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EVENT TIMELINE
June 2001
O’Hare Timeline Events:
- Jerry Roper, chair of Chicagoland Chamber of Comerce, claims, “Based on my Durbin discussions, my Lipinski discussions, there is a deal out there.” (Chicago Sun-Times, 06/11/01)
Lipinski Moves
to Federalize O’Hare Decision
- Rep. Bill Lipinski (D-IL) introduces legislation in the House to remove Gov. Ryan’s veto power. In an editorial to the Tribune, Lipinski advocates a federal legislative takeover of the governor’s veto power at O’Hare.
Senate Hearings
Come to Chicago
- Sen.
Peter Fitzgerald (R-IL) moves to prevent Grassley/Harkin legislation on
the basis of procedural grounds. Grassley/Harkin legislation
is slated to be in front of appropriations. Fitzgerald presents a letter, signed by
McCain and Hollings, stating that legislation should appear before the Commerce,
Energy, and Transportation Committee. (Chicago Tribune,
06/01/01)
- Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) endorses
O’Hare expansion. “I’d prefer both expansion of
O’Hare and a new airport at Peotone. But I will respect whatever
decision is made by the mayor of Chicago and the governor of the state of
Illinois, because I think they knew best.” (Chicago Tribune, 06/15/01)
- McCain
and Sen. Rockefeller (D-WV) hold hearings in Chicago on airport
expansion. Tribune reports that the
senators ridicule O’Hare opponents (including Karaganis) for
exaggerating the projects costs and making unsubstantiated corruption
charges. They leave explicit instructions for
Daley and Ryan to make a deal by September 1, 2001. McCain also criticizes the city
for signing a contract with Southwest Airlines allow it to leave Midway in
exchange for investing if another airport is built within fifty
miles.
- Tom Daschle (D-SD) and Harry Reid (D-NV) sign a letter urging the senate to act on new runways for O’Hare this year (2001). The Tribune identifies the other signers of the letter as “key congressional leaders.” (Sun-Times 6/19/01)
- Chicago claims that the runway configuration plans that were “secretly drafted by city consultants in 1998” are “outdated and conceptual … Some major airlines, which have been lobbying for new runways to alleviate delays and expand flight capacity, are studying possible reconfigurations with the knowledge of the City, another source said. One of the ‘preferred’ runway realignment options closely mirrors a plan secretly drafted by city consultants in 1998.” (Chicago Sun-Times, 06/11/01)
Chicago Makes Its Proprosal
- United and American Airlines “waged a last minute campaign to convince Mayor Daley that he should propose building two new runways at O’Hare.” (Chicago Tribune, 06/29/01)
- Hastert
said that “building western roadway access to O’Hare Airport
should be on the table when Mayor Daley and Gov. Ryan negotiate the city’s
plan for new runways.” Blagojevich meets with
American Airlines lobbyists in his office. (Chicago Sun-Times, 06/28/01)
- Landrum & Brown publicly lays out the mayor’s design choices. (Chicago Tribune, 06/24/01)
- Daley releases his O’Hare expansion plan. His plan calls for the reconfiguration of the airfield layout and the addition of two new runways. A new 55-gate western terminal is included. Transit and road improvements included in Daley’s plan: western access road via the Elgin-O’Hare expressway, a CTA blue line extension into Schaumburg, express CTA service from O’Hare to downtown and a south shore train line extension to the Gary-Chicago Airport. Airline executives are described as “marveling at the plan…which goes far beyond what they had expected.” The plan calls for the acquisition of 433 acres of land and 540 houses in Bensenville, Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village and unincorporated Cook County. The Tribune reports that “the airlines were lobbying for four parallel runways to better handle traffic, so Daley delivered more than they had planned.” (Chicago Sun-Times 6/30/01)
Contributions:
- Rep. Kirk (R-IL) receives $3,500 in contributions:
- $1,000
from Sam Skinner,
CEO US Freightways, Civic Committee leader and former Secretary of
Transportation
- $500
from United Airlines
Vice President of Government Affairs
- $2,000 from airline industry lobby: General Dynamics lobby (Lester Crown), United and American Airlines
- Durbin receives $9,499 in contributions:
- $4,999 from airline industry lobby,
- $3,000 from attorneys at law firms representing United and American airlines,
- $500 from Victor Reyes (Former top aid to Mayor Daley turned Chicago power-lobbyist and broker of the Terminal-6 project at O’Hare valued at $6 billion),
- $1,000
from Thomas Pritzker, Civic
Committee leader
- Sen. Harkin (D-IA) receives $7,500 in contributions:
- $3,000 from Greenberg
Traurig, lobbyist for Civic Committee and United Airlines, and the Bill
Daley, Evercore Partners
- $3,500 from airline industry lobby
- $1,000 from Winston & Strawn attorney, American Airlines law firm
- Sen. Rockefeller (D-WV) receives $18,750:
- $17,000 from airline industry lobby, and
- On the same day, $500 from Gery Chico, Altheimer & Gray and United Airlines lobbyist and fix-man along with Oscar D’Angelo on the “independent” Booz, Allen & Hamilton report examining O’Hare expansion, and
- $1,250 from Winston
& Strawn lawyers (American Airlines law firm) all on the same day
- In the last week of June, eight (8) Winston & Strawn attorneys donate $5,750 (total) to Carnahan, Rockefeller, Durbin, Harkin and Johnson. Six give synchronized contributions to Durbin and Rockefeller.
