The Executive Committee of the Cook County Democratic Party will meet Wednesday to consider reversing its decision to slate Clerk of the Circuit Courts Dorothy Brown.
If the Executive Committee decides to no longer support Brown, it will need a full vote from all of the 80 members of the Central Committee, according to Manuel Galvan, a spokesperson for the Cook County Democratic Party.
Brown, who has held office for 15 years, is now facing a federal investigation, although she says the multiple published reports about it are just rumors. Cook County Democratic Party Chairman Joe Berrios told reporters Friday that Brown was questioned before the slating about whether she faced an investigation, and she told them no.
Last week, Politico reported that sources told them the FBI conducted a raid at her home and seized her cellphone. According to Politico, the raid was believed to be an outgrowth of an investigation of Brown's husband, Benton Cook, and a state contract he was awarded for the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative (NRI) by Gov. Pat Quinn's administration.
Attorney Jacob Meister is running against Brown in the March 2016 primary, and on Tuesday Cease Fire Director Tio Hardiman announced his intentions to run for clerk as well. Hardiman says he wants “to overhaul the record keeping system, a lot of people complain everything is outdated.”
Those who use the circuit clerk’s office have complained for some time that staffers are still using carbon paper. After that issue was made public, however, the clerk’s staff now requires those who use her office to bring their own carbon paper as she no longer supplies it. At the same time, there are numerous reports Brown has not updated the record keeping either.
