UPDATE: Rev. Gregory Lee said he will file a formal complaint next week with the State's Attorney's Office requesting a formal investigation of Scott Lee Cohen and his campaign staff.
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In an emphatic, brief statement, Independent gubernatorial candidate Scott Lee Cohen on Friday said there was no truth to allegations that his administration had offered money in exchange for public support of his campaign.
"At no time did I offer or authorize to be offered money in return for support of these pastors," he said from his campaign headquarters, at 566 West Lake Street.
In published reports, two ministers said they were approached following Cohen's meeting with a group of pastors at Dusties Restaurant in Matteson on Tuesday.
One of them, the Rev. Gregory Lee of Sunrise Missionary Baptist Church, told WGN-TV and CBS 2 that his organization and others were offered $500 for their support. He said he also saw someone handing out money.
"It was blatant," he told CBS 2.
Cohen denies the electioneering was done by anyone on his staff or working for his campaign.
In fact, he said Friday, "ministers came to me and said Gov. [Pat] Quinn was passing out money," though he admitted he did not have first-hand knowledge of any such transactions.
