Quote:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-bobby-rush-20141110-story.html#navtype=outfitRush, 67, has been in Congress almost 22 years and last won re-election Nov. 4. In a statement, he said he remained hopeful that the committee would work with him on a “mutually agreeable resolution†of the case. He said he had cooperated in the ethics probes from the outset and was willing to “adhere to any guidance†the committee “has made, or will make, available to me.â€
The political office in question is in the Lake Meadows Shopping Center, 3357 S. King Drive. Rush, a former Chicago alderman, leased the office for official duties beginning in 1989, and the city of Chicago initially paid the monthly rent and fees, the report said. He was an alderman from 1983 until 1993, when he first entered Congress.
No one has paid the rent since 1993, the report said. Rush used the office for various political activities and the landlord wrote off the costs, even as it tried to seek a rent-paying tenant, the report said.
The report said the landlord was Lake Meadows Associates, an Illinois limited partnership affiliated with Draper and Kramer Inc., which was contacted by the Tribune and had no immediate comment.
The board of the Office of Congressional Ethics, in a 6-0 vote last May, said in light of the arrangement, there was “substantial reason to believe†that Rush's state and federal campaign committees accepted in-kind contributions in violation of state and federal law and House rules. Rush may have received an improper gift or special favors by accepting the free office, the report said.
Now Rush says, he would like to work at a mutually agreeable resolution, acknowledging there is a problem.
Well in Hammond, Thomas McDermott Jr made two rent payments of less than $2,000 with the 2009-2011 lease of the Kaplan Commons Building. Some may look at what appears to be the lack of fair market rent paid by the McDeremott Campaign as in kind trade.
McDermott rented an 18,000 sq ft building, for $2,000 over what was maybe a 9 month period of time?
And an appraiser wrote the interior was recently gutted and completely remodeled, fairly well maintained, exterior remodeled, with 4 new roof top heating systems installed.
And what da ya know, shortly after the end of the campaign, the Kaplan Commons building was sold for $300,000 profit, owning it possibly for 90 days? Hmmm.
But this story is about like kind, exchange of services or fair market rent. McDermott rented this 18,000 sq ft space for less than .12 cents a square foot.
Now that sounds like fair market value, right?
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