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* From a press release issued by the Illinois Republican Party late yesterday afternoon…
BREAKING: Madigan takes another $100K from Union TODAY!
After taking $250K from SEIU before Pension Reform Special Session, Madigan doubles down on cash proving he’s not interested in pension reform
CHICAGO – The Illinois State Board of Elections’ website reports that Service Employees International Union (SEIU) gave the Friends of Michael J. Madigan political committee $100,000 in contributions TODAY – Thursday, August 23.
SEIU has already given political committees controlled by Illinois House Speaker/Illinois Democratic Party Chairman/Father of the Illinois Attorney General Mike Madigan and State Senate President John Cullerton $242,000 in the days leading up to an Illinois General Assembly Special Session on Pension Reform - leading to calls by the Illinois Republican Party for a federal investigation of the timing of such donations.
“Mike Madigan has doubled down on pension reform – and sadly Illinois taxpayers are the losers,” said Brady. “Today’s disclosure prove Mike Madigan has no shame and, despite his rhetoric, no interest in fiscal reform.”
Board of Elections records previously show that on Aug. 17 – the same day as the Special Session – Service Employee International Unions (SEIU) gave $47,000 and another $50,000 to the Democratic Majority (a committee chaired by Madigan to elect Democratic State House members); on Aug. 13 it contributed $50,000 to Cullerton; on Aug. 10, $45,000 to the Senate Democratic Victory Fund, and on Aug. 6, $50,000 to the Democratic Party of Illinois (chaired by Madigan).
* OK, let’s go over this yet again. If you’d read the timeline provided by SEIU on Wednesday, you already know that the union cut one of those two checks on July 25th and the other on July 27th. They were both mailed a few days later…
SEIU Contribution Timeline
Monday, July 23rd – SEIU Illinois Council PAC Endorsements were made and contributions approved.
Wednesday, July 25th – SEIU Illinois Council PAC Endorsement checks were cut and mailed promptly to the following funds:
‐ $50,000 to Democratic Majority
‐ $50,000 to Friends of Michael Madigan
‐ $50,000 to Citizens for Cullerton
‐ $50,000 to Senate Democratic Victory FundFriday, July 27th SEIU Healthcare Illinois Indiana PAC endorsement checks were cut and mailed/delivered promptly to the following funds:
‐ $50,000 to Citizens for John Cullerton
‐ $45,000 to Senate Democratic Victory Fund
‐ $50,000 to Friend of Michael Madigan
‐ $50,000 to Democratic Party of Illinois
‐ $47,000 to Democratic Majority
Considering the wisecrack that Chairman Pat Brady made about me during Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair, it’s pretty obvious he reads this website. So, he should know that his earlier claims were proved false. An SEIU spokesman called this latest press release “more of the same Republican bombast.”
* And it’s not like Chairman Brady is ignorant of the law when it comes to when contributions have to be reported.
As you can see by looking at this chart, a big chunk of twelve large donations made by billionaires Ken and Nancy Griffin to various Republican county and other organizations throughout Illinois in late December of 2011 and early January 2012 were then sent to the Illinois Republican Party in mid January. The IL GOP did not disclose any of those contributions for about two months. $140,000 of the $240,000 the Griffins sent to the local party organizations went back to the state party for tickets to a state party fundraising event featuring Karl Rove.
When asked back in April why the party sat on the cash for so long, this is how the party’s attorney explained things…
Under law, he says, “the date that stuff gets reported as a donation is the date it was deposited.”
Does that mean the state party really sat on more than $100,000 in checks for two months or so before depositing them?
The state party has been short-staffed, operating with a skeleton crew, Mr. Fogarty replies, adding that most of the donations apparently were made in connection with a Jan. 24 fundraiser featuring GOP star Karl Rove.
However things might appear, nothing improper occurred here, he concludes. There’s “nothing unusual” about some folks like the Griffins spreading their money around to various groups, he says.
So, Chairman Brady knows all about the law when it comes to reporting requirements. Or, at least, he should. And therefore, he knows what he is saying is just bunk.
*** UPDATE *** Illinois Review releases its hounds…
In an attempt to obfuscate recent revelations that the SEIU is transferring hundreds of thousands of dollars into various Democrat political committees, Madigan-backed “mouthpieces” have been employed to try and change the conversation by talking about “when” the money was transferred, rather than the fact that it was. Not to mention the stunning amount, and its ultimate purpose.
The Democrat apologists are also using the rather stale ploy of attempting to kill the messenger. In this case its Pat Brady, Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, who has been consistently and successfully exposing Mike Madigan and the Democrat/Union money system embedded in Illinois.
