Marathon Pundit: Joel Pollak to file ethics complaint against Jan Schakowsky over favor to donor

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Joel Pollak to file ethics complaint against Jan Schakowsky over favor to donor

One of Mrs. Marathon Pundit's friends lost her home to foreclosure. But she didn't contribute money to the campaign fund of Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston). Perhaps she should have.

From a Joel Pollak campaign press release:

NILES, IL - Joel Pollak, Republican challenger in the 9th district of Illinois, will file an ethics complaint Monday with the Office of Congressional Ethics against incumbent Democrat Jan Schakowsky over her intervention to help a wealthy political contributor re-negotiate the terms of his loans with a failed bank.

The complaint alleges:

"At the urging of one of her contributors, Mr. Balvinder Singh ($500 in 2004, $2000 in 2006), Rep. Schakowsky pressured United Central Bank to ease the terms of repayment for loans he and other borrowers obtained from its failed predecessor, Mutual Bank of Harvey. She has not offered similar help to the many thousands of homeowners and business owners in her district who are struggling to pay their loans."

The complaint further alleges that Schakowsky violated House of Representatives guidelines on assisting contributors:

"Because a Member’s obligations are to all constituents equally, considerations such as political support, party affiliation, or campaign contributions should not affect either the decision of a Member to provide assistance or the quality of help that is given... House Members, too, should be aware of the appearance of impropriety that could arise from championing the causes of contributors and take care not to show favoritism to them over other constituents." (House Ethics Manual, 2008 edition, pp. 308-9)

The complaint will be filed on Monday with the Office of Congressional Ethics, according to Pollak for Congress campaign manager Ashley Kain, due to a Jewish holiday falling today and Friday, which Pollak is observing.

"The people of the 9th district are tired of the corrupt 'Chicago way' that Jan Schakowsky represents," Kain said. "Joel Pollak is standing up to corruption and fighting for a fresh start."

According to an article published today by Steve Daniels in Crain's Chicago Business, Mr. Singh has contributed over $30,000 to Democratic candidates.

The Mutual Bank of Harvey was the same bank that facilitated a questionable real estate deal between Barack Obama and Tony Rezko, who was later convicted of fraud. The bank's former CEO was also a fundraiser for disgraced former governor Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted last month of lying to the FBI.

The south suburban bank loaned the funds for Rita Rezko to purchase the property south of the Obama mansion, "the Rezko lot," pictured on the right two years ago.

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