* Moore Workers Dressed in Shabby & Stained Clothing...

...And Showed Other Signs of Poverty
by Thomas Westgard, Attorney @ Work on February 16, 2007

Lance Gough, Executive Director
Chicago Board of Elections Commissioners
69 West Washington, Ste 600
Chicago, Illinois 60602

Re: Conscripted Workers for Ald. Joe Moore (49th Ward)

Dear Mr. Gough:

I am writing to request an investigation into the political activities of A Safe Haven (ASH). I have cause to believe that prisoners are being conscripted into working without pay for the political campaign of 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore.

ASH is a private, for-profit social services agency that operates two group homes in Chicago's 49th Ward, housing approximately 100 recent releasees. ASH further operates approximately a dozen such sites throughout Chicago. ASH receives referrals through Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities (TASC). According to its website, "TASC is the only agency designated by the [S]tate [of Illinois] to provide substance abuse assessments and recommendations for the Illinois courts." Individuals who are convicted of nonviolent drug offenses are released for monitoring by TASC, while residing at ASH housing. ASH residents told me that failure to cooperate with the rules of the house may result in reincarceration.

On November 7, 2006 (Election Day), I was one of a team of people collecting signatures for Jim Ginderske, a candidate for 49th Ward Alderman. On that day, the Ginderske campaign had perhaps a score of volunteers working outside polling places throughout the 49th Ward. While engaged in this activity, I and several other Ginderske volunteers observed approximately two dozen people collecting signatures for Joe Moore, as well as passing out sample ballots for Moore's close political ally, 49th Ward Democratic Committeeman David Fagus.

Several elements of what we observed seemed out of place. First, among our volunteers are many long-time residents of Rogers Park, who are familiar with the relatively small number of people who regularly volunteer for political and social causes. We observed that two known individuals were supervising a large number of individuals not known to us. Specifically, we observed Michael Land, an employee of Ald. Moore's ward office, and Barbara Sepanik, Ald. Moore's girlfriend, ordering the other individuals to perform certain tasks, such as where to stand, how long to remain there, and making demands on the number of signatures to collect or number of sample ballots to pass out.

Secondly, the vast majority of people who are known to us to volunteer for social and political causes in the 49th Ward earn middle-class incomes. In contrast, all of the workers being supervised by Moore's associates were plainly without money. Although the weather was quite cold, one Moore worker was lightly dressed and visibly shivering in the cold. Upon inquiry, she stated that she did not own a coat. Other Moore workers were dressed in shabby and stained clothing, and showed other signs of poverty.

Because these circumstances seemed remarkable and inexplicable, we began an informal inquiry. In the course of working alongside one individual for approximately six hours, one individual told me that he was a resident of a group home, and that his "counselor" had told him that he was required to work all day for Joe Moore, for the entirety of the time the polls were open: from 6 am to 7 pm. He stated that he had complained that the work requirement was unfair, and that in response the counselor had informed him that the work was mandatory. He told me that he had requested payment, and that in response the counselor had informed him that he was required to work without pay.

Another of our volunteers spoke at length with another Moore worker. This individual stated that she was a resident of ASH, and that she was likewise instructed by a counselor at ASH that she was required to work the entirety of the day for Joe Moore, without pay. She further stated that she was required, as part of her release, to find and hold a job. This individual was particularly angry because she had had to cancel a job interview that was scheduled on Election Day. As such, her conscripted work for Ald. Moore directly conflicted with finding a regular job. There were other workers throughout the ward who seemed to be in similar situations.

Upon further investigation, we discovered that residents of ASH buildings had provided extensive additional support to Ald. Moore's campaign. Dozens of ASH residents signed the nominating petitions, although we were able to locate almost none among the voter rolls provided to us by the Chicago Board of Elections. We further discovered that eight residents of ASH had gatherered over 400 signatures for the Moore campaign over six different dates. Specifically, you should look at Moore signature pages 17, 29, 38, 44, 58, 58, 69, 71, 81, 94, 94, 103, 108, 115, 117, 127, 129, 132, 143, 157, 168, 183, 190, 195, 201, 229, 247, 252, 302, 318, 322, 339, 347, 360, 364, 364, 390, 411, 430, 436, 439, 443, 443, 496, 496, 515, 517, 535, and 559. However, we were also able to determine that the list of releasees who collected signatures did not include at least some who told us they were coerced into distributing flyers on Election Day. The financial disclosures of Joe Moore's campaign, and the 49th Ward Democratic Organization, do not include any payment for these campaign workers.

Ironically, the flyers distributed by the 49th Ward Democratic organization advocated the reelection of all judges that were implicated in the John Burge torture scandal. Whatever one believes about John Burge, it is very difficult to imagine that a large number of prison releasees wanted to assist in the election of these judges. Jim Ginderske raised this issue with Alderman Moore at a recent debate. Moore attempted to deflect the criticism as being mere opposition to drug treatment and prisoner release programs, a position I consider transparently false, ridiculous, and insulting.

The primary issue in this situation is abuse of power. No human should be coerced into unpaid political "volunteering," but among recent prison releasees, the social justice issues are far more severe. Those in a position of power over recent releasees should be demonstrating the ethical use of power, and not demonstrating that powerful people can exploit the weak. Forcing a worker to cancel a job interview to work for free is unconscionable.

Based on the above, I am requesting two specific areas of investigation:

1. On February 27, 2007, interview people distributing literature at polling places in the 49th Ward to determine whether their work is truly voluntary.

2. Interview current and former residents of A Safe Haven to determine the nature and extent of past exploitation for political purposes.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Very Truly Yours,

Thomas J. Westgard
Attorney at Law

cc:
Brian M. Rowland, CEO, A Safe Haven, 209 S. Main St. # 2 Flr, Mount Prospect, IL 60056-3100

TASC, Inc., Administrative Offices, 1500 N. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60622 information@tasc-il.org

Hon. Timothy C. Evans, Chief Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County, 2600 Richard J. Daley Center, Chicago, IL 60602

Catherine Shannon, Director, Illinois Department of Labor, 160 North LaSalle, Suite C-1300, Chicago, Illinois 60601

Hon. Lisa Madigan, Illinois Attorney General, Chicago Main Office, 100 West Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601

Hon. Richard A. Devine, Cook County State's Attorney, 69 W. Washington, Suite 700, Chicago, IL 60602

Blognotes: Sent to me from another blogger. I just can't be everywhere at once. Seems like Westgard should've challenged this waaay before now. Any response Westgard? Or did this fall on deaf ears? Is this a case of, too little - too late?