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A political spending committee run by a close political ally of Illinois State Sen. President Don Harmon, and which spent millions of dollars to ensure Democratic control of the Illinois Supreme Court, has been hit with one of the largest fines in state history for violating campaign finance rules. From its inception, All for Justice campaign committee raised and spent more than $7 million to back the campaigns of Democratic state Supreme Court justices Elizabeth Rochford and Mary K. O'Brien. According to the state Board of Elections, All For Justice ignored state law by failing to file reports detailing its campaign spending from its inception in August 2022 to the end of the year.
Summary and audio linked here.
Chicago’s political leadership is floating a pension buyout program as evidence it is seriously addressing the city’s thirty-six-billion-dollar unfunded pension liability, but Mark Glennon, founder of the Illinois policy research organization Wirepoints, said that the proposal moves debt from one column to another rather than reducing it, and that the broader fiscal picture facing the city continues to deteriorate across every measurable dimension. Audio here.
Expect no retraction or apology. This what they do.
The state’s existing buyout program for its own pensions is the precedent for Chicago, which should be a warning: Look out for similar exaggerated claims and shoddy analysis.
Full interview and summary linked here.
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A 99 grand fine? That’s peanuts.
Want to get these political slimeballs’ attention? Make the fines double what the organization spent on political activities and take the state professional licenses of those responsible.
Who cares what the fine is? They accomplished their goal. The fine is the cost of doing „bidness”.
The better move would be to immediately dissolve any committe, club, PAC, organization, etc. that vioates campaign finance rules, lso that they may no longer participate in election activities. I acknowledge that it will turn into a game of whack-a-mole, but… so what.
Same people involved with this scheme were behind a few others, including Sam McCann’s campaign. Real old-school shady Dems.
https://citizenvsmachine.wordpress.com/2018/10/19/whos-that-pacemon-the-citizens-for-tax-reform/
McCann was indicted for money laundering and tax evasion as a result of decisions he made during his ‘fake’ campaign.
This is PFF’s ‘muh democracy!’ it’s the will of the voters!
That fine is nickels and dimes compared to the amount that was spent to get the Judges elected and already has shown benefits towards Pritzker who needs this Supreme Court t o further his goal of headlines, such as on gun control, for is future Presidential run and lets not forget the Illinois Trial lawyers too. It is just a cost of business to these Democrats and at under $100,000 its a bargain.
The fines should always be equal to the amount contributed. In this case it would be a $7 million fine. Fair’s fair.