Robert A. Clifford wrote an article for the Chicago Tribune titled, “Who Bankrolls the Supreme Court?” The respected Chicago lawyer discussed the topic of bankrolling judicial elections in Illinois. He expressed that voters should be able to know all of the facts, including full disclosures of the donors who donate to the judges’ campaigns.
Specifically, he wrote about the nearly $6 million contributions that were donated anonymously in 2004 to elect Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lloyd Karmeier, and the Campaign for 2016 which focused on educating the public on why he should not have been retained in November’s election. He emphasizes that allowing donors to hide their identities is not ethical.
The article is available to subscribers of Chicago Tribune. If you’re a subscriber, you can read Clifford article in its entirety here.