Invitations to job creation meeting in Aurora trigger dispute

State Rep. Lou Lang's Feb. 26 visit to Aurora to encourage job growth wasn't supposed to be a city-sponsored event in the first place.

But now a ruling by the city's attorney citing a conflict of interest with Third Ward Alderman Stephanie Kifowit's political interests has officials backing even further away.

And it has Kifowit trying to explain exactly what went wrong.

Lang, a Skokie Democrat and the assistant House majority leader, was invited by Kifowit to speak to a large group of chamber of commerce members and residents in his role leading the state's new job creation task force.

"I'm an invited guest so instead of sharing a message, I'm going to be looking to these business people to share their messages with me," Lang said Thursday. "I will be listening to their specific ideas about things we can do to create statutory jobs in Illinois. That's what I'm about."

Members of the Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Quad County African American Chamber of Commerce and the Aurora Hispanic Chamber of Commerce were invited to attend. But that's where things got tricky.

Kifowit said she thought she was saving time and expense by having participants write a $30 check to the city of Aurora and having the aldermen's office act as a conduit for the program instead of asking the individual chambers to collect the money.

"The $30 was for food at the lunch," she said. "No candidates, including myself, are benefiting from anything when the checks are being made out to the city, and chambers of commerce are nonpolitical groups."

Earlier this month, Kifowit sent a chain e-mail to nearly 1,000 people, and put an invitation on Facebook inviting business leaders and the media to the event. The e-mail software, which is commonly used by corporations to send mass e-mails, requires the sender's contact information be listed.

Kifowit said she inadvertently drafted the e-mail on an old political campaign template. The bottom of her e-mail invitations read: "Paid for by Friends of Stephanie Kifowit."

Kifowit denies any wrongdoing, intentional or otherwise. But a letter sent to Kifowit Wednesday by city attorney Alayne Weingartz, and shared with the Daily Herald, indicated city resources, including aldermen's office staff, no longer could be used for the event.

Public money, the attorney wrote, can't be used for campaign purposes or to "urge any elector to vote for or against any candidate or proposition."

Mayor Tom Weisner said he accepts Kifowit's explanation that she made a mistake and believes the issue is over.

"Inadvertently or not, there was a flier out there telling folks to send checks to the city and oh, by the way, this is paid for by a candidate," Weisner said. "That can't be retracted so we have to very swiftly back away from that situation to avoid the appearance of any impropriety."

Kifowit said she and Weingartz have a difference of opinion.

"I let the corporation counsel know I don't agree with the decision she came to and I believe this could have been resolved in a different, more courteous manner," Kifowit said. "I believe we followed the law and kept everything separate while promoting a public event."

Lang agrees with Kifowit and said he was disappointed to learn of the controversy and hoped it doesn't overshadow the importance of the event.

"Look, this was not something thrown together to enhance the alderman's public image or to make political headway for her," he said. "I even spoke to Mayor Weisner because if he had a significant problem with the event, I would have backed out. But he assured me he understands what we hope to accomplish and said he's even going to stop by."

To resolve the issue, all participants are being asked to pay the restaurant, Basil's, at 4000 Fox Valley Circle, when they attend the luncheon.