Table:
Summary of June 2000 Political Contributions from Airline Executives, Airline
Industry Lobbyists and Civic Committee Members
|
MMYY |
AIRLINE EXECS |
CIVIC CMTE |
INDUSTRY PAC |
LAW FIRM |
LOBBYIST |
Grand Total |
|
Grand
Total |
$500 |
$2,500 |
$104,999 |
$14,050 |
$3,500 |
$125,549 |
Table:
Detail of June 2000 Political Contributions from Airline Executives, Airline
Industry Lobbyists and Civic Committee Members
|
CONTRIBUTOR |
TITLE |
AFFILIATION |
AFFILCAT |
AMOUNT |
DATE |
RECIPIENT |
Committee & Rank |
CMBR |
PARTY |
STATE |
|
General
Dynamics PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 500 |
06/01/01 |
Durbin |
Not a
member of Commerce Cmte |
Senate |
D |
IL |
|
General
Dynamics PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 500 |
06/01/01 |
Kirk |
Aviation
Subcmte |
House |
R |
IL |
|
Air
Transportation Association of America PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 1,000 |
06/04/01 |
Young |
Chair,
Transportation Cmte |
House |
R |
AK |
|
Aircraft
Owners & Pilots Association PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 5,000 |
06/05/01 |
Hayes |
Aviation
Subcmte |
House |
R |
NC |
|
Cole,
Thomas |
Chairman |
Sidley
& Austin |
CIVIC
CMTE |
$ 500 |
06/06/01 |
Cleland |
Aviation
Subcmte |
Senate |
D |
GA |
|
Aircraft
Owners & Pilots Association PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 4,000 |
06/07/01 |
Stevens |
Aviation
Subcmte |
Senate |
R |
AK |
|
Delta
Airlines Inc. PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 1,000 |
06/08/01 |
Duncan |
Aviation
Subcmte |
House |
R |
TN |
|
Skinner,
Samuel |
CEO |
US
Freightways |
CIVIC
CMTE |
$ 500 |
06/08/01 |
Kirk |
Aviation
Subcmte |
House |
R |
IL |
|
Skinner,
Samuel |
CEO |
US
Freightways |
CIVIC
CMTE |
$ 500 |
06/08/01 |
Kirk |
Aviation
Subcmte |
House |
R |
IL |
|
Waite,
Norman Jr. |
NA |
Winston
& Strawn |
LAW FIRM |
$ 300 |
06/08/01 |
NRCCC |
na |
NA |
R |
NA |
|
Delta
Airlines Inc. PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 5,000 |
06/08/01 |
Rockefeller |
Chair,
Aviation Subcmte |
Senate |
D |
WV |
|
Delta
Airlines Inc. PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 5,000 |
06/08/01 |
Rockefeller |
Chair,
Aviation Subcmte |
Senate |
D |
WV |
|
American
Airlines PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 1,000 |
06/11/01 |
Carson |
Aviation
Subcmte |
House |
D |
OK |
|
American
Airlines PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 1,000 |
06/11/01 |
Johnson |
Aviation
Subcmte |
House |
R |
IL |
|
American
Airlines PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 500 |
06/11/01 |
Johnson |
Aviation
Subcmte |
House |
R |
IL |
|
American
Airlines PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 500 |
06/11/01 |
Johnson |
Aviation
Subcmte |
House |
R |
IL |
|
American
Airlines PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 1,000 |
06/11/01 |
Kirk |
Aviation
Subcmte |
House |
R |
IL |
|
Anthony,
Beryl F., Jr. |
NA |
Winston
& Strawn |
LAW FIRM |
$ 500 |
06/12/01 |
Carnahan |
Aviation
Subcmte |
Senate |
D |
MO |
|
Airline
Pilots Association PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 1,500 |
06/13/01 |
Boswell |
Aviation
Subcmte |
House |
D |
IA |
|
Airline
Pilots Association PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 2,500 |
06/13/01 |
Carnahan |
Aviation
Subcmte |
Senate |
D |
MO |
|
Airline
Pilots Association PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 2,500 |
06/13/01 |
DeFazio |
Aviation
Subcmte |
House |
D |
OR |
|
Airline
Pilots Association PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 1,500 |
06/13/01 |
Duncan |
Aviation
Subcmte |
House |
R |
TN |
|
American
Airlines PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 641 |
06/13/01 |
Durbin |
Not a
member of Commerce Cmte |
Senate |
D |
IL |
|
American
Airlines PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 358 |
06/13/01 |
Durbin |
Not a
member of Commerce Cmte |
Senate |
D |
IL |
|
Airline
Pilots Association PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 2,500 |
06/13/01 |
Durbin |
Not a
member of Commerce Cmte |
Senate |
D |
IL |
|
Airline
Pilots Association PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 1,500 |
06/13/01 |
Holden |
Aviation
Subcmte |
House |
D |
PA |
|
Airline
Pilots Association PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 1,000 |
06/13/01 |
Johnson |
Aviation
Subcmte |
House |
R |
IL |
|
Airline
Pilots Association PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 1,000 |
06/13/01 |
Kelly |
Aviation
Subcmte |
House |
R |
NY |
|
Airline
Pilots Association PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 2,500 |
06/13/01 |
Menendez |
Aviation
Subcmte |
House |
D |
NJ |
|
Allied
Pilots Association PAC |
NA |
NA |
INDUSTRY
PAC |
$ 1,000 |
06/13/01 |
Mica |
Chair,
Subcmte |
House |
R |