From a Path to 100 press release…
An analysis of Illinois Power Agency data shows that wind and solar projects contracted in Illinois between 2017 and 2019 will create nearly $5 billion of private investment as well as more than 14,500 new direct and indirect jobs by the end of 2020. But the industry will lose jobs after 2020 due to a funding cliff in the state’s renewable energy policy.
Data from the Illinois Power Agency (IPA) shows that more than 7,000 small-scale and community solar projects totaling 490 MW are already online or in development across the state (view map of solar projects and businesses here). In addition, the IPA has contracted for renewable energy credits from utility-scale wind and solar projects that are expected to drive the construction of more than 2,500 MW of new large-scale installations by 2021. Illinois uses renewable energy credits to fulfill its statutory requirement of 25% renewable energy by 2025. The current contracts will only allow the state to reach roughly 7% renewable energy by the end of 2020.
The boom in jobs and investment, driven by the IPA’s renewable energy procurements in 2018 and 2019, will support new project construction through 2020. But funding limits in the state’s policy mean the current boom will be followed by a bust. The IPA will not procure energy in 2020 for new commercial solar, community solar or utility-scale wind and solar projects. IPA’s renewable energy procurement plan predicts the impending bust on its first page: “absent legislative changes, RPS budget limitations will constrain the ability of the Agency to conduct additional procurements or expand program capacity…”
Renewable energy and labor groups are advocating during Illinois’ spring legislative session for the passage of the Path to 100 Act, which would expand Illinois’ clean energy programs and prevent a boom-and-bust cycle.
* Meanwhile, some Republicans are turning the cannons around on their fellow comrades…
I’m leading the fight against AOC's IL Green New Deal (HB 3624). This dangerous bill would kill jobs and hurt Illinois working families! Do you agree that we need to defeat AOC’s IL Green New Deal? #saynotosocialismhttps://t.co/bnbY7QS9sA
Downstate lawmaker State Rep. Blaine Wilhour was not happy with Wehrli’s move.
“Fantasy land policies like this are devastating to working class jobs. CEJA is a notch on a far left political agenda and nothing but a feel good political talking point,” he said.
“If we want to stop being minority party in Illinois we have to become leaders and we must present real ideas. Adopting far left ideas into our rhetoric is and will continue to be a losing strategy for the American worker,” Wilhour said. […]
“It is bad for workers, it is bad for consumers, it is bad for job creation and it is not even realistic,” Wilhour said. “It disappoints me that some are willing to sacrifice working class jobs to advance a far left political agenda. There are ways to move toward clean energy without fleecing consumers and forcing workers (mostly in my district and my part of the state) out of head of household jobs. We need common sense leadership not Democrat talking points.”
Give new Illinois Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) some credit. He’s made a few very solid moves since Jan. 18, when he was elected to his chamber’s top job.
Harmon won a majority vote of his caucus before the full Senate voted. He had at least some support from just about every Democratic faction. Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford (D-Maywood) is an African-American, but Harmon received several votes from people of color. Downstaters voted for both candidates, as did women. A majority of the “X Caucus,” a loose confederation of more conservative members, went with Harmon, but at least four voted for Lightford. Suburbanites were split and so were Chicagoans.
With the factions all over the place, putting a deal together wasn’t easy. But after several tense and sometimes contentious hours, Harmon emerged victorious.
Hard feelings remain. Some senators apparently just up and lied to Lightford about whom they were supporting. But Lightford will remain majority leader, and her supporters in Senate Democratic leadership were protected. Harmon made peace and he has time to work things out before he has to run again in less than a year.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has denied it, but people close to him were indeed working hard on Lightford’s behalf. The two men have known each other for over two decades, but Harmon endorsed then-Sen. Daniel Biss in the 2018 gubernatorial primary over Pritzker, and things kinda soured after that. The two are ideologically very close, however, so they should be able to work things out, but I’d bet the Senate’s appointment confirmation process, among other things, might get just a wee bit tighter in the near term.
The night he was elected, Harmon sat down with his entire staff. Employees had been fretting about their futures ever since John Cullerton unexpectedly announced in November that he would be resigning soon.
