Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Stuart Levine Bi-Partisan in Illinois Congressional Contributions
When the U.S. Attorney indicted gubernatorial appointee Stuart Levine in May of 2005, Governor Rod Blagojevich blamed the GOP and himself, depending on whether one read the Chicago Tribune or Sun-Times headline.
"It's a continuation of a culture that was established down there that we're fighting," he told the Tribune. "This is a continuation of a process that was ongoing and, very frankly, a process that involved key Republican players."
Indeed, Levine was Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Ryan’s largest contributor and, over the years, mightily pumped up Lee Daniels campaign funds. Looking at only state campaign contributions, Illinois media tagged Levine as a major Republican contributor.
Levine was a major GOP contributor in state politics, but a different picture emerges when one looks at contributions made to Federal candidates in Illinois (and elsewhere).
There is a much more bi-partisan flavor.
Federal law capped donations at $1,000 per election until McCain-Feingold raised them to $2,000 in 2002 or more, if a wealthy individual like Blair Hull pumped tens of millions into a campaign.
Levine gave $8,500 to Democrats in the 2004 race for U.S. Senate. A Republican got $2,000.
State Comptroller Dan Hynes got $2,500 right before the primary, while fellow Democrat Joyce Washington received $6,000 a year before. Levine gave $2,000 in pre-primary money to winning Republican candidate Jack Ryan.
The Democratic senatorial donations don’t mean that Levine had abandoned the Republican Party by 2004. On May 10, 2004, the Republican National Committee received $5,000 from Levine.
Four years earlier, when Republican George Ryan was governor, he gave $1,000 to the RNC’s Republican National Governors Association Conference soft money account. In 2001, the Federal account of the state GOP was given $5,000. He added another $10,000 in 2003.
Examining Levine’s contributions to Illinois congressmen shows support across the political spectrum—from Luis Guetierrez to Tim Johnson.
Bi-partisanship was Levine’s mode of operation.
The most recent contribution--in March of 2004—was $1,000 to Chicago Democratic Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.
Since U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert is from Illinois, it probably is not a big surprise that he was a relatively major recipient of Levine’s largess.
In 2003, Speaker Dennis Hastert’s Keep Our Majority PAC was given $5,000 by Levine. In addition, his personal political action committee received $3,250 in 2003. That followed $1,500 in 2000. His personal campaign committee received checks for $1,000 more in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Levine did not back Mark Kirk, the winner in the 2000 North Shore congressional race, when John Porter retired. Instead he made a 1999 contribution of $1,000 to Republican John Hochberg, who placed 4th. Then, Levine gave $1,000 to Democratic State Rep. Lauren Beth Gash in her general election contest with Kirk. Two years later, however, Levine did contribute $1,000 to victor Mark Kirk.
In 2001, Democratic Party Congressman Bobby Rush was given $1,000. This was preceded by $500 in 1999.
Chicago Democrat Luis Guetierrez received $1,000 in the fall of 1997. On March 21, 2000, Guetierrez received $1,000 more.
A day before, Congressman Ray LaHood got $1,000. LaHood returned it a month and a half later, but Levine didn’t cash the check, so he did so again on May 10, 2005.
“The first time he had come to Washington with some other people to ask for some help getting some land transferred for a VA hospital,” Congressman LaHood told me shortly after the indictment last year. “I was on the VA subcommittee of the appropriations committee at the time and I determined that it was not going to be possible to be helpful to them. But I did receive a check, which I returned immediately."
Although repeated attempts were made to return the money, according to the
congressman’s staff, the check was never cashed.
“I have a policy in my office that we are assisting people with problems,” he continued, “whether they be Social Security, Medicare, bureaucratic, I do not accept contributions from constituents whom we are trying to help. And in the past when we’ve helped somebody with Social Security or cut through Medicare (and we receive a check), our standing operating policy is to return the check."
LaHood also has a policy of returning any campaign contribution if the contributor is indicted, so when he read of Levine’s indictment in the alleged Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board and Chicago Medical School charity scam, the 2000 contribution came to mind. Because the $1,000 check LaHood’s campaign had written Levine in 2000 had never been cashed, a second check was sent.
Tim Johnson, running for Congress for the first time in 2000, received $1,000 in both the primary and general elections. Ever the bi-partisan, Levine also contributed $250 to Johnson’s Democratic opponent, Michael Kelleher.
Democrat Congressman Lane Evans got $1,000 in June of 2000. Lane’s 17th District Victory Fund also received $1,500.
At the end of 1999, Congressman John Porter returned $1,000—half of the $2,000 he had received in June--to Levine. In 1999, the maximum contribution allowed was $1,000.
In 1998, U.S. Rep. Jerry Weller received $1,000 for the November election, as did John Shimkus. Shimkus was first elected to Congress in 1996, Weller in 1994.
In the spring of 1997, Levine backed another Illinois Democrat, Jay Robert Pritzker. He got $2,000, half of which was returned two years later. Again, the reason for the return may have been the $1,000 campaign contribution limit.
In earlier Illinois U.S. Senate races, Levin also backed the 2002 GOP primary winner, contributing $1,000 to Jim Durkin. But he had given Durkin’s opponent, incumbent Senator Dick Durbin (D-Springfield), $1,000 two years before.
In 1998, Peter Fitzgerald got $3,000, but returned $1,000. (Fitzgerald returned half of one $2,000 gift, presumably because it was over the legal limit.) In the fall of 1997, Levine gave State Comptroller Loleta Didrickson $1,000, after she had lost the 1996 U.S. Senate primary to State Rep. Al Salvi.
