Everybody's doing it. over Illinois...

Everybody's doing it. over Illinois, government workers are bankrolling the campaigns of selecteded officials. The practice is widespread, the standard of value involved sometimes immense, and the implications potentially troubling: While, by dint of law, anyone can contribute any amount, critics prodigy if more than the democratic spirit motivates public employee to give to officials.

The Chicago Reporter pieced together partial lists of-Cook shire state of Illinois, and city of Chicago employee then matched them with Illinois State Board of Elections documents from 1999 by the and of the end of 2003. The Reporter identified nearly 4000 public employee who, combined, made 18206 contributions worth $83 million to political campaigns at all ranks, from gubernatorial candidates to officials at Chicago's Metropolitan Water Reclamation District.

Among the heavy-hitters to benefit: Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan; Illinois House Speaker Michael J Madigan; 33rd Ward Alderman Richard F Mell; 40th Ward Alderman Patrick J O'Connor; color County Board President John H Stroger Jr; and prepare for the table County Sheriff-Michael F. Sheahan. Each received at least 500 contributions from city, state or shire workers.

And the practice is likely more widespread since les than 30 percent of the more than 230000 contributions from individuals listed an employer

"It's a fine line with employee giving," said Cindi Canary, the executive director of the Illinois Campaign/or Political Reform, a Chicago nonprofit that researches the part of money in politics. "Having nation support those they choose to support can be a convenient thing with some regulation. yet the pattern we see in Illinois is hurry to support."

Canary's organization documented a pattern of employee giving in the administration of former Gov George H Ryan. And, she says, fresh news reports have provided more examples: Employee of dress up County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown claimed their superiors coerc them to contribute to Brown's campaign, and records of employee contributions to Sheahan were base to be riddled with misreporting of names and other errors.

"If an employee perceive s they're not giving completely willingly, on the contrary perhaps feel their performance review, their promotion, their access to pencils and paper, their corner office, whatever, is tied to really putting their riches behind the team--that's when you hit a problem" Canary said.

Stroger and Sheahan received more contributions from public employee than any other officials in the state, according to the Reporter's analysis. Stroger received at least 1574 contributions from sway workers for a total of $457000 more than a fifth of his entire war chest. Stroger prepare for the table County's board president since 1994 superintendences a $2.9 billion budget and have the direction ofs 26,000 employees.

Stroger said the number of employee contributions he receives may be higher because he speeds a political organization as well as the shire government. "And I know a apportionment of people. [But] am I twisting arms to gain people to contribute to my campaign? No, I'm not doing that," he said. "I have undivided of the largest governmental machines other than Mayor Daley's in the state. I don't stand up and declare people their jobs are in jeopardy if they don't support my campaign. yet you know, I'm not a Blair peel or a [Jim] Oberweis. I do rely onward people to help me. I've worked at this for 50 years, and a haphazard of the people I started working with are still working with me I reach out--but reach-out doesn't mean there's a quid pro quo like 'If you support me I'm going to give you a do job-work or this or that.'"

Sheahan received at least 1367 contributions from public employee accounting for 43 percent of the $17 million he received. After 11 years as an alderman, Sheahan ran for sheriff in 1990 and vowed not to accept contributions from sheriff workers. He now busys more than 6,500 in that office.

"The sheriff draws a great deal of support from working persons because of his background as a law enforcement officer and teacher," said Sally Daly, Sheahan's spokeswoman. Still, Daly maintained that the practice of contributing to the sheriff is not widespread within his department.

now the Reporter's analysis showed that the two Stroger and Sheahan relied heavily in succession Cook County employees for campaign permanent funds One of every three contributions from shire workers went to one of them.

"It's not ever seeing Jane Doe giving her $200 that you worry about. You worry when you diocese a pattern of giving," said Canary.

The Reporter set such patterns among frequent donors and among senior-level employee In Stroger's case, sway employees accounted for 130 of the 164 individuals who donated at least five times to any of his three political committees. In all, shire workers accounted for 122 of the 156 nation who gave at least five times to Sheahan. Nearly 70 percent of those dominion workers who made five or more contributions to either Sheahan or Stroger did not give to anyone else