If Illinois state Senator James Clayborne had to pick a theme song which best represents his politics, it would have to be The O’Jays’ “For the Love of Money,” because he most definitely manages to maximize his profits, especially when it comes to his hometown of East St. Louis.
Take for instance Clayborne’s new law firm, Clayborne, Sabo and Wagner. They stuck ESL with a bill of $778,039 in 2014, which was 50 percent more than Clayborne’s old firm, Hinshaw and Culbertson, charged ($512,500) to represent East Boogie back in 2012.
Total legal expenses for ESL in 2014 exceeded $900,000 – nearly twice the legal tab for Belleville – while Fairview Heights only spent $426,516 and O’Fallon spent a mere $246, 761 for legal fees, according to financial records.
Aside from the outward appearance of fee inflation, one must pose the logical question of whether Clayborne, who represents ESL as a member of the Illinois General Assembly, isn’t guilty of impropriety or unethical behavior by simply using his firm to profiteer from ESL’s legal challenges.
But there I go again, assuming that ethics or impropriety would be a concern for a man of Senator Clayborne’s stature.
Clearly, a man who uses campaign finances for limos and exotic international trips and who hooks-up female acquaintances with government jobs would never worry about something as trivial as ethics. My bad.
The larger question here is why would ESL even retain Clayborne’s firm after possibly being gouged for excessive legal fees?
That’s the first question for newly elected ESL Mayor Emeka Jackson-Hicks to answer. The mayor has pledged to audit all contracts – and Clayborne’s should be first on her list.
To do otherwise would signal political business as usual, given that her father, state Representative Eddie Jackson, and Clayborne are political colleagues.
And to allow Clayborne’s firm to continue to represent ESL would be the continuation of a major conflict of interest and a signal from the Jackson-Hicks administration that “poli-tricks” are still at work at E. St. Louis City Hall.
It’s time to disabuse the citizens of ESL of that perception and signal a new direction for East Boogie before skepticism, cynicism and apathy return to rear their ugly heads and erode confidence in the new administration.
Email: jtingram_1960@yahoo.com; Twitter@JamesTIngram.
