Latest Post | Last 10 Posts | Archives
Previous Post: You can’t change anything if you don’t win
Next Post: Cook County to have more annuitants than employees in two years, or less
Posted in:
* From a group with alleged ties to the Illinois Policy Institute…
Today, Project Six released a two-part investigation showing how Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office stepped in to allow Alderman Marty Quinn (13th Ward) to illegally spend money from his aldermanic expense account. The investigation also shows how Quinn and Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan have advertised equipment purchased with city tax dollars as available for use outside of the ward and even city limits and then used city-owned equipment for political advertisements.
The first part of the investigation reveals how Emanuel’s office overrode the city’s rejection of a $25,000 expense request from Quinn to illegally purchase an industrial motor vehicle that violates the city’s aldermanic expense code.
In 2015, Quinn purchased an industrial multipurpose vehicle (Polaris brand Brutus HD PTO Deluxe) and submitted the expense to the city for payment out of his aldermanic expense account. A Brutus vehicle violates the city’s code that prohibits aldermen from purchasing any kind of motor vehicle with their expense accounts. The Chicago Department of Finance initially rejected the expense request for violating the city’s Municipal Code, but—despite having no official role in the voucher process—the Mayor’s Office overrode the city’s rejection, approved the voucher and allowed it to be paid.
The second part of the investigation shows how Quinn purchased a piece of equipment with city tax dollars and, along with Madigan, advertised it for use outside of Quinn’s ward and even outside of city limits and put political signs on the city-owned piece of equipment.
In 2013, Quinn’s office purchased a $52,513 graffiti blaster with his aldermanic expense account. Quinn and Madigan, who share a service office, then advertised it for constituent use in Madigan’s district, which goes outside of Quinn’s ward and even outside of the city limits of Chicago. Quinn and Madigan also put a political sign on the city-owned equipment, which is prohibited by law.
The investigation from Project Six, titled “How Alderman Marty Quinn is abusing his taxpayer-funded aldermanic expense account,” shows the questionable spending of Quinn’s expense account and the roles of the offices of Emanuel and Madigan in the abuses.
“What is troubling about this investigation is not just the illegal spending of tax dollars by the alderman, but the blatant disregard for the law by the Mayor’s Office and the cavalier regard for ethics rules by both Alderman Quinn and Speaker Madigan,” said Faisal Khan, CEO of Project Six. “When the law says an alderman cannot buy a vehicle with taxpayer dollars or put political signs on city property—regardless of their intent—they are required to follow the law. No one, including the mayor or his staff, has veto power over Chicago’s Municipal Code. Chicagoans frustratedly understand government waste and mismanagement, but illegal actions compounded with collaboration by high-ranking political officials is unacceptable. This case shows how far Chicago is from truthful and corruption-free governance.”
The full investigation, with both parts including legal analysis of Chicago’s Municipal Code and evidence showing the expense forms and illegal use, is available here: http://bit.ly/2zCt2zt
* Sun-Times…
But the alderman did not deny any of Khan’s findings. In fact, he defended the spending as a service to his constituents.
“Did I purchase a graffiti blaster when I first started, when it was taking upwards of three weeks to remove graffiti in the 13th Ward, to remove graffiti the same day? Yes — as a way to give that money back to my constituents,” said Quinn, who moonlights as a political consultant for Madigan.
“Did I buy a piece of machinery that has the ability to snowplow sidewalks for 400 of my senior citizens? Yes, I did. … Is that a good use of taxpayer dollars? Yes, it is. I’ve utilized taxpayer dollars to deal with constituent requests.”
Quinn did not respond directly when asked about Khan’s allegation that he used city equipment in a district that was not confined to his ward and that he and Madigan put their names on the equipment in, what amounted to “political advertising.”
“Bruce Rauner. Illinois Policy Institute. Enough said,” the alderman said.
“Utilizing taxpayer dollars to remove graffiti, utilizing taxpayer dollars to remove snow for seniors. Utilizing taxpayer dollars to do extra garbage carts? Yeah. That’s a real good use of taxpayer dollars. Everything else is politics.”
I’m surprised they didn’t mention the towable tree-trimming machine.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 12:38 pm
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
Previous Post: You can’t change anything if you don’t win
Next Post: Cook County to have more annuitants than employees in two years, or less
WordPress Mobile Edition available at alexking.org.
powered by WordPress.
When you are reaching this far to find questionable spending and collusion, it smacks of desperation. This far away from an election and they are already trolling? Seems a little early for this type of misinformation.
