(Springfield, IL) — The Illinois Supreme Court is ruling that campaign funds can be used to pay criminal defense attorneys in some cases. The ruling was handed down yesterday in response to a case involving former Chicago Alderman Danny Solis. He avoided federal prosecution by agreeing to cooperate with the feds in their investigation of Chicago Alderman Ed Burke, who was indicted in 2019 on federal corruption charges. Solis’ successor, Alderman Byron Sigcho Lopez, filed a complaint claiming Solis used campaign funds for defense lawyers while under federal investigation. The state’s high court found that the Illinois Board of Elections can rule on a case-by-case basis since the General Assembly doesn’t ban the payment of criminal defense attorney fees with campaign funds.
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Colin McIntyre/jb
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