January 9, 2007

On his first full day in office, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias signed an executive order Tuesday that prohibits his campaign fund from accepting contributions from banks, Treasurer’s Office employees and contractors who do business with his office.

The order – the toughest of any ethics measure in state government – aims to eliminate the possibility or even the perception that the Treasurer’s Office would receive political contributions in exchange for lucrative contracts or political favors.

“Pay-to-play politics seems all but ingrained into our system of government,” Giannoulias said. “It erodes public confidence in our elected officials and poisons the political climate. Illinois needs tough ethics reform that separates government from politics.”

In addition to placing restrictions on financial contributions, Giannoulias’ six-point plan, modeled after a similar order put into effect by State Comptroller Dan Hynes, requires more disclosure from those seeking to do business with the Treasurer’s Office and places limits on lobbyist activity.

Cindi Canary, director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, applauded Giannoulias' effort.

“Illinois has a long history of blurring the lines between government and political campaigns,” Canary said. “This order goes a long way toward changing the way the state conducts business.”

Giannoulias’ executive order signed today will:

• Ban contributions from banks. Giannoulias will not accept campaign contributions from banks, the primary interests that seek to do business with the Treasurer’s Office, regardless of whether or not a bank currently does business with the office.
• Prohibit contributions from contractors doing business with the Treasurer’s Office. No individual or business that has received a contract from the Treasurer’s Office can contribute to Giannoulias’ campaign fund.
• Require transparency in bidding process. All bidders of contracts of $10,000 or more awarded by the Treasurer’s Office must disclose all contributions to Giannoulias’ campaign fund.
• Ban contributions from office employees. No Treasurer’s Office employee can contribute to his campaign fund.
• Bar lobbying by former employees. Any employee who leaves the Treasurer’s Office cannot lobby the office for two years from their date of his or her departure.
• Forbid lobbyist gifts. Treasurer’s Office employees are no longer allowed to accept gifts from lobbyists, regardless of value.
• Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, a former Democratic state treasurer, appeared at the news conference with Giannoulias and called the proposal a “great signal to the people of this state.”

“The best way to prevent corruption is to have strong, solid ethics laws,” Quinn said.

The ethics package received bipartisan support. State Sen. John Millner (R-St. Charles) said Giannoulias is “swiftly taking action and taking immediate steps to set the tone for his office. It’s refreshing to see on his first day in office, someone who has kept a campaign promise and moved forward with action.”

Calling these measures “a good first step,” Giannoulias also plans to introduce additional reforms to his office. Giannoulias created a subcommittee within his Transition Committee that has recommended other ethics- and campaign-financed based initiatives that he intends to review and eventually implement.

In addition, Giannoulias voiced his support for House Bill 1, which State Comptroller Hynes helped write. The bill is co-sponsored by State Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago) and endorsed by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. The bill would make it illegal for officeholders to accept campaign contributions from large contractors and would require more transparency in the bidding of state contracts.

“It’s time we pass meaningful laws that will end the connection between political contributions and lucrative state contracts that has given Illinois a black eye,”
Giannoulias said.