Better Government Association

Stroger’s funding under microscope

January 12, 2006 - By Rob Olmstead, Daily Herald Staff Writer

Slightly more than half of Cook County Board President John Stroger’s campaign funds come from employees or firms that do business with the county, a Better Government Association study has found.

While not illegal, that’s just asking for trouble, said BGA Executive Director Jay Stewart, pointing to the current corruption trial of former Gov. George Ryan, current investigations of Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s administration and current investigations into county contracts.

"A common thread of all those stories is … political campaign contributions," said Stewart.

The BGA also said there are at least $19,000 in donations that violate the county’s own ethics laws because they are county contractors donating in excess of limits of $3,000 in an election year or $1,500 in a non-election year.

Stroger, who responded Wednesday evening, said he did not violate those ethics ordinances "knowingly, but if we did … we would do as we’ve done in the past: Return them."

He also questioned the objectivity of the BGA, noting that one of their advisory board members, Marjorie Benton, is a donor to Stroger’s opponent in the primary, Democrat Forrest Claypool. The BGA could not be reached late Wednesday, but its Web site did list Benton as an adviser, and campaign finance records show she gave Claypool $5,000 in June.

Stewart said the BGA did not look at the campaign practices of any of Stroger’s competitors because it said it started the study more than six months ago before the contestants for president were solidified.

The BGA said its study looked at contributions and contracts from early 1999 through mid-2005. It recommended that Stroger follow the lead of candidates like Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn who refuse contributions from donors who do business with the office.

Claypool criticized Stroger’s fundraising practices but would not commit to refusing contractor donations if elected president himself.

"That’s a good question," he said. "I don’t know what I would do."