Mayor Rahm Emanuel has received $400,000 in political donations that he was able to keep only because the state’s campaign contribution limits were eliminated through the actions of an obscure candidate who threatened to run, but didn’t.
The contribution limits were lifted for everyone in the Chicago mayoral race last month after frequent local candidate William J. Kelly filed paperwork in October showing he gave his own campaign $100,000. Under state law, once a candidate in a local race contributes $100,000 to his or her own campaign within one year of an election, the state contribution caps no longer apply.
But Kelly didn’t file the necessary petition signatures by Monday’s deadline to appear on the ballot. Nonetheless, the lifting of the campaign limits remains in place.
Emanuel has cashed in as a result.
Since Nov. 18, state campaign finance records show Emanuel has received three contributions above the contribution limits, which are $5,300 for an individual, $10,500 for corporations and $52,600 for political action committees.
The mayor reported receiving $100,000 from a construction and laborers PAC and $200,000 from a plumbers and pipe fitters PAC. A third $100,000 contribution came from a retired Texas hedge fund manager.
In all three cases, the contributors already had given the maximum contribution to Emanuel.
The mayor’s campaign spokesman, Steve Mayberry, declined to make Emanuel available for an interview on the campaign contributions. Mayberry said the campaign would have no comment on the campaign asking donors to re-up for more contributions after the limits were lifted.
Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, who is running to unseat Emanuel, said the mayor’s decision to exceed the limits by going back to wealthy contributors for more campaign cash shows that Emanuel is “the candidate of the wealthy and the 1 percent.”
Emanuel’s single $200,000 contribution from the plumbers and pipe fitters PAC was nearly as much as Garcia has raised since he entered the race in October. Emanuel had nearly $8.7 million in his campaign fund through the end of September and has raised at least $428,000 since then, according to state campaign finance records.
“Why would anyone who already has $9 million be trying to raise as much money as they can simply to ensure there isn’t a healthy debate and a level playing field?” said Garcia, who so far has reported raising $214,000 “Obviously, he feels his strength is money, money and some more money, and he thinks he can overwhelm everyone.”
Ald. Robert Fioretti, 2nd, who also is running against Emanuel, said he’s been focused on collecting $25, $50 and $100 contributions from regular citizens. Fioretti had $258,000 in his campaign fund at the end of September and has raised about $52,000 since, records show.
“Big money has taken over this City Hall, thanks to Rahm Emanuel,” Fioretti said. “Blowing the caps helps Rahm, and someone who isn’t even running did it for him.”
The UA Political Education Committee, a Maryland-based plumbing and pipe fitters PAC, gave Emanuel $200,000 on Nov. 10 after it had contributed the state maximum of $52,600 to Emanuel in June 2013, according to state campaign finance records. A second PAC associated with the union gave another maximum contribution last December, records show.
The Construction and General Laborers District Council of Chicago & Vicinity contributed $100,000 to the mayor on Nov. 14 after it also made a maximum $52,600 contribution to Emanuel in June 2013, records show.
Emanuel’s third donor to re-contribute after making a maximum contribution is John Arnold, a retired billionaire hedge fund manager and former Enron executive who runs a foundation with his wife, Laura Arnold.
Both John and Laura Arnold gave the maximum $5,300 individual contribution to Emanuel in November 2013. The mayor’s campaign reported another $100,000 contribution from John Arnold this week.
In addition, Laura Arnold gave $100,000 in September to Chicago Forward, an Emanuel-aligned super PAC that is not subject to state contribution limits, but by law cannot coordinate with the mayor’s campaign.
In October, when Kelly made such contributions possible by contributing $100,000 to his own campaign, Garcia said he wished the limits had remained in place.
“I generally abhor money in politics, especially large amounts of money. I think they’re anti-democratic. I think they turn people off. It breeds cynicism,” Garcia said in October. “I think we’ll be able to raise what we need to deliver our message, but money can’t buy you love.”
Garcia said this week he still believes the race would be better off with limits in place, but said he would not rule out accepting contributions over those thresholds to remain competitive.
“If we benefit from the blowing of the caps, it will only be incidental and accidental. That’s not our strength. Our strength is people,” Garcia said. “In an effort to try to level the playing field, we will accept contributions in excess of what the caps used to be, but that’s only to somewhat mitigate the circumstances.”
Asked if there was any way he could benefit from there being no contribution limits, Fioretti quipped, “Not unless you can give me the numbers of a few millionaires or billionaires who are ready to make some contributions.”
Twitter @BillRuthhart
