Chicago millionaire Willie Wilson, who's in the running for mayor in the 2019 election, handed out $300,000 in cash to churchgoers in Chicago. He says it has nothing to do with the mayor's race and the state says he didn't violate campaign rules. Deets inside...
Willie Wilson, a black millionaire who's a candidate for mayor of Chicago, dug deep into his pockets to give back to churchgoers in the South Side of Chicago. And folks are raising their eyebrows - one of them being republican Rep. David McSweeney:
Check this out if you wonder why Illinois politicians are often a national joke. How can Willie Wilson, a candidate for Mayor of Chicago, literally hand out CASH at a public event? This is so wrong!
— Rep. David McSweeney (@1980reagan) July 22, 2018
The mayoral candidate reportedly gave away $300,000 in cash during an event at New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church on Sunday (July 22nd). He was joined at the event by Governor Bruce Rauner, despite both aying this wasn't a campaign focused event.
Willie Wilson literally handing out cash at New Covenant Baptist Church this morning. pic.twitter.com/CXdlS4EufO
— Tahman Bradley (@tahmanbradley) July 22, 2018
Govenror Rauner joined Willie Wilson at New Covenant Baptist Church where $300,000 was handed out. Rauner told the black church about the award the National Black Chamber of Commerce gave him on Friday. And, in a stump-style speech, he railed against high property taxes. pic.twitter.com/bDwo1MPxzr
— Tahman Bradley (@tahmanbradley) July 22, 2018
According to Wilson's campaign spokesman Scott Winslow, the millionaire businessman gave out the money to help the people in the community pay their property taxes and other expenses as part of his philanthropic work through his non-profit organization - the Dr. Willie Wilson Foundation. It's something he does often.
And guess what? He apparently hasn't broken any campaign rules.
Illinois State Board of Elections spokesman Matt Dietrich spoke to the Chicago Tribune and said since the money came from Wilson's Foundation he was able to maneuver around breaking any campaign finance laws.
“As far as we can see, it looks like he didn’t use campaign funds for this,” Dietrich said. “And there doesn’t appear to have been any quid pro quo, like, ‘Here’s some money, vote for me.’ So from our perspective, it doesn’t look like there was anything illegal about this.”
Willie Wilson is one of ten candidates in the running against Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who is also seeking a third term this coming election in 2019.
Some folks are up in arms calling this the exact corruption Illinois - mainly Chicago - is so well known for. Others are trying to figure out which church he's hitting up next Sunday so they can make arrangements. Ha.
Is Mr. Wilson "buying" votes indirectly, or nah?
Photo: AP
