Home / Finance / Legal Finance | Cook County Campaign Finance Law Too Strict, Attorney Says
June 4, 2011 by ?
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Cook County commissioners are going back to the drawing board after their legal counsel suggested the stricter campaign finance law they passed last year ? and aimed at Assessor Joe Berrios ? was unconstitutional.
In September, Cook County commissioners reshaped an ethics ordinance that calls on the assessor, among other elected leaders, to return donations exceeding $1,500 in an election cycle from attorneys appealing real estate tax assessments in the county.
The law was aimed at Berrios, who accepted thousands in campaign donations from attorneys who appeal property tax cases before the county tax appeals Board of Review.
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The opinion said the county?s law was too strict since state campaign finance law only bars individuals from giving more than $5,000 to a candidate; businesses, unions and other associations can give $10,000.
Commissioners Larry Suffredin, Liz Doody Gorman and Joan Patricia Murphy have since proposed an amendment that would undo the tighter restrictions, though Suffredin removed himself from sponsorship saying he didn?t agree to the language in the measure introduced this week. The measure is currently before the board?s finance committee and could come up for a vote before the board later this month.
Berrios, who has been in a legal battle with the board of ethics over charges he accepted contributions in excess of $750 in the general election, is taking a wait and see attitude but says he hopes the board is on the right track.
?The way I look at it they?re just trying to correct the law because they?re overreaching their authority,? he said.
Gorman, a southwest suburban Republican, on Wednesday said Berrios is right.
?Based on this legal opinion, we?re restricted to limiting campaign contributions for those on the county board and the president,? he said.
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Source: http://silvager.com/legal-finance-cook-county-campaign-finance-law-too-strict-attorney-says/
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