Mariyana Spyropoulos Issues Statement on ‘Pay to Play’ Politics
Mariyana Spyropoulos Issues Statement on ‘Pay to Play’ Politics (Chicago, IL) — In response to a Chicago Tribune article that revealed over $45,000 in campaign funds contributed to Iris Martinez, the incumbent Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court, by public employees, challenger Mariyana Spyropoulos issued the following statement:
“Once again, the perception of ‘pay to play’ rears its ugly head in Chicago politics.
“The Chicago Tribune reported that public employees in the Cook County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office contributed over $45,000 to Iris Martinez’s campaign funds and collected thousands of signatures to help their boss and her political allies run for elected office.
“After promising to ‘adhere to the highest ethical standards’ as a candidate for the office in 2020, Martinez is continuing the same practices for which her predecessor was accused. The question isn’t if it’s right or wrong, but how voters perceive the practice of government workers campaigning and making monetary contributions to their boss in return for raises and promotions. Therefore, my opponent’s response that ‘correlation, does not imply causation,’ is unacceptable–given the perception of local politics and officeholders.
“As a candidate for Cook County Circuit Court Clerk, I will not accept campaign contributions from employees in the office. I also will fight corruption and expose misconduct in the office where ever it exists.
“According to University of Illinois at Springfield Professor Emeritus of political science, Kent Redfield, who was quoted in the article, ‘The appearance of corruption is as corrosive as corruption itself.’ Instead of turning voters off, we need to assure them that as their representatives in government, we will operate with transparency, integrity and accountability.
“Playwright George Bernard Shaw said, ‘Democracy is a device that ensures we will be governed no better than we deserve.’ Cook County and Illinois residents deserve better than pay to play politics, they deserve someone who plays by the rules and will put them first.”
Mariyana Spyropoulos Issues Statement on ‘Pay to Play’ Politics
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