Obama Broke Illinois Ethics Laws As A State Legislator

• October 20, 2008

Apparently, on Obama’s released tax records, he discloses income from speaking fees. The problem? Accepting payment for speaking fees when you’re a legislator is against Illinois state law.

Apparently, as an Illinois state legislator through 2004, Barack was prohibited from taking honoraria for speaking under the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act.
But what about Barack Obama’s 2000 and 2002 tax returns?
2000: On his 2000 Schedule C-EZ, Barack reported that he received $16,500 as a “Foundation director/Educational speaker.”
2001: On his 2001 Schedule C-EZ, Barack reported $98,158 from a Chicago law firm, Miner, Barnhill, for “Legal services/attorney” (and nothing for speaking).
2002: On his 2002 Schedule C, Barack reported $34,491 for “LEGAL SERVCES / SPEAKING FEES.”
These “speaking fees” are in addition to the amounts that Barack was paid as an employee, a lecturer at the University of Chicago, reported on the first page of his 1040s.

That’s not change we can believe in.
Just to sum up, the media can find Joe the Plumber’s tax woes within 24 hours of his having dared to question The One’s narrative, but they can’t find a clear ethical violation in the released records of a man who has been campaigning for President for two years now.
Another truth-telling moment brought to you by our fair and objective news media.

Tags: Politics

http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/entry/white_folks_greed_runs_a_world_in_ Joel

So what? As a twenty year student of Black Liberation Theology and Critical Race Theory, Obama believes that his minority status confers the privilege of interpreting the law as he pleases.

What’s wrong with that? It’s his right to pick and choose.

He can and does reject the distinction between lawful and unlawful activity, and like Jeremiah Wright and his law professor at Harvard, Derrick Bell, he regards this distinction as one of the imposed strictures of an oppressive white society.
sc

Don’t get too excited, the left wing media will not report it or they will say McCain is digging up dirt.
ToddonCapeCod

Yet another thing that no one will care about, and no one will report on, except here.
We have to face it folks, President Obama — if that’s how it winds up — will be the Affirmative Action President: he couldn’t do it on his own so he had to violate laws, get the media to cover up for his unsavory acts and relations, and have organizations such as ACORN go out and fabricate votes for him . . . and no one cares. No one cares.

May God have mercy on us all.
Mae

This stuff has been thoroughly vetted already, guys. Do you really think nobody has dug through Obama’s tax returns with a microscope until 17 days before the election?

As defined in the statute, an honorarium is a payment for an appearance or speech. (“An” is important here: it’s a one-off. The one-off distinction is critical.)

In 2000, Obama was serving his last year as foundation director (I’ve also seen “chairman” reported) of the Chicago Annenburg Challenge, funded by Walter Annenburg. (This has been reported endlessly. ) That’s almost certainly what the $16,500 was from, and it’s regular employment that started in 1995. Because 2000 was his last year, that’s why you see nothing comparable in 2001.

As for 2002, that’s already been reported extensively in the Los Angeles Times back in April. (You can still find the article via Google.) From March, 2001, until April, 2002, Electronic Knowledge Interchange (EKI) employed Obama on a retainer as their legal advisor. He was paid $8,000 per month. That accounts for $32,000 of the $34,491 reported in 2002. (Of the $98,158 in 2001, $80,000 was from EKI, starting in March, 2001.) All the EKI payments in both years went through Miner, Barnhill & Galland, the law firm where he worked. The balance ($2,491) reflects Obama’s other legal work at the firm before he left in April, 2002 (as the $18,158 balance did for 2001). EKI was his biggest client by far. I’m just spelling all this out for completeness, but the Los Angeles Times verified the $34,491 as coming from Miner, Barnhill & Galland.

Note again there’s no Illinois prohibition on “speaking.” (That’s what lawyers do, after all, on behalf of their clients and employers. And that’s what education foundation directors do.) There’s no problem putting that word on your tax return. The speaking just can’t be one-off, because one-off remuneration drifts into the appearance of impropriety. Quite simply, you cannot have ad hoc speaking relationships as a state legislator under Illinois law. But that’s not what happened here. In both cases Obama was regularly employed, and his employers were very well known (at the time and especially now): the Chicago Annenburg Challenge (1995-2000) and Miner, Barnhill & Galland (up until 2002).
http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

The Whistler…What’s going to happen when the pace of companies leaving these United States (soon to be USSA) quicken because of B.O.’s new taxes.

