* The Tribune takes a look at Healthcare Consortium of Illinois, which is based in Thornton Township, a major Democratic area…

Healthcare Consortium, in documents it sent state auditors, accused three of eight other nonprofits of misspending some of that [$1.2 million in state cash], and state auditors in turn questioned $125,000 that Healthcare Consortium itself spent to administer the program.

None of that counts several questionable expenses found by the Tribune. Those range from payments linked to a Dolton cop who records indicate accepted grant money to mentor kids at the time he was assigned to patrol the town, to a nonprofit’s executives buying scores of self-help management books, including one identifying “perfect phrases” for saying a program was successful.

The details are brutal. Make sure to go read the whole thing.

* The Rauner campaign and the state GOP are highlighting one aspect of the story, however. From a state party press release…

Former NRI Grant Adviser: “It was to drive, to get the vote out”

Bishop Lance Davis, Former Advisory Board Member to NRI Grant Distributor, Tells Chicago Tribune: “I believe, after the timing of it all, that absolutely, that it was to drive, to get the vote out.” (Chicago Tribune, 7/15/14)

Davis: “I don’t know what [NRI] was designed to do, myself. I thought it was to get kids, to change their mindset and their behavior, and to get them off of the street, and to set them onto something other than jail or nefarious activities, but I had no idea it was something that was more, you know — I won’t say sinister — but it’s certainly political.” (Chicago Tribune, 7/15/14)

* Bishop Davis cut a radio ad last year opposing the gay marriage bill and helped lead the opposition…

“We want to make sure that we a send a message to our elected officials that as a collective community and a collaborative, we will not allow you to speak in our churches, you will not be invited to our church when you’re running for office because we as a community are incensed,” said Bishop Lance Davis, senior pastor at a church in Dolton, who’s part of the group.

Quinn signed the gay marriage bill, so he’s obviously not welcome in Davis’ church.

* Davis also has ties to FreedomWorks, a very conservative national organization. From a report filed last month…

Despite the fact that the vast majority of black voters are Democrats and support President Obama, there’s a growing anti-establishment, anti-Democrat and anti-Obama trend that’s percolating in the black community.

Black urban communities, such as Chicago, are plagued with high unemployment, failing public schools, and crime. Since liberal policies have failed to help the black community, some blacks are questioning the political establishment and are seeking fresh alternatives to reverse the downward social and economic spiral.

Recognizing the growing dissatisfaction with politics as usual Empower.org, a FreedomWorks outreach program dedicated to help black Americans achieve their personal potential through education, financial literacy, and developing marketable skills, planned an event in Chicago.

On Father’s Day weekend, FreedomWorks and the community of The New Zion Covenant Church on the South Side of Chicago hosted the first Empower.org town hall for a candid discussion about the problems plaguing the community and new ways to empower the local citizens towards real progress.

At the event, I had the pleasure of moderating the panel of black leaders: FreedomWorks Senior Fellow and former NAACP chapter president, Rev. CL Bryant; Senior Pastor at New Zion Covenant Church, Bishop Lance Davis; Congressional Candidate in IL-02, Dr. Eric Wallace; Director of African American Male Resource Center at Chicago State University, Kwesi Ronald E. Harris, and Professor David Johnson.