Report: Cook County circuit court clerk employees helped get Brown on ballot
Dorothy Brown, the Cook County circuit court clerk who is under federal investigation, vowed she'd continue running for office even after losing support of the Cook County Democratic organization.
But she might be relying on her government employees to get her there, the Better Government Association and Fox 32 news report.
The BGA and Fox 32 examined more than 2,000 nominating petitions Brown submitted last week to get on the ballot for the March 15 primary. They found nearly 100 people who gathered signatures have the same name as circuit court clerk employees. Few employees would discuss whether they felt pressured to gather signatures or did so on county time.
Some of the names match Brown's highest ranking employees, including attorney Kelly Smeltzer, Chief of Staff Wasiu Fashina, and chief human resources officer Robbin Perkins. According to the report, they declined to comment.
Richard Ringfelt, chief deputy at the Cook County courthouse in Rolling Meadows, told the BGA and Fox 32 he was one of the petition circulators but nobody made him do it.
"I've always supported her as a candidate," he said.
Brown's spokeswoman Jalyne Strong said via email nobody was pressured to volunteer, and petitions weren't circulated by Brown employees on county time, according to the report.
Asked why she chose to pass petitions, Strong said, "It's my prerogative," the report said.
Brown faces Chicago Alderman Michelle Harris, former Alderman Shirley Coleman, attorney Jacob Meister and activist Tio Hardiman in the Democratic primary.
Following news of a federal investigation involving Brown, county Democrats revoked their endorsement of her in October. Among other things, the party provides help collecting petition signatures for endorsed candidates.
Brown filed as many as eight times more than the requisite 5,365 signatures. However, the BGA and Fox 32 reported some of the names did not appear to be actual people and others denied signing the petitions.