The Spin: Another setback for Blagojevich | Kim Foxx’s latest campaign haul | Lightfoot, Pritzker pop up in new ads for competing candidates in statehouse race

Just in: Disgraced ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich should be disbarred for his conviction in an array of corruption schemes while in office, a state panel has ruled. The Illinois Supreme Court will have the final word.

Today’s Super Tuesday primaries feature voters in 14 states heading to the polls and roughly one-third of the delegates for the party nominating contest up for grabs. Polls close in a few hours -- stay tuned.

Here in Illinois, things are heating up precisely two weeks before Illinoisans go to the polls for the March 17 primary, which also is St. Patrick’s Day.

Consider the just-released TV ads, with Gov. J.B. Pritzker making a quick appearance in a photograph, for his pick in a hotly contested statehouse race on Chicago’s North Side. Or the online video of Mayor Lori Lightfoot standing side-by-side and talking up her pick in that same race.

Then there’s Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, who reported last night that she’s pulled in another half-million dollars in a race where she’s facing three challengers including former assistant state’s attorney Bill Conway, whose wealthy father has pumped millions into his son’s campaign coffers.

Speaking of the campaign trail, the buzzword from so many candidates these days seems to be “transparency.” And yet we are reminded time and again that message doesn’t necessarily translate when it comes to governing and legislating. Today, we’re learning that we don’t know much about the businesses raking all those bucks from the big legal weed sales.

“Regulators say state law bars the release of almost all the information businesses have to submit to get lucrative licenses to grow or sell cannabis,” my Tribune colleagues Bob McCoppin and Dan Hinkel write. So it’s difficult to know whether big political donors or shady folks are getting a leg up in securing those coveted licenses.

The governor wouldn’t make his cannabis czar available to talk with Tribune reporters about the issue.

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Campaign mode: Lightfoot in new ad for Pizer in North Side statehouse race; EMILY’s List gives big bucks to Foxx

Ad it up: In new digital commercial, Mayor Lightfoot stands side-by-side and talks up her candidate of choice in the hotly contested 12th District state House race, small business owner and real estate agent Jonathan “Yoni" Pizer. Lightfoot says Pizer will continue to be “a fierce advocate for you in Springfield” plus “he’s a really nice guy” while a grateful Pizer borrows a line from her mayoral campaign ad, saying he’ll “look forward to bringing the light to Springfield.” You can watch the spot here.

Side note: Pizer just got a boost with U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, an Evanston Democrat, announcing she’s endorsing him.

Meanwhile, Gov. Pritzker’s smiling face pops up briefly in a new television ad for his choice in the 12th District state House race: Margaret Croke, who worked on his campaign and now works in his administration. In a mix of still photos and video, Croke is shown in a group photo with Pritzker, at one point and knocking on doors in another. She touts her government work while positioning herself as a fresh face in the political arena - “I’m the next generation of progressive leadership in this community,” she declares in what her campaign says is her first televised campaign ad. Click here to watch it.

Other Democrats in the race: Marty Malone, a onetime staffer in Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer’s office who now sits on his local school council; Ryan Podges, a labor and employment law attorney; and attorney Jimmy Garfield.

Donna More takes to the airwaves with her second ad in prosecutors race: As she struggles to get noticed in her bid for Cook County state’s attorney, Donna More has released her first two campaign commercials, which are currently airing on cable television.

One of the commercials is 15-seconds long and focuses on attacking current State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.

“She takes her marching orders from the same corrupt political machine that has failed our families,” More’s voice can be heard saying, while images of Foxx along with headlines from the local papers flash on the screen.

In her second commercial, More’s campaign spends 30 seconds promoting her as having a vision for fighting “crime and corruption.”

“She tells the truth,” a male narrator, with a deep, low-toned voice, says while images of More working in her office flash on the screen. “She’s independent and that strikes fear in the corrupt political machine.”

More is a lawyer and former federal prosecutor. This is her second time running for the office and besides Foxx, she is facing former assistant state’s attorney, Bill Conway, and former Ald. Bob Fioretti.

Her commercials were released this weekend just as the race is heating up in the final weeks and as Conway has emerged as the biggest threat to Foxx and the other competitors. While More’s latest ads didn’t focus on Conway, she recently criticized him at a televised debate for relying on his father to fund his campaign.

Conway’s father is William Conway, a billionaire and the founder of the Carlyle Group, a Washington D.C. based investment firm. Conway’s father has given his campaign $7.5 million overall, records show. At the end of last year, Conway had $620,000 on hand and had raised $5.2 million since then – a figure that includes $5 million from Conway’s father since Jan. 1, according to the State Board of Elections.

More had $19,000 heading into 2020 and has raised $134,000 since then, according to the State Board of Elections. (Lolly Bowean)

How do you say that again? Mike Cabonargi, among the four Democratic candidates running in the downballot Cook County clerk of the Circuit Court race, is out with a get-to-know-him campaign ad. Like Illinois U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Schaumburg Democrat, and others before him, he’s having some fun with his hard-to-pronounce last name. (For the record it’s cab-uh-NAR-jee).

