IPA/IGA

Cross-posted from ICPR's blog, The Race is On:

New York Times readers now know what contributor profiles visitors have known for years: that John Burgess and his International Profit Associates has a colorful history of political giving and courtroom drama. Here in Illinois, Burgess and Gov. Blagojevich have been trading five-figure check back and forth since the last gubernatorial campaign, and last IPA-affilates gave to a new PAC formed by Blago spokesperson Doug Scofield. But Burgess has been giving in other areas, too, including Wisconsin and federal candidates.

See a donor you don’t know? Check out our Contributor Profiles. Maybe our new slogan should be “ICPR: We’ve got you covered.”


Chicago Mayor Richard M Daley’s deposition in the Hired Truck scandal seems to have the press' attention, so much so that nobody seems to be asking the obvious question. When the feds had him under oath, Daley said that the Inter-Government Affairs office “recommended” job applicants to other departments, but he insists that IGA did not order others to hire specific applicants. The Sun-Times today notes that Daley’s statements seem to buttress the defendant’s arguments. But on what basis was IGA “recommending” applicants to other departments?

The 98-page evidentiary proffer filed last April 10 outlines “recommendations” from IGA to the departments of Water, Sewers, and Streets & San. The proffer suggests that those departments understood IGA recommendations as requirements, but even if so, can IGA explain how they decided who was best qualified for a job in the Sewer Department? Can just any department forward lists of recommendations to other departments? Did the Water Department presume to suggest who IGA should hire in return? How are such recommendations received?

Mayor Daley has been out of the country a lot lately, so it’s probably hard to ask him questions. But if you should run into him somewhere, maybe you could ask.