Staff members are people, too, after all. Many have families to support, mortgages and tuition to pay, plus the all-important health insurance. They’d been walking on eggshells ever since Cullerton’s announcement, wondering what their future holds.
Harmon, according to spokesperson John Patterson, told the all-staff meeting “he looks forward to working with everyone and was counting on staff to help him during this transition and heading into what we expect will be another successful and productive session.”
The highly unusual mid-term resignation of a sitting Senate president plopped Harmon into uncharted waters just a week before the General Assembly was scheduled to return from its long winter break. Replacing key staff members in mid-stream would’ve been difficult and perhaps even risky. He needs to get up to speed right away, and he couldn’t do that if he brought in new folks to run the day-to-day operation.
Harmon will eventually have to decide what he wants his staff to look like. But it was a smart, grown-up move to stick with the status quo for a while. The staff Harmon inherited is efficient and capable. There was simply no pressing need to make any major immediate changes.
In some ways, Harmon is old school. He runs one of the few truly active Democratic township organizations in Cook County, and he has indulged in the tradition of working at a powerful law firm while serving. But he’s also the first ever member of “Generation X” to lead a legislative caucus and preside over a chamber here. He loves playing guitar and he attracted the votes of the younger members in his caucus.
Harmon strongly signaled that we’ve entered a new era during an appearance later in the week on Chicago Public Television’s “Chicago Tonight” program.
Harmon has worked at a politically connected Chicago law firm for the past 15 years. He has done bond work for municipalities, and his firm has represented several state agencies. He has said he was as diligent as possible to avoid conflicts of interest, but now that Harmon has the chamber’s top job, it was a sure bet that questions would at least be raised.
So Harmon told Amanda Vinicky during the WTTW interview that he plans to step down from the firm. He’ll avoid any conflicts and he can devote himself full-time to his new role.
This almost never happens in Illinois government. Just the opposite, in fact. When people move to the top of the legislative food chain, they generally ramp up their, um, marketability.
He’s making the right moves so far. We’ll see how he does in the future.
Here are the top-line totals. They come from a survey of 500 likely Democratic voters conducted Jan. 7-9 by Expedition Strategies, a Virginia-based firm that tends to do a lot of polling in areas with an abundance of working-class voters and whose clients include U.S. Sens. Chris Coons of Delaware, Tim Kaine of Virginia and Ron Wyden of Oregon, as well as the House Majority PAC, a Democratic super-PAC. The poll has an error margin of plus or minus 4.38 percent.
Asked who they would vote for if the election were held today, 47 percent backed Lipinski to 25 percent for progressive opponent Newman and 2 and 1 percent each, respectively, for two little-known contenders, Rush Darwish and Charles Hughes. A hefty 26 percent said they didn’t know who they’d support. More on that in a minute.
With “leaners” included—those who, after a bit of a push, say they’re leaning toward a candidate but have not totally decided—Lipinski’s figure rises to 50 percent and Newman’s to 27 percent, with Darwish and Hughes unchanged. But 20 percent still are undecided.
Given that this is the second cycle in which Newman has challenged Lipinski, and given that “undecideds” often break in the end against the incumbent, this race still may be tighter than it might appear. At the same time, a 22-point margin ain’t shabby.
If this poll is accurate and Darwish can get some traction with his early spending, Lipinski might be in the clear. But Darwish’s introductory TV ad was not exactly great, so we’ll see.
Last week, Presiding Judge Tom Difanis appointed the Office of the State’s Attorney Appellate Prosecutor to review Urbana police reports generated about a Jan. 7 incident in which [Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana] allegedly took a Coach purse from the Carle Auxiliary Resale Boutique, 810 W. University Ave., U.
Ammons did not return calls seeking comment, but her husband, Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons, told The News-Gazette on Friday: “This is a non-story and a basic misunderstanding, and that’s all you’re going to get from me.” […]
Capt. Jason Henderson of the Illinois State Police Zone 5 office in Champaign said his office forwarded reports on an investigation done at the request of Urbana police — he declined to say what they investigated — to the appellate prosecutor on Jan. 17.
