Generally a State Rep getting a whole Trib Editorial would be good, but sometimes getting your name in the press is bad.
What Franks did apparently is legal, even under tough new ethics rules that went into law last year. But there’s no escaping that he used his influence as a state lawmaker to lobby on behalf of a legal client, and that’s unethical.
Franks says all this attention he’s getting is just “political payback by our governor because … I’ve been a vocal critic of his.”
Earth to Jack Franks: Illinois is trying to recover from the broadest corruption scandal in the state’s history. The state passed an ethics law last year that was supposed to remind lawmakers that their priority is supposed to be the people’s business, not wielding their influence to line their wallets. His party, the Democrats, won back the governor’s office for the first time in a quarter century because their candidate, Blagojevich, promised the end of business as usual.
The Health Facilities Planning Board has a long history of being a lucrative playground for politically connected consultants. Franks’ activities might never have been noticed. But the Health Facilities Planning Board has come under federal scrutiny for allegations of influence peddling in a case that’s unrelated to Mercy Health Care Systems. The health board is likely to get a lot of scrutiny in the coming months.
This is how things work in Illinois politics. This is how things have always worked in Illinois politics. Just business as usual.
Payback by the Guv? Errr…the Guv is in trouble on this one too.
Does this surprise anybody who knows Jack? Jack is in politics to line his pockets. He failed to make money by supporting Blago in the govenor’s election so now it’s payback time. Jack was told how Blago works and stated that he knew him well and his being govenor is best for Illinois, if Jack can pocket money.