Comment by Retired Educator Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 12:45 pm
Maybe the rules need to be changed to allow this. Seems like good old fashioned constituent service. Municipalities lend equipment to each other routinely. As long as no one is making money off of this, who cares.
Comment by What's in a name? Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 12:49 pm
Definitely worth looking into, but seems small potatoes. It wasn’t for direct personal use, which would have been worse. Not sure how funding for the expense account works; I assume it’s one big pool of money, meaning that citizens in other districts helped buy his district the equipment? That angle would probably get people angrier than not following the rules for purchasing or the advertising.
Comment by Perrid Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 12:50 pm
This is one of the lamest hit jobs ever from the IPI family, and that’s saying something.
Trying to get people angry about their alderman and state rep cleaning up graffiti and plowing old ladies’s sidewalks? Good luck to IPI and Project Six.
Comment by Reality Check Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 12:50 pm
Also, it is ridiculous for IPI/Project Six to complain that the alderman and state rep share the vehicle. It’s a real-world example of efficiency, the exact principle behind IPI’s endless yowling about the need to consolidate units of government.
Comment by Reality Check Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 12:52 pm
IPI should just change it’s name to It’s Personal, Illinois. Since their entire purpose is to make scandalous claims, regardless if they are valid or not.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 12:52 pm
You’ll have this kind of nonsense as long as you have a ridiculously large city council and the Faustian bargain between mayors and aldermen in which the City Council cedes their powers to mayors to run the big show as long as aldermen are allowed baronial powers in their wards.
Believe it or not, Chicago is a Strong Council/Weak Mayor form of government. You can look it up.
I hear this is the seventh investigation prepared by Project Six. Preparations A-G didn’t pan out. On the hole, I’d say Preparation H feels pretty good.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 12:55 pm
=I hear this is the seventh investigation prepared by Project Six. Preparations A-G didn’t pan out. On the hole, I’d say Preparation H feels pretty good.=
‘Slinger,
How long have you been sitting on that one?
Comment by Just Visiting Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 1:00 pm
Of all the ludicrous complaints, an investigation lambasting units of government from working together has to be the most ridiculous ever.
When Quinn bought a graffiti-blaster because the wait time was three weeks, every other ward in the city benefitted from a shortened wait time.
Are taxpayers supposed to be outraged by all of this?
I think they are gonna be jealous.
“Why doesn’t my alderman plow my sidewalk?”
Comment by Juvenal Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 1:11 pm
Only in Illinois does an Alderman break the municipal code, admit to it, and have people defend him. This is what happens when Madigoons win (or are installed into) elected office.
Comment by Only in Illinois Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 1:14 pm
You can plow a lot of snow for $25,000. He seems to have purchased the vehicle for one specific senior citizen residency. Maybe hire an independent contractor to plow snow at select locations as needed?
Comment by Stooges Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 1:18 pm
I bet the wa d office had snow free sidewalks
Comment by DuPage Saint Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 1:27 pm
How lame. Every Alderman should put their expense accounts to such good use. Servicing constituents is what all good public servants should be doing.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 1:27 pm
It should have a City emblem on it and that is it. And every person in his ward should get the same service. Rules are made for a reason, if you don’t like them you get them changed you just don’t break them.
Comment by Stand Tall Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 2:09 pm
I’ve heard that the IPI have foia’d toilet paper usage in the 13th Ward District office. They have determined that Speaker Madigan is using to much tax payer funded toilet paper. They will be asking the City Inspector General to observe all bathroom activities.
Comment by Three squares Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 2:21 pm
Word around Chicago media is the dark money lobby group Project Six has been peddling this story for four months — no takers.
Probably wind best use of ward office funds.
Comment by Annonin' Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 2:37 pm
Three squares, I’ve also heard Madigan uses wasteful two-ply Charmin’ instead of cost-effective single-ply and folding over like I’m sure is required by the bathroom monitors at the IPI.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 3:04 pm
==Word around Chicago media is the dark money lobby group Project Six has been peddling this story for four months — no takers.==
If that’s true, then why did the Sun Times immediately follow up with a me-too version that restates all the salient facts?
Comment by Just Wondering Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 3:06 pm
===a me-too version that restates all the salient facts?===
Um, because they got the press release in the morning and then reached out to Ald. Quinn for his response? I think you’re a little unclear on the concept of news.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 3:07 pm
This is a pretty petty attack by IPI
Comment by Boone's is Back Wednesday, Nov 15, 17 @ 3:52 pm