Report: Markham mayor's $1M in donations relies on vendors

MARKHAM, Ill. (AP) - The mayor of a Chicago suburb of about 13,000 people has collected over $1 million in political contributions since 2000, much of it from city vendors.

The Daily Southtown (http://trib.in/2cbVavN ) cites campaign finance disclosures in its review of Markham Mayor David Webb Jr.'s campaign fund.

The newspaper also cites city treasurer reports and says Markham has conducted extensive business with donors, paying out at least $72 million to Webb's political supporters since 2001. That's the year Webb was elected.

Webb and the city's attorney didn't return messages.

Donors contacted by the newspaper say they didn't think the donations factored into their businesses receiving city work.

But government watchdog groups question the amount of money in Webb's fund, considering Markham's population, and the relationship between city officials and vendors could spark public mistrust.

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Information from: Southtown Star, http://southtownstar.chicagotribune.com/