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* I told subscribers about this development early this morning in more detail. Here’s Politico…
[The Democratic Party of Illinois] logged an astonishingly low $5,000 in the second quarter amid uncertainty about party Chair Robin Kelly’s ability to raise soft money — funds for state and local candidates — as someone who holds federal office. The quarterly numbers were revealed the same day the Federal Election Commission issued an opinion saying Kelly can’t be involved in raising or spending soft money.
A committee will be created to oversee that non-federal fundraising. We don’t know who will be on the panel but a source close to House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch says he won’t be on it. This all adds to the concern about how the party will learn to raise big money after former House Speaker Michael Madigan pulled the strings on the fundraising juggernaut for so long.
It’s still too early to know if Senate President Don Harmon will join the committee. Or will the party hope to rely on the largess of Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a billionaire who famously funded his own campaign and that of others in 2018?
I’m about a thousand percent sure there’s no way the party is even thinking about relying on the governor’s personal stash at the moment. Things ain’t great between the two camps, to say the least.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jul 16, 21 @ 10:24 am
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Why would Welch?
It’s a farce. It’s an embarrassing thought to spite and petty power.
Plus, if you’re, say, a union, why face FEC scrutiny for donating to Phillip Green’s Tangiers. Donate direct to the HDems, SDems… maybe a race here, a committee there…
Pritzker’s re-creation (which was impressive the first time) of his *own* statewide apparatus, why, outside the sniping and pettiness that *is* Durbin in this power play, would Pritzker even entertain a single whimsical thought to help the DPI? With $30+ million already parked, no way does Pritzker participate in this embarrassing farce.
Welch is quite smart walking away. It does nothing good in helping an honorary chairman whose elevation was… as it was told to me yesterday… “to block MJM (who’s MI..A), Cullerton (who’s a lobbyist now?) and Pritzker”
Nose… face… cutting.
Labor must be breathing easy too. No need to feel pressure from Welch, except from Welch to help HDems.
DPI… have at it… you “won”
What you won… remains to be seen.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jul 16, 21 @ 10:38 am
Rep. Kelly, while a federal officeholder, should simply resign as DPI ‘head’ due to the inability and uncertainty to raise state funds or basically ineffective to execute her duties.
Alderman Harris should take over for the good of the party.
Comment by Pizza Man Friday, Jul 16, 21 @ 10:56 am
I have a lot of respect and affection for Senator Durbin, but this was a bad move. Running a state party that has enough complications and headaches for compliance, adding the problems of a federal office holder to the mix never made sense to me.
Comment by Anonish Friday, Jul 16, 21 @ 11:03 am
Durbin & his lackey Houlihan have messed this up. But, the Gov is not of clean hands on this either. If you are a billionaire Governor and the big honcho of the party, it is pathetic politics when you can’t elect your person Chair of the party..
Comment by Wow Friday, Jul 16, 21 @ 11:28 am
=== If you are a billionaire Governor and the big honcho of the party, it is pathetic politics when you can’t elect your person Chair of the party..===
Meh.
It’s easier now. His own shop, $30+ million, building his own apparatus, no worry to “making a committee happy”… Durbin did Pritzker a favor in the end, ironically, and Durbin has a ridiculous apparatus headed by.. a figurehead, honorary chair.
No headaches for the governor, and frankly, if that crew didn’t want Pritzker or a Pritzker person, “have at it, good luck”
Durbin embarrassing Kelly is probably one of the bigger shames of this all.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jul 16, 21 @ 11:33 am
When the Feds take over DPI, (federal officeholders) you lay low
Comment by Rabid Friday, Jul 16, 21 @ 11:56 am
==Durbin embarrassing Kelly is probably one of the bigger shames of this all.==
Agreed. But Rep. Kelly is smart and an adult. She did not have to go along with this farce and has had plenty of opportunities to walk away with her reputation mostly intact. That she has not done so is baffling.
Comment by Responsa Friday, Jul 16, 21 @ 12:38 pm