"It's a continuation of a culture that was established down there that we're fighting," he told the Tribune. "This is a continuation of a process that was ongoing and, very frankly, a process that involved key Republican players."
Indeed, Levine was Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Ryan’s largest contributor and, over the years, mightily pumped up Lee Daniels campaign funds. Looking at only state campaign contributions, Illinois media tagged Levine as a major Republican contributor.
Levine was a major GOP contributor in state politics, but a different picture emerges when one looks at contributions made to Federal candidates in Illinois (and elsewhere).
There is a much more bi-partisan flavor.
Federal law capped donations at $1,000 per election until McCain-Feingold raised them to $2,000 in 2002 or more, if a wealthy individual like Blair Hull pumped tens of millions into a campaign.
Levine gave $8,500 to Democrats in the 2004 race for U.S. Senate. A Republican got $2,000.
State Comptroller Dan Hynes got $2,500 right before the primary, while fellow Democrat Joyce Washington received $6,000 a year before. Levine gave $2,000 in pre-primary money to winning Republican candidate Jack Ryan.
The Democratic senatorial donations don’t mean that Levine had abandoned the Republican Party by 2004. On May 10, 2004, the Republican National Committee received $5,000 from Levine.
Four years earlier, when Republican George Ryan was governor, he gave $1,000 to the RNC’s Republican National Governors Association Conference soft money account. In 2001, the Federal account of the state GOP was given $5,000. He added another $10,000 in 2003.
Examining Levine’s contributions to Illinois congressmen shows support across the political spectrum—from Luis Guetierrez to Tim Johnson.
Bi-partisanship was Levine’s mode of operation.
The most recent contribution--in March of 2004—was $1,000 to Chicago Democratic Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.
Since U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert is from Illinois, it probably is not a big surprise that he was a relatively major recipient of Levine’s largess.
In 2003, Speaker Dennis Hastert’s Keep Our Majority PAC was given $5,000 by Levine. In addition, his personal political action committee received $3,250 in 2003. That followed $1,500 in 2000. His personal campaign committee received checks for $1,000 more in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Levine did not back Mark Kirk, the winner in the 2000 North Shore congressional race, when John Porter retired. Instead he made a 1999 contribution of $1,000 to Republican John Hochberg, who placed 4th. Then, Levine gave $1,000 to Democratic State Rep. Lauren Beth Gash in her general election contest with Kirk. Two years later, however, Levine did contribute $1,000 to victor Mark Kirk.
In 2001, Democratic Party Congressman Bobby Rush was given $1,000. This was preceded by $500 in 1999.
Chicago Democrat Luis Guetierrez received $1,000 in the fall of 1997. On March 21, 2000, Guetierrez received $1,000 more.
A day before, Congressman Ray LaHood got $1,000. LaHood returned it a month and a half later, but Levine didn’t cash the check, so he did so again on May 10, 2005.
“The first time he had come to Washington with some other people to ask for some help getting some land transferred for a VA hospital,” Congressman LaHood told me shortly after the indictment last year. “I was on the VA subcommittee of the appropriations committee at the time and I determined that it was not going to be possible to be helpful to them. But I did receive a check, which I returned immediately."
Although repeated attempts were made to return the money, according to the
congressman’s staff, the check was never cashed.
“I have a policy in my office that we are assisting people with problems,” he continued, “whether they be Social Security, Medicare, bureaucratic, I do not accept contributions from constituents whom we are trying to help. And in the past when we’ve helped somebody with Social Security or cut through Medicare (and we receive a check), our standing operating policy is to return the check."
LaHood also has a policy of returning any campaign contribution if the contributor is indicted, so when he read of Levine’s indictment in the alleged Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board and Chicago Medical School charity scam, the 2000 contribution came to mind. Because the $1,000 check LaHood’s campaign had written Levine in 2000 had never been cashed, a second check was sent.
Tim Johnson, running for Congress for the first time in 2000, received $1,000 in both the primary and general elections. Ever the bi-partisan, Levine also contributed $250 to Johnson’s Democratic opponent, Michael Kelleher.
Democrat Congressman Lane Evans got $1,000 in June of 2000. Lane’s 17th District Victory Fund also received $1,500.
At the end of 1999, Congressman John Porter returned $1,000—half of the $2,000 he had received in June--to Levine. In 1999, the maximum contribution allowed was $1,000.
In 1998, U.S. Rep. Jerry Weller received $1,000 for the November election, as did John Shimkus. Shimkus was first elected to Congress in 1996, Weller in 1994.
In the spring of 1997, Levine backed another Illinois Democrat, Jay Robert Pritzker. He got $2,000, half of which was returned two years later. Again, the reason for the return may have been the $1,000 campaign contribution limit.
In earlier Illinois U.S. Senate races, Levin also backed the 2002 GOP primary winner, contributing $1,000 to Jim Durkin. But he had given Durkin’s opponent, incumbent Senator Dick Durbin (D-Springfield), $1,000 two years before.
In 1998, Peter Fitzgerald got $3,000, but returned $1,000. (Fitzgerald returned half of one $2,000 gift, presumably because it was over the legal limit.) In the fall of 1997, Levine gave State Comptroller Loleta Didrickson $1,000, after she had lost the 1996 U.S. Senate primary to State Rep. Al Salvi.
