DuPage County Forest Preserve Commissioners accept unlimited campaign contributions from companies doing business with the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. This is unethical and should be illegal!

One of the worst offenders is incumbant District 2 DuPage County Forest Preserve Commissioner Joe Cantore. Cantore accepts unlimited campaign contributions from companies where he has voted to approve "no bid contracts"  - contracts totaling MILLIONS of our tax dollars.

“Accepting any campaign contributions from any companies doing business with the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County is unethical. It should be illegal” states Don Kirchenberg, candidate for Forest Preserve Commissioner, District 2.

“I have not and will not accept any monies from any company doing business or seeking to do business with the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County.”

These donations were reported to the IL State Board of Elections. Don Kirchenberg explains “the recent contributions to Commissioner Cantore from his fundraiser held in October will not have to be reported until year end. Here are enough examples that show a bad pattern that we believe is wrong.”

• Cantore reported $2,800.00 in campaign contributions from Kuhn Mitchell Moss a Naperville law firm. In the past two years, Cantore has approved Forest Preserve payments in no-bid contracts to Kuhn Mitchell Moss in an amount exceeding $640,000 for legal services.

• Cantore reported $1,000.00 in campaign contributions from Chapman & Cutler a Chicago law firm. In the past two years, Cantore has approved Forest Preserve payments in no-bid contracts to Chapman & Cutler in an amount exceeding $175,000 for legal services.

• Cantore reported $900.00 in campaign contributions from Day & Robert PC a Naperville law firm. In the past two years, Cantore has approved Forest Preserve payments in no-bid contracts to Day & Robert in an amount exceeding $325,000 for legal services.

• Cantore reported $750.00 in campaign contributions from Wight Architects and its owners. In the past two years, Cantore has approved Forest Preserve payments in no-bid contracts to Wight Architects in an amount exceeding $300,000 for design work for development (new building, etc) at Willowbrook Forest Preserve.

• Cantore reported $850.00 in campaign contributions from Christopher Burke Engineering. In the past two years, Cantore has approved Forest Preserve payments in no-bid contracts to Christopher Burke Engineering in an amount exceeding $150,000.

• Cantore reported $350.00 in campaign contributions from Coffman Truck Sales owner Frank Coffman. In the past two years, Cantore has approved Forest Preserve payments in no-bid contracts to Coffman Truck Sales for the purchase of truck parts in an amount exceeding $30,000.

The State of Illinois made it illegal for state officials to accept campaign contributions from individuals and companies seeking to do business with the State.

Why hasn't the Board of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County adopted an ordinace to prohibit these types of pay-to-play contributions? 

Ref: 

http://www.elections.il.gov/CampaignDisclosure/ContributionsSearchByAllContributions.aspx