Cook County Coffee Czar?
The media has been uncovering some interesting spending from Cook County
by Kate Piercy
The media has been uncovering some interesting spending from Cook County’s newly launched check registry, such as this find from The Prairie Stater, which discovered $76,291 in checks paid to Elgin-based ACE Coffee Holdings, Inc. since December 2009.
In addition, ACE is an active political contributor, giving “almost $30,000 to local politicians and political committees since 2000,” with a majority of contributions ($20,250) going to “political committees affiliated with longtime 14th Ward Alderman and Democratic Committeeman Edward M. Burke.”
This game of connect the dots brings up some questions, and The Prairie Stater’s article demonstrates why government transparency is so important, allowing the public and media to find these connections between spending and political relationships. For more details, check out the full story here.