Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Republicans complain about big money

Posted in:

Illinois

* ILGOP yesterday…

Earlier today, two former prosecutors and a former Appellate Court Justice held a press conference to highlight the unprecedented level of spending from Democratic leaders on the two contested Illinois Supreme Court races in the Chicago suburbs.

Former Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon, former Appellate Court Justice Bob Spence, and State Sen. John Curran, who served as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Cook County, all spoke out against the millions of dollars Governor Pritzker, Speaker Welch, President Harmon, and other Democratic lawmakers have spent to elect Justice Mary K. O’Brien and Judge Elizabeth Rochford.

“I and all of us are here today because the future of good government; reforms like independent map and fair maps, public safety, bipartisanship in the State of Illinois are on the ballot in this election for the Illinois Supreme Court in the 2nd and 3rd district. The independence of all three coequal branches of government is critical to restoring Illinois as a leader in job creation, public safety where people want to work and live,” said former Kane County State’s Attorney Joseph “Joe” McMahon. “An independent and impartial jury is critical to good government and is the only remaining check on the absolute political power of the Democrat Party in Cook County. Public confidence in judicial independence and impartiality is eroding when leaders of the other two branches of government try to control and dictate the outcome of judicial elections.”

“The Supreme Court is supposed to be a check on the General Assembly and on the Governor, we learned that in eighth grade - it’s not difficult, said Former Appellate Court Justice Robert Spence. “Other issues that could be decided by the court are “gerrymandering and fair maps.”

* A bit of context from the Tribune…

Last month, a federal judge blocked other judicial contribution limits Pritzker signed into law, including a measure that bans contributions in excess of $500,000 per election cycle from a single source to independent expenditure committees set up to support or oppose judicial candidates.

Before the now-suspended law went into effect, billionaire Citadel founder Ken Griffin, a chief Pritzker political rival, gave $6.25 million to an independent expenditure committee called Citizens for Judicial Fairness that is supporting the Republican candidates for the two open Supreme Court seats, Mark Curran and Michael Burke. […]

In October, the [Ken Griffin-funded] group reported spending nearly $4.9 million on advertising in the race between Burke, an appointed Supreme Court justice, and O’Brien, an appellate judge, and $1.3 million in the race between Curran, the former Lake County sheriff, and Rochford, an associate judge. By law, the group is prohibited from coordinating with the campaigns.

Two other outside political action committees, Fair Courts America and Restoration PAC, also have been spending to aid the GOP candidates, kicking in nearly $2.3 million for advertising in Curran’s race and nearly $267,000 in Burke’s, state campaign finance records show. They were two of the plaintiffs that sued to block the new limit on contributions to independent expenditure committees in judicial races.

And there’s more, including Richard Uihlein’s money.

The odd thing about the complaining is that these races have some actual financial parity between the two parties, mainly thanks to Ken Griffin’s $6.25 million contribution just before the new cap law took effect.

* Meanwhile, from the Sun-Times…

Showing the high-stakes nature of the state’s Supreme Court races, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has dipped into a trust fund to contribute to two Democratic judicial candidates in races that could reshape the Illinois Supreme Court — a decision Republicans say is skirting contribution limits the governor set himself. […]

Pritzker on Sept. 23 contributed $500,000 each to the candidates from his campaign fund. And on Oct. 28, the Democratic governor contributed another $500,000 each to Rochford and O’Brien — this time from a personal trust fund called the Jay Robert Pritzker Revocable Trust, records show. […]

“This is nothing more than an attempt to skirt the judicial campaign contributions limits that the governor himself signed into law five months ago,” the Republican [former Kane County State’s Attorney Joseph McMahon] said.

* Fox 32…

(T)he Illinois State Board of Elections says Pritzker’s multiple contributions are allowed.

“We have always treated trusts as separate entities,” state board of elections spokesman Matt Dietrich said in an email. “Absent a complaint alleging otherwise, we would not consider this a violation.”

* Related…

* Uihlein-funded super PAC dumping cash into local congressional races: A political action committee largely funded by conservative Lake Forest billionaire Richard Uihlein dumped at least $526,580 into five Chicago-area congressional races last month, records show. The Restoration PAC paid for digital advertising, direct mail and door hangers promoting or opposing candidates in Illinois’ 3rd, 6th, 10th, 11th and 14th congressional districts, according to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission. The amounts spent per race varied. Some rose into six-figure territory.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 9:56 am

Comments

“…absolute political power of the Democrat Party in Cook County…” who other than the other side is going to continue listening after that little jab?

Comment by cermak_rd Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 10:10 am
Meh.

The HGOP sold out for half of the $50 million paid for by Bruce and Diana Rauner, Diana, a Democrat…

It’s painful when you’re treated like a Pier 1 store and now you’re a Spirit Halloween store.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 10:12 am
When the then powers that be set out to unseat Tom Kilbride they should have known that political karma can be a ——.

Comment by We’ll See Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 10:19 am
when Uihlein and Griffin are two of the largest money contributors in the country, when Uihlein contributes to elect a right wing candidate to the Cook County Board (Podgorski) I am happy all the time that there is some big Dem money to fight for my rights as a woman.

Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 10:54 am
Oh, the GOP is concerned about the effect of big money on politics? Let’s call up Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont and see if they have an electron microscope powerful enough to see the tiny violin that’s playing a sad song for them.

Comment by Benjamin Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 11:06 am
Sorry. I can’t stop laughing about Republicans talking about how they want “independent” branches of government. I’m thinking their definition of independent differs from mine. lol

Comment by PublicServant Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 11:12 am
At least the Democrats money is coming from an Illinois resident

Comment by Lurker Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 11:41 am
I can’t pretend JB’s money doesn’t bother me. It’s just that in the era of Rauner and Griffin and U-Line, I don’t know how to avoid it.

Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 11:46 am
There’s enough pots and kettles in this argument to open a Williams Sonoma store. No sympathy from me for Uihlein or any of his ilk.

Comment by Give Us Barabbas Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 12:24 pm
Those who don’t get that money complain.

I remember when Democrats used to complain about big money.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 12:33 pm
That was me and not Anonymous! I do not know how that got posted that way. Certain it was my mistake somehow.

Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 12:33 pm:

Those who don’t get that money complain.

I remember when Democrats used to complain about big money.

Comment by notafraid Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 12:34 pm
There’s one person on the GOP side who’s gonna win big here and that’s Dan Proft. $26 million going through his pac…wonder how much is going into his pocket?

Comment by Shytown Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 1:47 pm
Two of the three holding the press conference have endorsed Burke. If they are worried about the “other two branches of government try to control and dictate the outcome of judicial elections” shouldn’t they withhold their endorsements so they aren’t swaying the outcomes?

Comment by MadManMad Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 1:48 pm
I’ll give the GOP 2 Chicago political quotes to choose from:
(1) Mike Royko - “Only suckers beef; only losers complain.” or
(2) Finley Peter Dunne - “It ain’t beanbag.”

Comment by Paddyrollingstone Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 1:53 pm
Disingenuous meet Hypocrisy, Hypocrisy meet Disingenuous.

Comment by Snarkie from Schaumburg Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:44 pm