Chicago Sun-Times: Power lunch broke law, Madigan says

[Tweed]

"In a scathing rebuke, Attorney General Lisa Madigan accused the state panel that polices utilities of breaking Illinois' open meetings law and ordered it to quit letting power company executives pay for commissioners' restaurant meals.

One of Madigan's top lawyers this week informed Illinois Commerce Commission chairman Ed Hurley that it was possibly illegal for him to have let Peoples Energy executives buy his and another commissioner's lunch last month, even though Hurley paid back the executive later.

Moreover, Madigan's office said the lunch date violated the state's Open Meetings Act because two of the ICC's four commissioners were present. The office "strongly recommended" the commissioners undergo a special training session to brush up on public meeting laws.

"I think my hand has been slapped, apparently," Hurley said Thursday.

Last month, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Hurley and fellow commissioner Lula Ford, both appointees of Gov. Blagojevich, dined at a downtown Chicago restaurant on Jan. 10 with two executives of Peoples Energy and initially let them pay the $60 tab."

Initially? $60? :eyes: Don't we have other things to worry about?

I understand that if you let this one slid then you could be encouraging others to follow suit, but I think this is a little over the top.

[DustMolecule]

1. Where can four people eat downtown for $60???? n/t