Candidate's appearance at event in question

The Democratic candidate for Cook County state's attorney who pledged to make prosecuting political corruption part of her agenda recently hobnobbed with two longtime stalwarts of a now-disgraced political action committee, the campaign recently acknowledged.

But voters shouldn't draw any conclusions that the presence of key Hispanic Democratic Organization members at a March 6 fundraiser mean candidate Anita Alvarez won't be tough on political corruption, said Sally Daly, a spokeswoman for the candidate.

The Hispanic organization is the clout-heavy political action committee that was often cited in the corruption trial that convicted Robert Sorich, the onetime patronage chief to Mayor Richard M. Daley. Longtime members and organizers state Rep. Edward Acevedo and Sen. Antonio Munoz attended Alvarez' March 6 fundraiser at Mi Tierra Restaurant at 2540 S. Kedzie Ave. in Chicago.

The two have never been accused of any wrongdoing, but the organization was portrayed as being the central conduit by which Sorich would trade city jobs for political muscle.

"Representative Acevedo and Senator Munoz did attend the event," said Daly, who said the event was not organized by the Alvarez campaign but two longtime friends of Alvarez.

Munoz' and Acevedo's attendance was simply two people choosing to attend a fundraiser for Alvarez, not an indication of any link between Alvarez and the Hispanic Democratic Organization, Daly said.

But Alvarez' competitor in the November election, Republican Tony Peraica, sought to make hay of the appearances, accusing her of being part of the status quo linked to Mayor Richard M. Daley and outgoing State's Attorney Dick Devine.

"She's a 22-year loyal insider of the Daley-Devine state's attorney's office," said spokesman Curt Mercadante in a written release. "I think it's a clear sign that, if elected, those same insiders would run her state's attorney's office."

One of the Hispanic Democratic organizers, Victor Reyes, was accused by federal prosecutors of being a co-schemer with Sorich. Reyes was never charged with any crimes, however, and has denied any wrongdoing. He did not attend the fundraiser, Daly said, taking pains to distance him from Alvarez' campaign.

"Clearly, we know that Victor Reyes and Mike Noonan (a Reyes business partner), they supported Howard Brookins," Daly said. "There's not even a remote connection here."

Brookins was one of Alvarez' competitor's in the Democratic primary. Noonan ran his campaign.

Munoz and Acevedo did not return phone calls.

Alvarez won without the support of the Hispanic Democratic Organization in the primary and will do so again in the general election, Daly said.

"That doesn't even make logical sense where she would even need to turn to such organizations for support," said Daly, who said Acevedo did not take part in planning the March 6 event.

That said, Daly did concede that at one point, Acevedo grabbed the microphone at the fundraiser to introduce elected officials who were present.

"Speaker (of the Illinois House Mike) Madigan showed up and he introduced Speaker Madigan and all the other elected officials. It was basically a very impromptu situation," Daly said.

Another embarrassment of the fundraiser came when Alvarez was photographed with Cicero resident Jorge L. Montes de Oca Jr., 35. A bench warrant had been issued in Lake County the same day, March 6, for de Oca's arrest on a charge of writing bad checks.

Daly said Alvarez does not know de Oca, nor did she have any knowledge of the warrant when she posed with him at the fundraiser.

De Oca could not be reached, and a message left for him through his sister was not returned.

The picture was published in El Dia, a Cicero newspaper owned by de Oca's family.

"People (were) essentially clamoring to get next to her and take a picture," Daly said.