In the spot, a young woman guesses it’s a vegetable, while a man later says it sounds like a wine. You can watch the ad here.

Cabonargi, who sits on the Cook County board of tax appeals, is among four Democrats running for clerk, the county court system's official record-keeper. Also running in next month's primary: attorney and former Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin; state Sen. Iris Martinez; and attorney Jacob Meister.

In blue Cook County that likely means the winner of the race likely will claim victory in November's General Election. Barbara Bellar, of Burr Ridge, is the sole Republican running in the race.

Foxx’s campaign haul: The first-term top prosecutor just pulled in about $550,000, including $250,000 from EMILY’s List, according to campaign finance reports filed with the state election board. The national political organization, which supports pro-abortion rights Democratic women for public office, has given Foxx $300,000 so far this election cycle.

A new poll commissioned by Foxx's campaign shows she's leading in the four-way Democratic race.

The Feb. 26-March 1 poll, was conducted by Washington-based GBAO Strategies. It showed the current state’s attorney leading with 39% of the vote. Her closest rival Conway had 28%, More had 8% and former Chicago Ald. Bob Fioretti claimed 7%.

The survey was taken in Cook County of 500 likely voters in the March 2020 Democratic primary. Respondents were reached on mobile phones and landlines. The survey has a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points.

Last week, Conway’s campaign released a poll that showed the two were virtually tied, with Foxx holding a slight edge.

DNC chair now heading to Chicago after the Illinois primary: As I reported last month, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez was supposed to be in Chicago tomorrow to host a political summit with Mayor Lightfoot. But the date has been moved. The “All Things 2020 with Mayor Lightfoot and Tom Perez" will now be April 1. Click here for details.

The aim of the event is to get Chicagoans, particularly younger voters, revved up for this summer’s nominating convention in Milwaukee when the party will pick its nominee to challenge Trump in November.

Pritzker balances the politics of wanting to see a Democrat defeat Trump, asking the White House to help the state: The governor spoke today at the Illinois Agricultural Legislative Day breakfast in Springfield, offering a snapshot of how the Democrat must work with – even woo – President Donald Trump to secure funding for projects. But make no mistake: He said he wants the Republican president out of office.

In his address, attended by my colleague Jamie Munks, the governor sounded like he was on the way to getting some help for dealing with flooding in the state: “A few weeks ago, I met with the president of the United States and got his commitment directly to provide greater support for Illinois from the Corps of Engineers to address long term flood protection. And that’s inordinately an important advancement for our state to get the attention of the Army Corps of Engineers and to get their investment in our state, and we’re working very hard in the near term to address and fight flooding, such as it may be this spring. Rebuilding our levees and protecting our basic infrastructure is a top priority.”

But when asked about Super Tuesday, Illinois’ March primary and who he’s supporting for president, Pritzker reminded everyone he’s not endorsing a Democrat in the primary, but that Republican Trump has ‘got to go’: “I don’t know who’s going to win in Illinois. I don’t know who’s going to win the nomination. But I know one thing: Donald Trump’s got to go. You can see it in the way that some of the challenges around the coronavirus are being handled. The administration has done a terrible job, in my opinion, of really helping states with the challenges that they face. You know, having said that, I work with members of the cabinet all the time … So even if I am critical of the president and want him to be defeated, you know, at the same time, look, I’m a Democrat, and at the same time I want to accomplish things for our state.”

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The secrecy of legal weed sales, and who’s getting paid

The Tribune’s Bob McCoppin and Dan Hinkel write: “Marijuana entrepreneurs are starting to rake in millions of dollars a month in Illinois as customers line up to buy newly legal weed, but who’s profiting from those sales remains secret." Regulators point to state law as barring the release of those details.

What it means: “The lack of information makes it difficult to know whether clout-heavy entrepreneurs or big political donors are winning licenses,” McCoppin and Hinkel note. “Even without detailed information, the Tribune used public records elsewhere to find cultivation businesses linked to more than $630,000 in campaign contributions since January 2017. That number undoubtedly would soar if more information were made public in Illinois.”

Background and a Pritzker family connection: “The Marijuana Policy Project helped write the bill that legalized recreational weed as of Jan. 1, according to both the legislative sponsors and the organization’s leaders. The lobbying group’s board members include pot entrepreneurs and investors such as Joseph ‘Joby’ Pritzker, the governor’s second cousin.”

Public relations: The Pritzker administration declined to make state marijuana czar Toi Hutchinson available for an interview. In a statement, she said the state "would ensure that the laws reflect our intent to be transparent about owners of cannabis businesses.”

President of Cresco Labs, operator of Sunnyside marijuana dispensaries, exits company: My Tribune colleagues in the business department have the update here.

Think marijuana isn’t addictive? Former users say think again: The Tribune’s John Keilman has the story here.

Two groups -- one in favor of Naperville marijuana sales and the other against -- spending thousands in campaigns for referendum votes: When residents of the west suburban community go to the polls next month they will be asked whether they think recreational marijuana sales should be allowed in the state’s fourth largest city. the Naperville Sun’s Erin Hegarty reports.