That doesn’t make McCain’s position any better.
http://bullwinkleblog.com/ Bullwinkle

Ethics? He don’t need no stinking ethics.

Just ask any of the Obama supporters who lie like Hell to support Obama here. You couldn’t find a thimble full of ethics in all of them put together. It’ll be a non-story as far as they are concerned.
whiterock

Gods live by their own laws. Don’t you know it’s raciest to bring up the “irregularities” of the annoited one? The end justifies the means man(unless you are G.O.P.)
The Whistler…What’s going to happen when the pace of companies leaving these United States (soon to be USSA) quicken because of B.O.’s new taxes.
TeddNYC

Obama is the biggest pocket padding political crook since Darling Dan Rostenkowski. My Prodiction: The Obama presidency will fall like a house of cards once Rezko starts talking. I see an Obama resignation in 2009.
Gary Rosen

“his employers were very well known (at the time and especially now): the Chicago Annenburg Challenge”

You mean where he worked closely with the unrepentant terrorist Billy the Bomber Ayers? Gotcha.
coondawg

Technology meets business value.

Electronic Knowledge Interchange (EKI) is a business and technology consulting firm that specializes in delivering measurable business value to mid to large size corporate and government organizations. We partner with value-minded executives to optimize business, information and technology for high-impact results.

Can someone translate that for me? Obama worked there, perhaps he wrote their mission statment…
elixelx

If there is nothing bad/shady/nefarious/questionable about Bill Ayers why is linking him to Obama in an ad “negative”?
Did Obama say it was negative when he was linked to the other “community organizer/saviour, Jesus Christ?
dejavu

Excellent post Mae.
mnotaro

Our media today is so liberal–and so are all the celebrities on tv and movies brainwashing the public. Everywhere you look on tv, you are bombarded with these illuminati thoughts, view points, and opinions. The MSM is here in support for democrats–not the American public.
Joj jo

Mae here is the statute

The Illinois Governmental Ethics Act (apparently last changed in 1995) provides:

(5 ILCS 420/2-110)

Sec. 2-110. Honoraria.

(a) No member of the General Assembly shall accept any honorarium.

(b) As used in this Section:

“Honorarium” means a payment of money to a member of the General Assembly for an appearance or speech . . . .

The use of the singular “honorarium” does not impy that the for the speech to be impermissible it must be a one off.

If one speech or many speeches were given then either appears to contravene the statute.
Proud American

It’s just another distraction for Obama. Everything bad is a distraction.
http://massbackwards.blogspot.com/ Bruce

Was that the same ethics law that Obama used a proof of his ability to reach across the aisle and get legislation passed?
GregB999

Illinois has an ethics law?

They have the same one that Pelosi has for the House. It only applies to Republicans.
di butler

Rob,

Don’t know if you know it or not, but this post is linked to a lot of sites. It has caught quite a few people’s attention.
11B40

Greetings:

Illinois has an ethics law?
David

Is he also going to report the stolen credit card charges as campaign donations or income ?
http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

Ethical smears only matter when you’re a Republican. Sarah was fully in her rights to force that one guy out. However a partisan committee decided that she violated the ethics for some reason or the other.

Whether or not that was justified it was big news with the Obamamedia. This clear ethical lapse will get NOTHING from them.

Because after all they are the Obamamedia.
Wookiebush

It’s a SMEAR! you know… there is a simple test for it.

If the fact is for Obama it is Gospel truth

If the fact is against obama it is a SMEAR..dirty racists!you should know better.

Notice I said FACT. a fact can NEVER be a smear, only a fact.

Just thought I would head off the obamobots at the pass.

W.
http://sayanythingblog.com robport

Shocking, I know.

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Obama Broke Illinois Ethics Laws As A State Legislator

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