“They are reviewing a case we investigated for the possibility of prosecution,” said Henderson, adding it “would be inappropriate for us to release any information when it’s in their hands.”
The item, said to be a Coach purse, was worth an estimated $80, according to sources who were present. Those sources also say that wads of paper used to fill purses for display purposes were laying on a floor in a dressing room; the tag from the purse was also found on the floor.
Ammons’ legislative aide, Jenna Sickenius, emailed a statement on behalf of Ammons, calling the incident “a non-story about a simple misunderstanding.” […]
Sources familiar with the incident say investigators are reviewing surveillance footage from inside the store. “Security investigated a report of retail theft from the Carle Auxiliary Retail Boutique captured on video and following protocol, notified Urbana Police,” a spokesperson for Carle Foundation Hospital said in an email. “We will continue to cooperate with law enforcement on its investigation.”
…Adding… Maxwell…
Rep. Carol Ammons was a no-show at a public event to celebrate a bill she passed through the House. https://t.co/3zLFbnea42
In 2007, Springfield’s gleaming new shrine to Abraham Lincoln was open, but it lacked touchstone pieces to show off, so organizers paid $6.5 million for the most symbolic Lincoln artifact available: one of the 16th president’s stovepipe hats.
A dozen years and as many studies and hand-wringing public statements later, there’s no concrete evidence that the felted beaver-fur hat ever sat atop Lincoln’s 6-foot-4 frame.
Has anyone requested a refund?
No, and it doesn’t appear anyone will soon. The foundation that bought the hat as part of a 1,500-piece, $23 million deal with California collector Louise Taper is not considering action, vice chairman Nick Kalm said. It’s supporting further research directed last week by Ray LaHood, chairman of the newly organized trustees of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. […]
He would not comment on the prospect of renegotiating with Taper, whom The Associated Press was unsuccessful in contacting for comment. Legal experts all but rule out successful court action, and while there’s the possibility of appealing to the seller through moral suasion, few are of a mind to do it.
Another option would be to use the hat to educate the public about blunders like this. Hey, if it drives traffic, go for it. We’re apparently stuck with the thing, so use this lemon to make lemonade.
The luxury helicopter that crashed Sunday morning in California, killing all nine people on board including former NBA star Kobe Bryant, was once owned by the state of Illinois.
The Sikorsky S-76B helicopter was built in 1991, according to the Federal Aviation Administration’s aircraft registry. The state of Illinois used it from 2007 to 2015, according to helicopter information database Helis.
Under the direction of former Gov. Bruce Rauner, the state sold the helicopter along with four other surplus aircraft in 2015 for $2.5 million. Rauner said selling the aircraft “also avoided an additional $1 million in inspections and repairs,” according to an Associated Press story after the sales.
The winning bid for the helicopter was $515,161, placed by user “Jimbagge1,” according to a listing on the state’s online auction website, iBid. Both the aircraft and its two engines had just under 4,000 hours of airframe time when the copter was sold.
The helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant and eight others that crashed into a rugged hillside outside Los Angeles was flying in foggy conditions considered dangerous enough that local police agencies grounded their choppers. […]
Kurt Deetz, a pilot who used to fly Bryant in the chopper, said the crash was more likely caused by bad weather than engine or mechanical issues.
“The likelihood of a catastrophic twin engine failure on that aircraft — it just doesn’t happen,” he told the Los Angeles Times.
An employee at the Illinois Gaming Board “acted alone and outside the scope” of their duties when they “improperly accessed confidential information on IGB licensees and applicants and disclosed this information without authorization or justification to three federal government entities,” according to a letter obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
It remains unclear exactly which federal agencies obtained the sensitive information about gambling interests or applicants, but the leak occurred during an ongoing FBI criminal corruption investigation into state legislators, bribery, and sweepstakes operators. […]
The letter states that Gaming Board staff “also contacted the recipients of these records to inform them of the records’ confidentiality, and to request the records be destroyed, returned to the IGB, or sequestered to prevent further unauthorized disclosure.”
