In the race for mayor, Susana Mendoza hit the reset button Monday after last week's revelations that one of her close political allies -- Ald. Danny Solis wore a wire for federal investigators and she returned all campaign contributions tied to the Solis family.
Many of the Mendoza proposals are similar to other candidates for mayor -- but she also wants to create a commission with experts to serve as watchdogs who will be keeping an eye on corruption.
After the Sun-Times bombshell that Solis wore a wire and recorded conversations with Ald. Ed Burke -- Mendoza chose to break ties quickly.
“What they do behind their closed doors,those are their actions, they do not reflect on me, I’m not going to let anyone tarnish my integrity," she said.
Mendoza has been tied to Solis and his family since she first entered politics. Asked if she was concerned that perhaps she was recorded while Solis wore a wire, the candidate was frank.
"Listen I’m not concerned at all, I’ve always handled myself with a high degree of integrity and honesty," she said.
Solis' sister -- Patti Solis Doyle and her business partner Brian Hynes formed the Vendor Assistance Program back in 2010. It recruited investors and then advanced money owed to state vendors. In return VAP received the penalties owed the vendors.
Local
As state comptroller and during her races for state representative and city clerk, Mendoza received $74,000 from Solis' ward organization and more than $67,000 contributions from that Solis-Doyle-Hynes VAP company. All of that money she donated to charity last week.
"They gave me within the legal limits of the money ... and here’s the other thing they gave it to me during my election cycle, when I was potentially going to be up against a very well funded opponent, you recall the governor spent $9 million against me in the election cycle," Mendoza said. "I've given that money to charity."
Mendoza unveiled Monday her ethics proposals -- turning to former federal prosecutor Dan Webb as main advisor. Her plan includes term limits for mayor and aldermen, releasing public visitor logs and forming an anti-corruption commission.
"The commission will be responsible for coming up with policies, and recommended courses of action, to tackle directly issues of corruption, pay to play and campaign finance reform," Mendoza said.
Some of the ethics proposals Mendoza and the other mayoral candidates have suggested will need City Council and or state lawmaker approval.
