Bambenek Charges Quinn Appointments Break Partisan Rules

State Senate candidate John Bambenek claims that many independents appointed to boards and commissions by Gov. Pat Quinn are actually Democrats.

The Champaign Republican said many of Quinn's appointees listed as Independent are actually Democrats as defined by state election law --- because they voted in recent Democratic primaries. One example Bamanek considers to be the most blatant is Illinois Human Rights Commissioner Terry Cosgrove, whose political action committee, Personal PAC, supported Quinn's campaign last year.

"It's no secret that Terry Cosgrove is a Democrat," Bambenek said. "He's voted Democrat his entire life. He's known by Pat Quinn personally; he's known by many of the senators personally. For him to show up suddenly as an Independent when he's up for a state job on a committee that has a partisan balance requirement, it defies credulity that that was not an intentional choice on the part of Pat Quinn."

Other Independents with Democratic voting records listed by Bambenek include Illinois State Board of Education member David Fields (a former Danville school superintendent), and University of Illinois Trustee Lawrence Oliver. Citing that example, Quinn's press secretary, Brooke Anderson, said Oliver had not voted in a primary, and declared himself as an Independent when he was interviewed.

Anderson said many appointees are taken at their word, and some who have been appointed did the same thing as Oliver.

"Each candidate for an appointment goes through a thorough application, interview, and comprehensive vetting process," she said. "The majority of the governor's appointments have got to individuals who have applied to our web site. Political affiliation is evaluated at the time of the appointment based on the self-declaration of the candidate, and an additional review of the candidate's voting record,"

Bambenek said that by listing Democrats as Independents, Quinn is violating partisan balance rules on eleven state boards and commissions, and effectively allowing those panels to have more Democrats than the law allows. He says the practice raises questions about the legal status of those bodies that may have to be resolved by a judge.

"It could be that the last man out gets his appointment nullified," Bambenek speculated. "Somebody could turn around and say all the action of that board since this condition was true is null and void. You can stop elements of state government, because of this kind of egregious end-run around the law."

But Anderson said Bambenek's charge against the governor is not credible. She said Bambenek's summary of board and commission members includes errors, and fails to note that many of the members in question were appointed by previous governors. For instance, Independent Capital Development Board member Mark Ladd --- who Bambenek said voted in the 2010 Democratic primary --- was actually appointed in 2002, during the administration of then-Gov. George Ryan. Bambenek also lists Democrat Stephen Toth as a member of the Capital Development Board. But Anderson said Toth, whose term officially expired in 2008, has left the board.

John Bambenek is a Champaign resident who's seeking the Republican nomination for State Senate in the 52nd District. The newly redrawn district includes Champaign-Urbana and Danville. Champaign County Board Member Alan Nudo is also seeking the GOP nomination in that race. Democrat incumbent Mike Frerichs is running for re-election in the district.