Aviation Integrity Project: Blagojevich's stance on O'Hare proving lucrative

AIP in the News

The Daily Herald
Oct. 5, 2002

Blagojevich's stance on O'Hare proving lucrative

By Eric Krol, Daily Herald Political Writer

Democratic governor nominee Rod Blagojevich's endorsement of expansion at O'Hare International Airport is proving lucrative for his campaign, with airport contractors providing 8 percent of his total take.

The Blagojevich for Governor fund has taken in more than $802,000 in the past year from companies and construction firms that hold $237 million in city contracts for O'Hare work.

The contracts, which are paid for by airline ticket fees, are approved by Mayor Richard M. Daley's administration. Daley also is Blagojevich's campaign chairman. By comparison, Republican governor candidate Jim Ryan, who is open to expansion but not the plan pushed by Daley and Gov. George Ryan, has collected about $101,000 in campaign donations from those with O'Hare contracts. Donors to Jim Ryan hold $144 million in O'Hare contracts.

That analysis comes from candidates' campaign finance reports and O'Hare capital contracts provided by the Aviation Integrity Project, which was formed by Bensenville, Elk Grove Village, Park Ridge and Wood Dale, suburbs fighting O'Hare expansion.

The project's executive director suggests it's not hard to figure out why the companies are contributing heavily to Blagojevich.

"They (the firms) want to make sure Blagojevich keeps pouring more money into the trough," said executive director Terrence Brunner, former head of the watchdog Better Government Association. "If Blagojevich wins, he'll be owned by the O'Hare contractor crowd."

Blagojevich spokesman Billy Weinberg said he doesn't "buy the premise this is based on simple support for their contracts." Weinberg said businesses are giving to Blagojevich's campaign because they think he'll be a better option to help the state's economy.

"I think we invite the distinction that Rod Blagojevich is going to be better for the business community than Jim Ryan," Weinberg said. "If that's the implication, we agree with it."

Jim Ryan spokesman Dan Curry disputed that notion.

"He (Blagojevich) is the better option to turn around the personal finances of the group's he pandering to," not the state's economy, Curry said.

Of his 33 O'Hare-related donors, Blagojevich's biggest one is Christopher G. Kelly, who funneled $583,500 from four related South suburban companies, including two that hold nearly $24 million in O'Hare capital improvement work granted by the city. Weinberg described Kelly as a longtime friend of Blagojevich and the campaign's finance chairman. Kelly did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Pat Harbour and Raymond Chin gave $15,000 to Blagojevich. Their company, Airport Owners Representatives, has $64 million in O'Hare capital contracts to do construction work on various parking garages, concourses and concession areas, among others.

Blagojevich's ability to outdistance Ryan in campaign donations from O'Hare contracts is part of what's contributing to his overall fund-raising lead. Blagojevich has raised $10.3 million through June 30, and the $802,000 from O'Hare vendors represents about 8 percent of his take the past year.