I just ripped the DCCC today for stupid lies about Joe Walsh. I don’t like lies. And I really don’t like repeated lies. About anyone. I’m no fan of Walsh, but i’ve stuck up for him when few others did - to the point where I got an angry phone call from a Democratic operative not long ago chastising me for being anti-Duckworth. I ain’t, and I told him so.
And as far as the “stunning amount” of money contributed by SEIU, it’s big. No question. But the union’s “ultimate purpose” is being obfuscated by the IL GOP, IR and others, including some here. The point is that SEIU has just a relatively small handful of members who belong to state retirement systems. The union is far more concerned with human service funding because it directly impacts its members. Higher pension costs equals less human services money.
I was asked earlier today by a Republican commenter why SEIU would give so much money to the Democrats since it is such a “big player” in the We Are One coalition, which is fighting the pension reform bill. Here’s what I wrote…
I went back and looked at my saved emails (and I save them all)…
Neither the SEIU state council nor the [SEIU] healthcare group attended the August 13 press conference denouncing the pension plan before the special session. Only a small SEIU local attended.
A We Are One press release from May on media contacts for pension issues listed AFSCME, IFT, IEA and others, but not SEIU.
The only press release from SEIU on pension reform since the beginning of the year that I can find is from the aforementioned Local 73, not the state council or healthcare council.
The argument being put forth by the state GOP is entirely bogus. And now their friends have taken to attacking the messenger. Classy move, that.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 9:40 am
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Well, I was wrong.
Pat Brady’s ILGOP is a train wreck, with no political sense, and strong case of hyperbole, and a complete lack of knowing hypocracy.
Why is this man running the Party?
Are the ILGOP SSC Members so inept at finding someone to run the operation, they figure, “Let Pat do it, I guess.” It seems that the SSC would rather have clownish behavor be the order of the day, than to correct the bafoonish behavior.
“The boy who cried Wolf” was absolutely a perfect explanation of the tomfoolery.
Pat, you worked in an US Attorney’s office. You also know from the last fundraising gambit how the sytem “works”. It is literally in your face, and will be made apparent by others how the ILGOP did what you did. THEN you call for the “G”?
Now …now, you want this to go FURTHER????
Be real careful what you wish for … you may get some questions, but these questions may be asked OF you.
Dope.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 9:50 am
The date a check is dated by the maker is not necessarily the date it is deposited or sent.
Comment by formerpolitico Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 9:50 am
So Gags had the Citadel Laundromat Cash in the spin cycle for two months? It seems clear they used the money laundering to get the ILGOPies about $100K over the limit
Opps
We have always assumed that just like GmanJim that Gags was not part of the US Dept. Justice.
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 10:01 am
Oh, give ‘em a brake. They are a campaign organization. Campaigns say and do stuff that isn’t fair if they think it will benefit them. You can say they have a stupid strategy (which they do), but let ‘em say what they want to say. It isn’t like DPI is always fair and accurate in their accusations either.
Comment by Just Me Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 10:04 am
Anytime you have three facts to put together into a logical conclusion means you have lost the rhetorical argument.
Comment by Liberty First Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 10:04 am
===Campaigns say and do stuff that isn’t fair if they think it will benefit them.===
Yes, but the GOP is so much better at it. Like Romney-Ryan hitting Obama for (not) weakening the Welfare to Work law. It’s been proven time and again that their charges are false, yet they keep doing it, running ads and making speeches. Facts don’t really matter to the Republicans and Brady’s continued attacks are more proof that they’ll say anything to win.
But go ahead and repeat the notion that “both sides do it,” which is utter nonsense, but which gets trotted out every single time the GOP gets called on their bs. As if that’s an excuse for lying.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 10:10 am
===”…but let ‘em say what they want to say. It isn’t like DPI is always fair and accurate in their accusations either.===
OK, but at what point do you call them out? I am a Repub and I would at least want the Chairman … the Chairman to stop with the Federal Investigation garbage and further, not “call out” the other party for something, while also involved in something that smells as bad, if not worse to the FEC.
If we do not raise the discussion, then who will?
There is a choice to stay above board … and still win. It means being better than your opponent, being smarter, working harder AND working better.
Pat Brady shows none of that, and neither does the ILGOP.
I don’t need the be “righteous”, I do need party to be effective and accurate. Then we have a chance again.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 10:10 am
Brady makes me smile. He’s so obviously wrong about Madigan and his current desire for pension reform, as everyone who knows, knows. And worse, this anti-Madigan tactic just doesn’t resonate with anyone who isn’t already in the lifeboat with Pat.
Maybe he has a long term strategy to denounce all Madigans in advance of Lisa’s potential run?
