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Quinn to Blagojevich: Lobby to end 'pay-to-play'

Posted October 17, 2007 11:00 pm

Mike Ramsey

As Gov. Rod Blagojevich prepared to rake in campaign cash Thursday, his estranged lieutenant governor publicly urged him to help pass legislation that would ensure "pay-to-play" politics don't occur in Illinois.

Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn released a letter he wrote to Blagojevich that calls on the governor to lobby on behalf of House Bill 1, a measure the House approved 116-0 this year before it stalled in the Senate Rules Committee. The bill would prohibit a vendor or business with more than $25,000 in state contracts from making political campaign contributions to an officeholder who is in charge of awarding the contracts.

Quinn said the legislation is important as lawmakers consider a $25 billion capital-construction program to build roads, bridges and schools; the sum includes federal and local matching funds. The campaign-reform bill would impact Blagojevich because agencies under him award contracts.

"The fact that the capital (program) is before us gives us 25 billion new reasons why the vote should be taken on a strong ethics law," Quinn said during a news conference at the James R. Thompson Center.

A Senate vote on HB1 seems unlikely. A spokeswoman for Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago, said the legislative leader prefers the broader ethics reform contained in an alternative House bill. The spokeswoman, Cindy Davidsmeyer, said she doesn't know how quickly that measure would move through the legislature.

In a similar vein, Blagojevich spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch said the governor favors a more "comprehensive" approach to campaign-finance reform over HB1. She added that Blagojevich doesn't control what bills are called in the House or Senate.

Quinn said he expected contractors to attend the governor's latest fundraiser Thursday night in Chicago. He said the timing of his morning news conference was coincidental.

Blagojevich, who has been a prolific money raiser, has long been dogged by perceptions that his administration doles out contracts in exchange for campaign contributions. The governor has denied he engages in such a "pay to play" system.

Quinn - like Blagojevich, a Chicago Democrat - was the governor's running mate in 2002 and 2006, but the two parted ways publicly over tax policy this year. The governor said Quinn is not part of his administration. Quinn said he last spoke to the governor about ethics reform about a year ago.

The governor's latest fundraiser, at a North Side steel plant, had a minimum cost of $500 per ticket.

Mike Ramsey can be reached at (312) 857-2323 or ghns-ramsey@sbcglobal.net.

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