from the Chicago Tribune

Ethics issue support tentative
Governor backs disclosure `concept'
By Brett McNeil and Rick Pearson
Tribune staff reporters
Published November 3, 2003
Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration said Sunday it supports the "concept" of having unpaid advisers to the governor publicly disclose their finances but stopped short of endorsing such a requirement for three top Blagojevich insiders.
Asked if the administration would require financial statements from top advisers Chris Kelly, John Wyma and David Wilhelm, Blagojevich spokeswoman Angelynne Amores said, "We can't get into specifics just now, but the governor approves of the concept."
Senate Republicans have called for economic disclosure filings by influential advisers to the governor as part of the effort to pass a new comprehensive governmental ethics plan during the legislature's fall veto session, which begins this week.
Senate Republican leader Frank Watson of Greenville has voiced concern over potential conflicts of interest arising from what he dubbed a "shadow government" that wields influence with Blagojevich on state policies.
Among those cited by Republicans is Kelly, a wealthy roofing contractor with dealings at O'Hare International Airport who is Blagojevich's chief fundraiser. Kelly has represented the administration in talks with the Illinois Gaming Board in efforts by the state to issue a new casino license. Republicans also cite the influence of Wilhelm and Wyma, two longtime Blagojevich loyalists who have a say in policies and personnel in the Democratic governor's administration.
Susan Lichtenstein, general counsel to the governor, said though the administration supports the concept of disclosure, Blagojevich considers the Senate Republican proposal too broad.
"The governor doesn't have a problem with the concept that people outside of government who are playing a role have to file disclosures, but you have to be careful how you draft it not to include anybody who's just bending his ear," she said.
Lichtenstein said Blagojevich would offer a counterproposal to the GOP plan that calls for financial disclosures from advisers specifically tapped for their roles by elected officials.
But Patty Schuh, a spokeswoman for Watson, said Senate Republicans were merely seeking in state law the same language that has existed for special governmental consultants in federal law for more than four decades.
"We're not talking about someone who gives anecdotal advice to the governor, but someone who provides information to the governor and then represents the governor or the administration in negotiations,"
Schuh said. "We hope they support the concept of bringing sunshine to shadow government."
The Blagojevich administration finds itself under increasing public pressure to live up to the governor's campaign pledge to reform government, a recent Tribune poll found. Blagojevich himself has touted his election as a call for change by voters unhappy with his scandal-clouded Republican predecessor, George Ryan.
But in a survey conducted last month, only 31 percent of general election voters said they believed Blagojevich was keeping his promise to "end business as usual" among insiders and cronies in Springfield. And 29 percent said they believed he was not living up to his commitment.
The number of voters who said he wasn't fulfilling his reformist pledge has increased 10 percentage points since a similar Tribune poll in June.
On Sunday, in an effort to gain media attention in Chicago before the Tuesday start of the fall veto session in Springfield, Blagojevich used a noon news conference in the James R. Thompson Center to declare that legislative passage of a comprehensive ethics package was a top administration priority.
Still, Blagojevich has already been forced to back down on one provision he sought in an ethics package--his demand that he be given power to appoint a super inspector general to oversee his office and those of other statewide elected officials.
Instead, on Sunday, he discussed the proposed ethics commission that would have the power to prompt investigations by any of the inspectors general appointed by the governor, the secretary of state, the attorney general, the treasurer and the comptroller.
Blagojevich also called on legislators to limit the amount lobbyists can spend onwining and dining of lawmakers and state officials and to end a loophole allowing lobbyists to cover golf and tennis outings.
The governor also called for a one-year "revolving door" provision that would delay regulators from taking jobs in private industry that they used to oversee. And he called for a ban on statewide elected officials using broadcast public service announcements to promote themselves.
In addition to seeking financial disclosure forms from advisers, Senate Republicans are pushing legislation that would prevent the use of state-paid bumper stickers, refrigerator magnets, lapel pins and other items to promote elected officials. Republicans complained about bumper stickers with Blagojevich's name that were handed out during the Illinois State Fair. The governor ultimately agreed to pay for the stickers out of his campaign fund.
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