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* Democratic Governors Association…
Despite his promises to “bring honest and good government back to Illinois,” Richard Irvin has been exposed as a hypocrite yet again by a new WTTW report that shows Irvin used his mayoral office to line his campaign coffers.
After reporting on Monday that an Aurora company that donated to Irvin’s mayoral campaign received millions in city contracts, a new follow-up story from WTTW shows developers that donated to Irvin’s campaign received tens of millions in city incentives.
“Aurora taxpayers are on the hook for tens of millions in tax incentives to two other development companies that have donated thousands to Irvin and political funds connected to him,” a WTTW News review of public records found.
As they have on almost every key issue throughout the race, Irvin’s team dodged questions about the projects and campaign donations. But his GOP opponents got some jabs in over the pay-to-play scandal.
“Career Democrat Richard Irvin’s pay to play approach as Mayor of Aurora is one of the many red flags surrounding his campaign,” said Darren Bailey.
Jesse Sullivan said Illinoisans are “sick and tired of career politicians on both sides of the aisle who use public office to benefit themselves and their friends.” And Gary Rabine said that Irvin “turns out to be more like Mike Madigan than the reformer this state badly needs.”
The DGA favorably quoting Republicans. Hilarious.
* Let’s back up to last July…
Aurora should add more than $350 million in assessed value from projects currently outstanding – more than 10 times what the city has spent in incentives for them.
That was the word from outgoing Finance Director Martin Lyons during the July 20 City Council Committee of the Whole meeting.
Lyons, who has retired but has been working part-time as the city’s chief management officer, said the city has spent about a total of $34 million in incentives for a number of development or redevelopment projects.
That’s a pretty darned good return on the city’s investment. Plus, these are all union projects.
Also, all of those incentives that “Aurora taxpayers are on the hook for” were approved by the city council. The Hobbs Building project mentioned in the story, for instance, passed the council on a unanimous vote as did the Windfall development.
* To the story…
This February, Aurora’s City Council struck an agreement with Windfall to redevelop a three-acre, city-owned parking lot into 160 apartment and townhouse units on the west bank of the Fox River just north of downtown. […]
“I think they’re doing the right thing,” [Naperville-based developer Eddie Ni] told WTTW News. “If you don’t have the right incentives, nobody would do business here.”
The Chicago Sun-Times previously reported Ni is the developer referenced in a sweeping indictment of former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan. Ni and Windfall reportedly agreed to hire Mike Madigan’s property tax law firm in exchange for Madigan pushing legislation to transfer a parcel of state-owned land in Chinatown that Ni wanted to develop. The Sun-Times reported that Irvin’s current running mate for lieutenant governor, state Rep. Avery Bourne, amended legislation to include the transfer of land, but the deal never happened.
Public campaign records show that since 2018, Irvin’s mayoral political fund has received $25,000 in donations connected to Windfall, $3,500 of which came from Pacifica Square, $12,000 from a company listed with the same owners and same address called Pacific Square (without the “a”), and $9,500 from company owner Eddie Ni and real estate director Judy Ni.
Eddie Ni said there was no connection between the donations and awarded incentives.
“We donated small amounts over many years,” Ni said. “Everybody does that, both in and outside of Aurora.”
Irvin is the handpicked gubernatorial candidate of the state’s wealthiest resident, Citadel founder Ken Griffin. Griffin has deposited $20 million in Irvin’s campaign and has vowed that Irvin would clean up the corruption pervasive in state government.
As we’ve discussed more than once, Bourne’s bill never went anywhere, but the Irvin campaign has made a big deal out of calling Pritzker corrupt, so whatever I suppose.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Apr 1, 22 @ 1:24 pm
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Irvin is against corruption but took campaign contributions from those awarded city contracts and tax breaks. Irvin is tough on crime but defended and profited from violent offenders. Irvin is for all lives matter but recently supported BLM. There’s a lot of negative oppo there.
Comment by Grandson of Man Friday, Apr 1, 22 @ 1:37 pm
“Griffin … vowed that Irvin would clean up the corruption pervasive in state government …”
But not municipal government where pay to play is rampant.
Comment by Huh? Friday, Apr 1, 22 @ 1:39 pm
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Comment by Anchors Away Friday, Apr 1, 22 @ 1:44 pm
=== That’s a pretty darned good return on the city’s investment. Plus, these are all union projects.
Also, all of those incentives that “Aurora taxpayers are on the hook for” were approved by the city council. The Hobbs Building project mentioned in the story, for instance, passed the council on a unanimous vote as did the Windfall development.===
Perception … Actuality?
It’s out there I suppose.
Was this done… on a Friday?
That’s sad, if true.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Apr 1, 22 @ 1:52 pm
“The DGA favorably quoting Republicans. Hilarious.”
They know the game. Hammer the potential nominee early to drive up the unfavorables. And if Irvin loses the primary, the rest of the field is rather weak anyway. It is a can’t-lose bet.
Comment by Ducky LaMoore Friday, Apr 1, 22 @ 1:53 pm
It is too bad there wasn’t a candidate running against Irvin in Aurora last year saying all this stuff who could have stopped Irvin’s rise. Oh wait, there was, John Laesh, who the Democrats didn’t support.
Comment by Mr Illinois Friday, Apr 1, 22 @ 1:53 pm
The problem is the hypocrisy and phoniness, the remaking of oneself at Griffin central casting. That is a fundamental flaw.
Comment by Grandson of Man Friday, Apr 1, 22 @ 2:00 pm
===They know the game. Hammer the potential nominee early to drive up the unfavorables. And if Irvin loses the primary, the rest of the field is rather weak anyway. It is a can’t-lose bet.===
This is the correct observation
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Apr 1, 22 @ 2:01 pm
The reality is if you aren’t making money off either Pritzker/DGA or Irvin/Griffin what exactly are you doing?
Sure, Proft has his own sugar daddy, but that doesn’t count.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Apr 1, 22 @ 2:06 pm
=== That’s a pretty darned good return on the city’s investment. ===
Respectfully, the ROI on campaign contributions appears much brighter: donate $130K and get 30 times that in city contracts.
Irvin Griffin is using the “this is what everyone else does” defense while promising to end “business as usual.”
It does not fly.
Comment by Thomas Paine Friday, Apr 1, 22 @ 2:11 pm
wow, and I was waiting for some of the other contributors to his campaign to show up, connected to the no-bid contracts. guess there is more to come. can’t put it all out at once, It’s a long time till June.
Comment by frustrated GOP Friday, Apr 1, 22 @ 2:27 pm
This guy is an ethics nightmare. If he took the money now, then he took it back when people were not paying as close attention. Time to start digging and turning over stones, people.
Comment by JR Friday, Apr 1, 22 @ 3:01 pm
This guy is an ethics nightmare. If he took the money now, then he took it back when people were not paying as close attention. Time to start digging and turning over stones, people. Once a thief, always a thief.
Comment by JR Friday, Apr 1, 22 @ 3:01 pm
The DGA is not here to create disorder. They’re here to preserve it. - Borrowed from Richard J Daley with my modifications appropriate to its use here.
Comment by PublicServant Friday, Apr 1, 22 @ 3:06 pm