Cook County state’s attorney candidate Kim Foxx was fined nearly $20,000 Monday by the Illinois State Board of Elections after missing a variety of deadlines for filing campaign disclosure forms and failing to report a substantial donation from Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.
In February, the Illinois State Board of Elections ruled unanimously that Foxx violated campaign finance law by not disclosing a $25,000 donation from Preckwinkle. The donation was used to pay for a campaign poll.
Foxx previously served as Preckwinkle's chief of staff.
Foxx is also being fined for filing a quarterly campaign report 73 days late and for reporting 10 individual contributions of $1,000 or more one day late.
The Board of Elections ruling assessed fines of $40,250 against Foxx’s campaign for 13 seperate violations of campaign finance laws and regulations. The election board provides relief for first and second time campaign finance offenses, so the Foxx campaign will instead be tasked with paying $19,450 in fines.
During a speech at the City Club in February, Foxx made it clear that she and her campaign disagreed with the election board's ruling.
“The state board of elections has made their ruling,” Foxx said. “We disagree with it and we’re moving on.”
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The Foxx campaign intends to appeal the fines.
“This is one of the largest fines, if not the largest fine ever, to be imposed by the state board of elections against a candidate running for countywide office,” said Alvarez's election attorney Burt Odelson.
Incumbent State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez filed the complaint against Foxx after she failed to report the poll paid for by Preckwinkle.
“How can we trust Kim Foxx to enforce the law as state’s attorney when she’s repeatedly proved herself unwilling or unable to follow the laws as a candidate,” Alvarez campaign spokesman Mike Carson said in a statement.
Alvarez's campaign donations have also come under scrutiny amid reports that she has received campaign donations from 59 workers in her office.
In the third quarter of 2015, Alvarez received 69 donations from 42 state’s attorney’s office employees totaling more than $14,000.
Alvarez came under fire in the wake of the Laquan McDonald shooting in October of 2014. McDonald, a Chicago teen, was shot and killed by Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke.
Van Dyke was not charged with McDonald’s murder until November of 2015 when dash-cam footage of the incident was being made public as a result of a Freedom of Information Act request.
Foxx was recently endorsed by the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune.
Foxx, Alvarez and former state and federal prosecutor Donna More will face off in the March 15 Democratic primary for Cook County State's Attorney.
Christopher Pfannkuche will run uncontested on the Republican ballot.
