Who is “The Burnham Committee”?
In our previous post, we mentioned certain political contributions made by “The Burnham Committee” … which is chaired by Chicago Alderman Ed Burke.
But what is exactly is this organization?
Well, according to Illinois State Board of Election reports, the committee’s purpose is “to support the women and men who share Burnham’s dream of a ‘people’s city.’”
Apparently that includes helping Burke himself, whose committee “Friends of Ed Burke” received a whopping $150,000 contribution from the group on 9/24/08. According to this recent story, Burke certainly does fancy Chicago a “people’s city” … helping those “people” who supported his committee and law firm get city deals.
The Burham Committee also supports stalwarts of honest, accountable government such as Rod Blagojevich, to whom the committee contributed $25,000 on 11/3/06.
The Committee has also spread around significant cash to other local candidates (almost all Democrats), including current Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez, who received $10,000 from the group on 2/19/08 and another $5,000 on 10/3/08.
To be sure, a smattering of Republicans have received cash from the organization, such as State Sen. Dan Cronin ($200 on 2/5/08), State Rep. Jim Durkin ($500 on 8/21/07 ), and State Rep. Bob Biggins ($250 on 4/15/08).
So, who contributes to The Burnham Committee? As you can imagine, a number of Cook County politicos, businesses and friends close to Ed Burke (such as Calvin Boender, the “friend” at the heart of the city deal referenced in this Sun-Times article, contributed $1,500 on 8.5.08, and another $1,500 on 6/20/07.)
Also interesting are the contributions from International Profit Associates of Buffalo Grove, IL — a company that contributed $5,000 on 10/3/08; $1,500 on 5/28/08; $1,500 on 6/29/05; $2,500 on 6/7/06; $3,000 on 5/15/07; and $5,000 on 5/23/07. (That’s in addition to thousands the company has contributed to Ed Burke’s political committee.)
International Profit Associates (IPA) is the same company against which Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed suit in April 2009 for “cheating hundreds of small businesses out of thousands.” Nevermind the fact that Madigan’s campaign had received $16,200 in “in-kind contributions” for phone polling from IPA in 2002.
And this New York Times article reports on John R. Burgess, who owns IPA:
A disbarred New York lawyer with a criminal record for attempted larceny and patronizing a 16-year-old prostitute, Mr. Burgess owns International Profit Associates, a management consulting company in Illinois.
Federal authorities are pressing a sexual harassment suit against the company on behalf of 113 former female employees.
And, according to the Reverse Spin blog, numerous politicians have returned campaign cash received from IPA:
Since about 2002, politicians have returned tens of thousands of dollars in political contributions to IPA and Burgess. Ethically challenged Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich has returned more than $100,000 from IPA. Andrew M. Cuomo, who ran for Attorney General in New York and Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle are among the others who have also purged their IPA money.
No word on whether or not The Burnham Committee has ever considered returning their contributions from IPA. But feel free to email Ald. Burke to ask him if intends to do so. (Warning: don’t expect a response.)
We’ll leave it to you to decide if this cast of characters who contributes to and receives campaign cash from The Burnham Committee fits within the organization’s mission of creating a “people’s city” … but then again, the I guess it depends on which people you’re talking about.
KASS: ‘Coverage of Corruption has Hypocritcal Scent’
Filed under: Budget, Corruption, Mayor Daley, Todd Stroger
As usual, John Kass raises some interesting questions in his column today:
African-Americans like the hapless Sen. Tombstone, or Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, the Urkel of local politics, deserve the thwackings they get. When Burris or Stroger give a foolish non-answer, that or even a no-comment becomes news, evidence of their nefariousness. Not so with the much pinker bosses, like Mayor Richard Daley or Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Lisa’s Daddy), two bullies who believe in democracy as long as they can play king.
Burris’ few lies to a state impeachment committee are nothing compared with the hundreds of millions devoured by corruption in the Daley administration. And Madigan still hasn’t been held to account for his flunky, state Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Madigan), holding onto the bombshell Burris affidavit—the one in which Burris revealed his earlier lies under oath—by slipping it into her desk drawer.
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