East St. Louis Democrats didn’t pay the township for their election night victory party
When Robert Eastern III celebrated his mayoral election victory on the night of April 2 after votes had been tallied, he walked into a party at the Clyde C. Jordan Senior Center, which is run by the East St. Louis Township.
But according to records reviewed by the Belleville News-Democrat, there was no rental contract for April 2 for the senior center, which is normally rented out for $300 to $1,000 per event.
Now, the East St. Louis Democratic Central Committee is being charged $300 for the senior center rental after the BND began questioning why no one had paid for the room during an election night gathering.
Neither Eastern nor Frank Smith, chairman of the East St. Louis Democratic Central Committee, could be reached for comment.
Under Illinois election law, If someone spends campaign funds for such an event, it must be listed on their quarterly campaign finance disclosure reports.
Neither Eastern’s campaign, his slate Heart for the People, nor the East St. Louis Democratic Central Committee, listed renting the facility on April 2 as an expense on their campaign finance reports.
East St. Louis Township Supervisor Alvin Parks, who also served as Eastern’s campaign manager, said the after-business hours event was requested shortly before the election by the East St. Louis Democratic Central Committee and proper paperwork was not filled out prior to the gathering. Parks said he would send a bill to the central committee for $300 for use of the room.
The gathering wasn’t scheduled until the Monday before the election. Certain aspects weren’t finalized until Election Day afternoon, such as who would be the deejay.
“It was sprung on us at the last minute,” Parks said. “We didn’t collect, but we plan on collecting in the next couple of days here, just to make sure that the Democratic organization is accountable just like any other organization would who wants to rent the center.”
The township prefers to have the room reserved at least two months in advance because staff has to be scheduled and to ensure there are enough supplies in bathrooms, Parks said.
“I would call it oversight. It was certainly not intended for the Democratic organization to not make the payment. ... It was intended to be a paid-for event, it certainly (was) not a donation from the township to the Democratic organization,” Parks said.
The center is usually open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., but it had served as polling place on April 2 from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Open to everyone
The event was open to anyone in the city to watch the results come in.
“It wasn’t just for the precinct committeemen, it wasn’t just for a select group of people, it was for the entire city,” Parks said. “Republican, Democratic, Independent, anyone else who wanted to attend.”
A person who worked on Eastern’s campaign said the event on April 2 was not organized by the campaign.
The only event in April at the senior center at 7655 State St. was for a dance, according to a review of township records.
Sandra Stith, the building manager, said she didn’t know how the group decided to come to the senior center.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHow we did this story
The Belleville News-Democrat reviewed campaign finance quarterly reports for the Robert Eastern III campaign, his slate Heart for the People and the East St. Louis Democratic Central Committee, as well as room rental records at the Clyde C. Jordan Senior Center.
Why did we report this story?
East St. Louis Township, which is funded by local tax dollars, runs the senior center. Tax dollars cannot be used for strictly political or campaign events.
In live videos that were streamed on April 2 on Eastern’s campaign Facebook page, Eastern walks into the senior center for the election night gathering.
The video shows there are plastic coverings on tables and he is welcomed by many people. When Eastern enters the room, “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang is playing. Eastern is seen hugging well-wishers after results came in, even taking pictures with some of those in attendance.
An emcee can be heard saying “Congratulations!” over a speaker in the room.
In a subsequent video, Parks, who was paid $2,200 during the first quarter of 2019 for serving as Eastern’s campaign manager, introduces the then mayor-elect.
“We have an awesome day. We have had an awesome three or four months. Tonight, history, history has been made,” Parks says to the crowd. “Everybody in this room, played some kind of role. Ladies and gentlemen I am ready to bring you, the next mayor for the East St. Louis, Robert Eastern III.”
Eastern then gives his election night victory speech while standing behind a lectern.
Eastern, who unseated Emeka Jackson-Hicks in the mayoral election, also points out that all 10 of the Heart for the People slate won their elections on April 2, and he gives thanks to people who had helped on the campaign.
Reporting requirements
Matt Dietrich, the public information officer for the State Board of Elections, if a candidate holds a campaign event and uses campaign contributions to pay for it, the costs of the event must be reported.
If someone else pays for a space on behalf of a campaign committee, that can be considered an in-kind contribution, and it also would have to be reported by the campaign.
For example, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, on Nov. 6 held an election night party at the Marriott Marquis in Chicago. His campaign listed seven transactions at the hotel on Nov. 5 and 6, including one for more than $527,000 the night Pritzker became governor-elect.
Former Gov. Bruce Rauner had his election night party in November at the Drake Hotel in Chicago. That month, his campaign listed a nearly $25,500 expense for facility rental at the Drake Hotel.
Dietrich would not comment on whether the East St. Louis situation was a violation of election code because the State Board of Elections would have to make a determination if someone filed a complaint.
In February, the Heart for the People group rented space at the senior center for a fundraising event, and paid $300 for the space, according to State Board of Elections records.
There have been previous watch parties at the senior center during mayoral elections when people would go to the senior center to watch results, but Parks, who became township supervisor in 2017, said he does not know if the room was paid for on the previous occasions.
This story was originally published August 29, 2019 at 8:16 AM.
