Democratic candidate for governor Rod Blagojevich, who was one of only a few Democrats in Congress to oppose legislation to federalize airport security workers, received a $250,000 contribution from the union that has represented security screeners, campaign disclosure reports filed Tuesday showed.
The donation from the Service Employees International Union represented a significant portion of more than $820,000 that Blagojevich, a Northwest Side congressman, received in contributions between Jan. 1 and Feb. 17, state records show.
Blagojevich also received a $100,000 donation from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the largest labor organization representing state workers.
The airport security legislation was prompted by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and Blagojevich’s vote against it prompted criticism from his rivals in the governor’s race.
Paul Vallas, former Chicago Public Schools chief, last month alleged Blagojevich “sold his soul” by voting against the legislation to cultivate a significant contribution from the union. The union opposes federalization as a threat to jobs held by its members.
Amanda Crumley, a Blagojevich spokeswoman, said the idea that a gain was hoped for is “ridiculous.”
The union “just like the AFL-CIO … and countless other labor organizations are supporting Rod Blagojevich because of his strong record of siding with working families,” Crumley said.
The campaign reports show Vallas raised $610,000 from early January to mid-February. The third Democrat in the race, former attorney general Roland Burris, had not filed his report by Tuesday evening.
In the Republican race for governor, Atty. Gen. Jim Ryan raised $684,000 during the time period. On Monday his campaign borrowed another $250,000.
Records show his rival, State Sen. Patrick O’Malley of Palos Park raised more than $231,000 during the time period, including a $100,000 loan from a family member. So far, O’Malley and family members have loaned his campaign more than $2 million.
The third Republican candidate, Lt. Gov. Corinne Wood, reported another $1.76 million in personal loans during the same period. That brings the total amount of personal cash and donated services her family has pumped into the campaign to more than $4.2 million.
Meanwhile, Cook County Sheriff Michael Sheahan defended legislation sponsored by House Speaker Michael Madigan to give the sheriff a $12,000-a-year raise plus a one-time stipend of $36,000. Sheahan, who already earns $148,000 annually, denied any link between the measure and a $20,000 donation from his campaign fund to Madigan’s daughter, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for attorney general.
“There was no quid pro quo,” Sheahan said of the donation he made to Lisa Madigan on Feb. 7, little more than two weeks before her father began pushing the legislation to compensate the sheriff and top aides for operating a juvenile boot camp.
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Lisa Madigan returned the donation after her father advanced the pay raise legislation for Sheahan.