Dupage Policy Journal

Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Westmont) is working on legislation to regulate how campaign money can be spent. This is specifically in response to former 25th Ward Alderman Danny Solis being accused of using $220,000 in campaign funds for legal fees pertaining to a public corruption investigation.

Mazzochi initially filed House Bill 2929 in 2020.

“The Illinois Supreme Court recently held oral arguments in a case regarding a complaint filed against former 25th Ward Alderman Danny Solis," Mazzochi said in a post to her official Facebook account. "Solis used $220,000 of campaign funds to pay lawyers who were defending him from federal investigations into wrongdoing and public corruption. Prior to reaching the Supreme Court, the State Board of Elections rejected the complaint and said that if the General Assembly wanted to enact a specific prohibition on this issue they would need to write it into law.  For several years I have been trying to do just that.”

Mazzochi believes that legal loopholes create many of the problems on this issue. 

“This shouldn’t be a matter of ambiguity in Illinois state law," Mazzochi said. "Regardless of how the court eventually interprets current campaign law, this shouldn’t remain a statutory loophole.  Letting this continue sends the wrong message: that literally, corrupt and unethical public officials who abused their office don’t have to pay for their misdeeds, they can just continue to abuse their office to troll for campaign funds and keep the insider game going." 

Mazzochi also believed it was a situation of protecting the rights of campaign donors.

"This is not what individuals donate to campaigns for," Mazzochi said. "Spending campaign donations to bail yourself out of your personal mess is a clear abuse, and it is time for this insider privilege to end.”

The legislation bans a public official accused of sexual harassment, discrimination, or other misconduct from using political campaign funds for legal defense fees. Mazzochi said that Alderman Solis’ case is not the first instance of misused campaign funds in Illinois.  Former House Speaker Mike Madigan used a significant amount of campaign money for legal bills pertaining to the ComEd corruption scandal and sexual harassment claims from his former chief of staff.  

Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne Burke recused herself from the decision, as her husband, Alderman Ed Burke, is also being federally charged. Mazzochi also filed HB 2929 earlier in February of 2021.