Lawmakers iron out ethics bill

Friday, May 30, 2003

By Kristen McQueary
Staff writer

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SPRINGFIELD — A day after federal officials added another defendant in the Operation Safe Road corruption investigation, state lawmakers took the first step toward an ethics package that restricts campaign activity.
Federal prosecutors on Wednesday charged Andrea Coutretsis Prokos with perjury for lies she allegedly told investigators about state workers campaigning on state time. Prokos served as an assistant to Scott Fawell, a former state worker convicted of corruption earlier this year.

An ethics bill that explicitly prohibits a wide swath of campaign-related activity moved through a House committee Thursday and is expected to be called for a vote before the full House today.

The bill could cramp 2004 campaigns, such as Comptroller Dan Hynes' run for U.S. Senate, by raising more public scrutiny of how people on the state payroll spend their time. The bill prohibits them from performing campaign activity during any time they are being compensated by the state. It also creates new inspectors general for statewide office-holders and the legislative branch.

Advertisements for state programs, such as Secretary of State Jesse White's organ donation project or Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka's college savings program, would be banned during campaign season. Groups that run ads in favor of a particular candidate would be required to file reports with the State Board of Elections.

Watchdog groups said the bill is "worthy of the public trust."

"Our intention is not to round up every minor violator and throw them in jail," said Cindi Canary, executive director of Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, who worked with lawmakers of both parties to write the legislation. "The idea is to start changing things."