Comment by walkinfool Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 10:13 am
perhaps the better question the party should be raising is that how serious is madigan about pension reform if in the days leading up to special session he took in nearly $250k? my guess is SEIU did not choose to invest such a large sum in a guy committed to taking their benefits away. Maybe SEIU can express to us what Madigan’s position on pension reform is, as they see it…
Comment by Easy Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 10:25 am
===my guess is SEIU did not choose to invest such a large sum in a guy committed to taking their benefits away.===
SEIU’s prime focus is on human services spending. They have only a relative handful of members getting state pensions. The less money spent on pensions, the more available cash there is for human services, which benefits the vast majority of their members.
So, this whole attack is a stretch on several levels.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 10:29 am
===but let ‘em say what they want to say. ===
Not trying to stop them. Just pointing out where they are wrong. And calling in the feds is such a serious act that I hold people far more accountable when they do. This would’ve never been such an issue with me if they hadn’t screamed for the G.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 10:31 am
Rich hit the nail on the head.
The unions are not monolithic.
The pension fight is primarily about AFSCME, the IEA and IFT.
And while the IFT leans heavily Democratic in its endorsements, the IEA leans Republican and AFSCME has a long history of playing both sides of the fence.
Thus, the bipartisan stalemate.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 10:39 am
And, as Rich noted in the post, they know they’re wrong.
– MrJM
Comment by MrJM Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 10:41 am
The nice thing about having 2 madigans in office is that when you blast out an endless stream of hits knocking “Madigan”, to the average voter it sounds like you’re hitting either one or both. Lisa can’t be happy.
Comment by Shore Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 10:52 am
so why is SEIU such a big player in the WE ARE ONE coalition? I guess what you are saying is their participation in WE ARE ONE is a direct conflict to their overall mission. Seems weird.
Comment by Easy Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 11:06 am
I see how things work now. If a person states an obvious fact, and the fact is not inline with all the koolaid drinkers then you have no say.
Comment by callmeben Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 11:08 am
===If a person states an obvious fact===
You didn’t state a fact. You stated an opinion.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 11:12 am
Most of SEIU’s organized workers are relatively lower paid workers in comparison to AFSCME, the IEA and IFT organized workers. Rich is totally correct in relation to his comments on SEIU. While SEIU made the contribution it did, I have also seen very low paid human service workers directly confront the Speaker in hearings about funding for human services.
Funny I don’t recall the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association objecting to funding cuts for Human Services after handing out money to Republicans. The Illinois Manufacturers Association is a career patron of House Republican Leader Tom Cross according to its website. By the way Citizens to Elect Tom Cross received $5,000.00 on 01-Aug-11 from SEIU Healthcare IL IN PAC. Maybe he should give it back.
Comment by Rod Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 11:19 am
===so why is SEIU such a big player in the WE ARE ONE coalition?===
I went back and looked at my saved emails (and I save them all)…
Neither the SEIU state council nor the healthcare group attended the August 13 press conference denouncing the pension plan before the special session. Only a small SEIU local attended.
A We Are One press release from May on media contacts for pension issues listed AFSCME, IFT, IEA and others, but not SEIU.
The only press release from SEIU on pension reform since the beginning of the year that I can find is from the aforementioned Local 73, not the state council or healthcare council.
So, yeah, I’m right.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 11:20 am
Hard to believe all this open bribery is going on when Inspector Clouseau Brady is on the case.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 11:24 am
Also, callmeben, pointing out that someone has uttered a gross lie about somebody else is not equivalent to being in the tank for the person being attacked.
See for instance, my defense of Joe Walsh against the DCCC’s attack today.
This is just what i do. If your little brain can’t comprehend that, then it’s time to go somewhere else.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 11:38 am
Rich, I know you are doing your best. But at a certain point, we just have to accept that our culture has changed to one in which:
mendacity + repetition + lack of shame = ability to create your own “facts”
Example: Mitt Romney’s welfare reform campaigns. Flat out made up, but they don’t care, and no amount of complaining or crying foul will make it stop. It’s just the way things are now.
Comment by ILPundit Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 11:38 am
@ IL Pundit
== mendacity + repetition + lack of shame = ability to create your own “facts” ==
AMEN. The death of evidence-based positions. That’s precisely how both parties ended up blaming employees for the state’s debt to the pensioners.
Comment by Crime Fighter Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 12:18 pm
But what, we might wonder, about the House Republican Organization?
From July 31 through the special session, they collected $60,000 in large contributions from Big Labor and individuals enrolled in the state’s pension plans.
After the Special session, when House Republican’s refused to support elimination of one of the pension plans, they received $165,000 in large contributions from members of that plan!!!
You can’t make this stuff up! (But it does help to leave out some of the details…)
Details:
$10k from the firefighters
$65k from House members
$150k from Tom Cross
Comment by Pot calling kettle Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 12:40 pm
Rich, can you please explain to IL Review that you are a Democratic apologist? It’s the Democratic Party, which is comprised of Democrats. There is no such thing as a Democrat Party and anyone who calls it that is insulting us and playing childish name-calling games.
