Illinois State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) | Facebook/State Representative Deanne Mazzochi
Illinois State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) | Facebook/State Representative Deanne Mazzochi
After former 25th Ward Alderman Danny Solis was accused of using $220,000 in campaign funds to pay his legal bills, Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Westmont) was inspired to sponsor legislation to change how campaign money can be used.
Mazzochi first filed House Bill 2929 in 2020.
“The Illinois Supreme Court recently held oral arguments in a case regarding a complaint filed against former 25th Ward Alderman Danny Solis," Mazzochi posted on Facebook. "Solis used $220,000 of campaign funds to pay lawyers who were defending him from federal investigations into wrongdoing and public corruption. Prior to reaching the Supreme Court, the State Board of Elections rejected the complaint and said that if the General Assembly wanted to enact a specific prohibition on this issue they would need to write it into law. For several years I have been trying to do just that.”
Mazzochi said that legal loopholes cause many of the concerns on this issue.
“This shouldn’t be a matter of ambiguity in Illinois state law," Mazzochi posted on her website. "Regardless of how the court eventually interprets current campaign law, this shouldn’t remain a statutory loophole. Letting this continue sends the wrong message: that literally, corrupt and unethical public officials who abused their office don’t have to pay for their misdeeds, they can just continue to abuse their office to troll for campaign funds and keep the insider game going."
Mazzochi also said it was an issue of protecting the intentions of campaign donors.
"This is not what individuals donate to campaigns for," Mazzochi said. "Spending campaign donations to bail yourself out of your personal mess is a clear abuse, and it is time for this insider privilege to end.”
Her proposed legislation stops a public official accused of sexual harassment, discrimination, or other misconduct from using political campaign funds for legal defense fees. Mazzochi said that Alderman Solis’ case is not the first time campaign funds have been abused in Illinois. Former House Speaker Mike Madigan used campaign resources for legal fees pertaining to the ComEd corruption scandal and sexual harassment claims from his past chief of staff.
Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne Burke recused herself from the decision since her husband, Alderman Ed Burke was being charged in federal court.
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