Patronage pays for Lisa Madigan

From The Chicago Tribune:

Patronage pays for Lisa Madigan
Government workers in dad's ward give her big bucks

By Ray Long and John McCormick
Tribune staff reporters
Published September 22, 2002

House Speaker Michael Madigan's patronage army is digging deep into its own
pockets to support his daughter's political career, a computer analysis of
campaign records shows.
As a Democratic state senator from the North Side and now candidate for
attorney general, Lisa Madigan has won significant financial backing from
workers on state, city, county and other local government payrolls who have
long given to the 13th Ward Democratic organization controlled by her
father.
At least 82 public employees who are generous contributors to 13th Ward
Democrats have also anted up nearly $125,000 to Lisa Madigan's political
fund in the three years that ended June 30, records show. The list is
replete with caulkers, electricians, truck drivers, laborers and other
blue-collar workers who often dedicated between 2 and 3 percent of their
annual salaries to the Madigans.
And, with few exceptions, those contributors have made no sizable political
donations other than those to Lisa Madigan and to the Southwest Side
political operation run by her father.
Michael Madigan, who also is state Democratic chairman, has gone to unusual
lengths to promote his daughter's campaign for attorney general. He has
dispatched numerous party staff workers to bolster her campaign, poured in
hundreds of thousands of dollars of party resources to get her nominated,
and even solicited wedding invitation and birthday party lists from
political allies to develop a comprehensive database of potential donors and
supporters for her candidacy.
A Tribune analysis of financial disclosure information filed with the state
shows that the 82 public workers are among more than 240 people and
businesses that made sizable contributions to the political coffers of both
Michael Madigan's ward organization and his daughter's political fund during
the three years that ended in June. In all, they gave more than $250,000 to
the 13th Ward and nearly $225,000 to Lisa Madigan.
Throughout her campaign for attorney general, Lisa Madigan has staunchly
maintained that she is her own person and not a proxy for her father, as her
Republican opponent, DuPage County State's Atty. Joe Birkett contends.
But the significant link in contributions between the two Madigans only adds
to existing questions that have been raised about the extent to which
Michael Madigan is using his political clout to get his daughter elected.
On Friday, Lisa Madigan said she would expect to gain contributions from her
father's political territory "because I grew up, for a large portion of my
life, in the 13th Ward and I've worked with those people. They know what my
record is, and I appreciate the fact that they are very, very supportive."
Madigan said her contributor base ranges across the state, and added "There
are plenty of government workers in my ward."
However, the analysis showed that only two contributors who were listed as
government workers and lived in Lisa Madigan's North Side legislative
district had made donations to her of more than $500 over the three-year
period.
In all, at least 101 government workers were listed on her disclosure
reports as having donated to her campaign--with all but 19 also giving to
13th Ward Democrats. Nearly half of public servants who contributed to Lisa
Madigan live in her father's ward.
By contrast, Birkett's campaign disclosure reports show donations from just
six government workers, though the reports appear to be incomplete. A
comparison of the list of 185 employees who work for Birkett in the DuPage
prosecutor's office showed that 18 of them had given a combined $12,380 to
him over the last three years.
Lisa Madigan and Birkett have heatedly debated the source of campaign
contributions in the race for attorney general. She has criticized her
Republican rival for accepting large donations from defense attorneys who
routinely plea-bargain criminal cases with Birkett's office, suggesting that
justice might be for sale in DuPage County.
Birkett adamantly denies that assertion.
Among the dual donors to the Madigans is David Polcyn, who makes about
$58,500 a year as an engineer assistant for Cook County. Over the last three
years he has given $2,700 to the 13th Ward and $1,525 to Lisa Madigan.
"I support her candidacy," said Polcyn, a resident of the 13th Ward. "Mike
Madigan is one of the finest legislators this nation has ever had."
Frank Kody, a pollution control officer for the Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District, has made $7,650 in donations to the Madigans since
1999, including $1,350 last year to Lisa Madigan and another $1,350 to the
13th Ward.
Kody, 50, who has been active in the 13th Ward organization for 25 years
even though he now lives in Tinley Park, called Lisa Madigan "the real
deal."
"She's one of us," Kody said. "It's as if my son was running for office."
However, not all the donors contacted by the Tribune were as enthusiastic.
One city worker who gave thousands of dollars said no one in Michael
Madigan's organization ordered him to give or overtly threatened him. At the
same time, he said he feared that failure to contribute might lead to his
conduct at work being put under a microscope by political operatives looking
for behavior that could be used as an excuse to get him fired.
"You know that's what you have to do to keep the job," said the worker, who
spoke only on the condition that his name not be used.
He said that workers affiliated with the 13th Ward organization receive
packets late each summer that detail their annual fundraising goal, with the
amount based on a sliding scale linked to their salaries. He said the packet
also directs workers to call the ward office for further instructions.
When he called, he said he was told to make out checks to both the ward
group and to Lisa Madigan.
Steve Brown, a spokesman for Michael Madigan, said the speaker--unlike
Birkett--doesn't take contributions from his employees. Referring to the
allegation that workers are ordered to contribute and are fearful for their
jobs, Brown said that the accusations come from people who either "don't
exist or they're not being truthful."
Lisa Madigan said she had no knowledge of how her father's ward group raises
its money and wasn't aware of any government workers being coerced into
giving.
However, she said fundraising goals are something common in politics,
including in her own campaign where people who want to sponsor or host an
event are told "how much we would like you to raise."
The combined fundraising might of both Madigans was on display late last
month at a fundraiser at the Sabre Room in Hickory Hills, an event that
attracted more than 1,000 Democrats who paid $50-a-ticket.
As the guests arrived, they were greeted by the father and daughter, who
shook hands and posed for photos with their well-wishers in a scene
reminiscent of a wedding reception line.
Michael Madigan's line formed on the left, Lisa Madigan's on the right.
After passing the hosts, guests then piled into an expansive ballroom to
drink beer and sample the smoked sausages, mini sandwiches and batter-fried
hot peppers.
It was billed as the 13th Ward's annual fundraiser, but it was every bit as
much Lisa Madigan's night. Within feet of walking through the door, guests
were handed Lisa Madigan stickers. After passing through the receiving line,
they were greeted by a sign that said, "Welcome Mike & Lisa Madigan and
friends."
In between sips of beer, one 13th Ward patron said he backs Lisa Madigan
because it is important to her father.
"We want to help him because he helps us," said the man, who declined to
give his name. "We want to help her because she's his daughter."