I know they’re big fans of home schooling over there, but please tell me they understand the difference between a noun and an adjective.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 12:41 pm
So, is IllinoisWatchDog.org (formerly Statehouse News), also a “Madigan mouthpiece?
Because they are backed by the conservative Franklin Institute, and they referred to Pat Brady’s attacks as a “smear.”
Right here.
That said, I think we pay too far attention to the Illinois Review here.
Based on the number of comments on their blog, nobody reads the darn thing.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 12:48 pm
–The nice thing about having 2 madigans in office is that when you blast out an endless stream of hits knocking “Madigan”, to the average voter it sounds like you’re hitting either one or both. Lisa can’t be happy.–
Yeah, she cried herself into office last time with 65% of the vote against……. who? No fair using the google — who was it?
I’m always amazed by the misogynistic attacks against Lisa Madigan, like the fake “Dear Daddy” father’s day letter the Illinois Republican Party put out a couple of months ago. Remember that one? That’s what passes for leadership in the Illinois Republican Party.
For a party that has a few problems with women, you’d think they’d wise up and “shut that whole thing down.”
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 12:52 pm
=== Campaigns say and do stuff that isn’t fair ===
This isn’t a question of “fairness.” It’s a question of honesty.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 12:55 pm
Somebody on here nailed it the other day. Pat Brady is obviously a Mike Madigan plant within the IL GOP. There is no way the Republicans would have a party chair so destructive to Republican interests absent the backroom dealings and coordinated planning of Mike Madigan. As Mike Madigan’s stooge Pat Brady constantly reminds us, Mike Madigan is responsible for everything.
It’s pure genius for Madigan to have installed a state gop chairman who has convinced the entire state that Republicans are looney toon wearing tin-foil hatters.
Well played Mr. Speaker. Game. Set. Match.
Comment by just sayin' Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 1:09 pm
@Just sayin -
I think Oswego Willy, Wordslinger and I all came to that conclusion concurrently and independently.
It would explain a lot.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 1:37 pm
YDD …
I concur, 3 different “eggs”, came up with the same omlette of the ILGOP.
When something is “Sad”, its “Sad” to everyone.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 1:51 pm
And if I am in league with you, YDD, & wordlslinger in the thinking of the ILGOP and Pat Brady, then I know I can’t be wrong…
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 1:58 pm
I wonder what the SEIU members( not a handful, Rich, but several thousand) who work for the Secretary of State and the Tollway think about their dues money going to someone trying to gut their pensions.
Comment by Truthteller Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 2:02 pm
===Yeah, she cried herself into office last time with 65% of the vote against……. who? No fair using the google — who was it?
I’m always amazed by the misogynistic attacks against Lisa Madigan, like the fake “Dear Daddy” father’s day letter the Illinois Republican Party put out a couple of months ago. Remember that one? That’s what passes for leadership in the Illinois Republican Party.
For a party that has a few problems with women, you’d think they’d wise up and “shut that whole thing down.”===
What scares me most about the ILGOP is that they honestly believe that putting up the Dopes (hey, if you ran against Lisa these last two cycles, don’t make me catalog your Dopiness…) they do, then expect to beat her, all the while good candidates who could run know they can’t take her.
Lisa and Jesse have gotten so many Hall Passes, they OWN the hallway. Taking her out with silly snark (Guilty here of some silly snark, but I ain’t runnin’ the ILGOP for cripes sake!) ain’t leadership, you ain’t taking the fight to her, and you are looking weak and powerless.
Someone tackle Pat Brady, just stop him … don’t do anything else, just tackle him and stop this drivel.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 2:05 pm
===not a handful, Rich, but several thousand===
I said “relatively small handful.” They have 170,000 members and a few thousand state workers.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 2:08 pm
I went to the We Are One Illinois website and SEIU is listed as a member. it didn’t delineate between chapters, it just said SEIU.
So I guess that means, I’m right.
Comment by Easy Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 2:28 pm
===So I guess that means, I’m right. ===
lol
Whatever.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 2:33 pm
===So I guess that means, I’m right. ===
Woo Hoo!!! Buy yourself a beer!
Comment by Pot calling kettle Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 2:59 pm
I intend to.
Comment by Easy Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 3:01 pm
The bloggers seemed to miss the fact the Citadel/Griffin Laundromat got ILGOPies and Gags Brady 100K large over the limits
Fire,Aim, Ready
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 3:22 pm
Honesty has never been Pat Brady’s strong suit.
Comment by too obvious Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 3:59 pm
=This is just what i do.=
Highly admirable trait, Rich.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Aug 24, 12 @ 6:16 pm