More on the sin tax beat: “How One Video Gambling Company Worked the Odds and Took Over a State” -- ProPublica Illinois’ Jason Grotto has the details here.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot is moving forward with centralizing control over some signs for Chicago businesses.

As part of her 2020 budget, the mayor took away from the City Council the authority to approve signs that don’t hang over sidewalks. Instead, people who apply with the city for business licenses automatically will be able to also apply for those on-premises signs. The change takes effect this week.

In a news release, the Lightfoot administration said the new policy is part of an effort to reduce red tape for entrepreneurs. But it’s also part of her broader effort to take away from aldermen various permitting powers she says lead to bribery and other corruption as business people try to curry favor with council members who can make or break their plans.

Lightfoot also introduced an ordinance to wrest from aldermen the power to approve signs that hang over sidewalks, but council members have so far resisted that attempt to curtail their ward-level authority. The mayor’s proposal stalled in a council committee in January. (John Byrne)

Mayor to do LGBTQ PSA for census: The YWCA Metropolitan Chicago will be releasing a public service announcement geared toward the LGBTQ community and includes a message from Lightfoot, Chicago’s first openly gay mayor, the Tribune’s Elvia Malagon reports.

She mentions it in a bigger piece about how “for the first time, the 2020 census will allow people living in the same household to mark themselves as same-sex partners or spouses." Read the full story here.

Malagon’s piece also notes: “Data about LGBTQ residents could be helpful in challenging discriminatory practices and will be important when it comes time to uphold future nondiscrimination legislation on the state and federal level, National LGBTQ Task Force policy director Meghan Maury said. In Illinois, the Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in housing, financial institutions, public accommodations and at work.”

More work to be done: “But although advocates have pushed for decades for a full count of the LGBTQ community, the census still won’t ask or collect information about how many people living in the United States identify as nonbinary or about their sexual orientation,” Malagon notes. “For local organizations doing census outreach, it can be difficult to convince someone to engage in the process when their full identity isn’t being taken into account, said Kim Fountain, chief operating officer at the Chicago-based Center on Halsted, an LGBTQ-focused community center.”

A 5th case of coronavirus in Illinois?

From my Tribune colleagues: “A person suspected of being infected with the coronavirus was being treated at the University of Chicago Medical Center, the fifth case to be reported in Illinois. The hospital said it was waiting for lab test results to back up its suspicions. No details were released about the patient.” Click here for updates.

Illinois’ public health chief heading to Washington to push for more resources to battle coronavirus: The Tribune’s Jamie Munks has the details here.

Chicago housewares trade show, expected to draw 60,000 to McCormick Place, canceled over coronavirus concerns: Click here to read the Tribune story.

Retailers struggle to keep up as Chicagoans fearing coronavirus make a run on masks: Click here to read Lauren Zumbach’s Tribune story.

Field Museum, Art Institute enact COVID-19 travel bans for staff: “Both institutions, like a range of other Chicago zoos and museums ... are keenly tracking the COVID-19 situation and the guidance that health authorities give,” the Tribune’s Steve Johnson writes. “In other countries where the virus has spread rapidly -- as it is beginning to do in the U.S. -- authorities have moved to restrict public gatherings in order to limit potential contact and the disease’s spread.” Read the full story here.

What companies in Chicago are doing to ease customers’ and employees’ coronavirus worries: Click here to read the story.

Law and order

Trial begins for suspect in killing of police Cmdr. Bauer: Opening statements began this afternoon at the Leighton Criminal Courts Building in the murder trial of Shomari Legghette, who is charged with killing Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer on a weekday afternoon in the Loop two years ago. Click here to read more about the case.

Chicago activist Andrew Holmes’ crusade against gun violence nearly ended with his daughter’s murder 5 years ago: But he’s still at it, saying, “I get out there and do what’s on my heart.” Frank Vaisvilas has the story in the Daily Southtown.

Lightfoot vs. FOP: From the Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman: “The cold war between Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Fraternal Order of Police is in danger of turning into a deep freeze. John Catanzara, one of the CPD’s most frequently disciplined officers, and Martin Preib, who has crusaded against the ‘wrongful convictions movement,’ are expected to be the top two finishers in an election for union president when results are announced Thursday.”

Look up how many people in your Illinois community had their FOID cards revoked: My colleague Cecila Reyes also takes stock of how many haven’t accounted for their guns, writing: "A Tribune analysis of updated Illinois State Police data shows that as many as 30,600 Illinoisans have failed to surrender or otherwise account for their guns after police stripped them of their firearm owner’s identification cards over the last five years.” Do the search here.

DACA-eligible Chicago man released after 9 months in immigration detention, thanks to his brother’s activism: My Tribune colleague Laura Rodriguez Presa has the details here.

Former Edward Vrdolyak associate sentenced to 2 years in prison in tobacco settlement scheme: Read Jason Meisner’s Tribune story here.

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