What Will Jack Franks Do with the Money that Ed Burke Contributed?

One of Jack Franks $5,000 contributors in his 2016 McHenry County Board Chairman race was Chicago Alderman Ed Burke.

The Chicago Tribune reports the following in this column by Kristen McQueary:

A federal investigation and ‘The Burke Effect’

Ed Burke

It’s not the money.

It’s the relationships.

With Chicago Ald. Ed Burke, 14th, walking a federal investigation tightrope, his allies are starting to scram.

Have you noticed?

The scene of federal agents marching boxes out of a politician’s office sure takes the shine off a pinky ring. Under pressure Chicago mayoral candidates Toni Preckwinkle and Susana Mendoza announced recently they would not spend money Burke had donated to their campaigns.

Jack Franks, his father, and a bunch of highly placed Democratic Party office holders (think folks like Jesse White, Ed Burke) go fishing in Canada the latter part of June each year. While this 2018  fish that Franks put on the official County newsletter is big, he is a decidedly small fish in the pond of Democrats in Canada.

Two candidates for Mayor–Cook County Board Chairwoman Toni Preckwinkle and State Comptroller Susana Mendoza–decided to give money from Burke to charities.

Wanting to have a chance of claiming the reformer mantle, Mendoza and Preckwinkle want to distance themselves as far from the most recent Chicago Alderman to attract the attention of the FBI.

And, as Tribune Editorial Board member points out there was “pressure from the media.”

Not much chance of similar pressure being applied by the Northwest Herald, of course, but it could happen.

If it does, there’s more than $5,000 to write about that Franks’ Canadian fishing buddy had given campaigns of Jack Franks.

In fact, he is a regular supporter through his Burham Fund:

Jack Franks’ 2017 Canadian fish.

2/25/4 – $300
2/24/5 – $200
7/24/6 – $250
6/24/8 – $500
12/12/8 – $500
3/11/9 – $250
6/23/9 – $250
2/24/12 – $300
8/3/12 – $250
6/21/13 – $250
2/19/15 – $250
7/20/15 – $250
2/20/26 – $500
9/29/16 – $5,000

But, Burke does moe than send checks.

He lends his name to Jack Franks’ Chicago fundraisers.

He has been a front page sponsor of Jack Franks’ Chicago fundraisers:

Jack Franks doesn’t have Mike Madigan as a headliner on this year’s Chicago fundraiser. Madigan has become too toxic. He has Secretary of State Jesse White, Chicago Alderman Ed Burke and Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart.

Republican opponens charge that a vote for Jack Franks was a vote for Mike Madigan. Franks voted for Madigan for House Speaker and Madigan is chairing Ed Burke.


Comments

What Will Jack Franks Do with the Money that Ed Burke Contributed? — 13 Comments

  1. “There is no honor among thieves” is a truism that best describes these corrupt machine DEMOCRATS.

    Jumbo Boy and his missing toilets personifies said political party.

  2. It’s a sad commentary on the state of affairs in Illinois when the Chicago Alderman who is chair of the powerful Chicago Finance Committee has his offices ransacked by the FBI on the same day as his wife is being sworne in as a state Supreme Court Justice.

  3. Sounds like he will need that money to pay $2400/hour to his lawyers.

  4. I’ll pay attention to these showtime political investigations, when they start resulting in lion feeding’s, along with citizen spectator’s getting free concession beer.

  5. It the NWH today 12/27/18…is a two page bio on the “legacy” of Herb Franks” pages 8 & 9…………..

    My main question is Does Franks hire a PR person then get him a job at the NWH Or do they hire them after they get the job?

    Ken Craver left the paper and is now working full time for Franks….and Komenda looks like that is his agenda also..

  6. They will all, some fine day, be put into a prison camp on a remote Aleutian Island (Adak Isle?)

    Then Jacko can whine them all to sleep.

  7. Jack be nimble,
    Jack be quick,
    Jack got hung up
    With his victim-schtick!

  8. Something puzzles me.

    For people as savvy as Franks and the two professional political operators supposedly are, why did they think they could get away with forming a shadow group and go over the $5K limit after which they are required to report their committee to the State Board of Elections?

    That is what converts this exercise from merely bad taste to illegal.

    If Franks were merely trying to prevent his critics from gaining ground on the Board and deter future critics, why not just do the three county board districts for maybe $3K each and form a separate group to do each mailing?

    Then you are under the limits.

    Anything you try to do countywide, however, is going to cost you more than $5K, requiring a report.

    What is it about Joe Tirio’s campaign that was so threatening to take that risk?

    Is there something he might discover about previous elections once he takes over the Clerk’s office?

    Can’t help but think there is.

  9. @knownextremist

    “What is it about Joe Tirio’s campaign that was so threatening to take that risk?”

    How about a bit of honesty and integrity creeping into the political process?

    That scares the crap out of the bottom feeders.

  10. So you think Jack Franks is just a friendly politician epitomized by that Saccharin smile he flashes so effectively?

    Think again.

    If you want to know the real Jack Franks, look at the tactics he employs to build a Chicago-style political machine here in McHenry County.

    And take a look at who he’s in bed with. ED ‘F–KING’ BURKE!!!!

    Well, if you want to build a corrupt political machine, you should learn from a master …

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