Local News
Madigan says Steans mailer misleads: Steans never in WI Budget Office
Democratic 7th State Senate District challenger Jim Madigan charges that a political mailer from his opponent, incumbent Heather Steans, contains factual errors in her resume. The mailer states Steans was “Wisconsin State Budget Director” and charged with balancing the state budget, eliminating waste and protecting important services.
Heather Steans 1st Mailer Page 1
Heather Steans 1st mailer page 2
Heather Steans 1st mailer page 3
Steans budget mailer Page 1
Not true, according to challenger Jim Madigan. Steans’ official bio for the Illinois legislature states she was “Budget Director for the Wisconsin Department of Industry, Labor & Human Relations.”
The senator’s mailing is also at odds with an interview she gave to Windy City Times in 2008 where she says she was “involved in managing state agency budgets in… Wisconsin.” In addition, Steans did not go as far as to claim she held the office of State Budget Director in statements to the IVI-IPO, the Chicago Reader or to the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
A search for a Wisconsin office of budget by the CenterSquareLedger came up empty handed. The closest office seems to be the Office of Secretary, Department of Administration, a department that was formed in 1959.
Madigan’s campaign also noted that Leo Smith, Steans’ husband worked for former governor Rod Blagojevich, a fact the Madigan campaign says she hid on her response to the Chicago Sun-Times. In her response to the Sun-Times, Steans was asked “Please list jobs or contracts you, members of your immediate family or business partners have had with government:”
Steans responded to the Sun-Times saying, “My jobs in government are listed above. My husband, Leo Smith, worked for the Governor’s Office from 1987 – 1990. No other family members have worked for government.”
The Madigan campaign points to a number of roles played by Smith.
- December 3, 2002, Blagojevich named Smith among his Senior Policy Advisors on a transition team.
- January 13, 2003, Blagojevich named Smith as a member of the Budget Advisory Board.
- Smith was appointed by Blagojevich to the Illinois Early Learning Council. The council met for the first time January 12, 2004.
The Steans campaign refused to comment on Saturday on the allegations or on the role Smith played as a Blagojevich advisor or on the Illinois Early Learning Council. The Office of the Wisconsin Governor referred the CenterSquareLedger to the Department of Administration. The Wisconsin Department of Administration has not responded to requests for information on Steans’ past employment.
Heather Steans Website highlight
Heather Steans 2nd mailer Page 1
Heather Steans 2nd Mailer Page 2
Heather Steans 2nd Mailer Page 3
Heather Steans 2nd Mailer Last Page
Heather Steans response to Chicago Sun-Times
UPDATE NOTICE: This article was updated on Sunday, January 17 at 9:18 PM.
