Cahokia School District 187 Donated To Senator Belt’s Campaign –

Cahokia, Ill. (ECWd) –

We conducted a routine audit of campaign donations using the State Board of Elections database and certain keywords.

One of our findings indicated that Cahokia Unit School District 187 made a campaign contribution to the “Friends of Christopher Belt” committee earlier this year in the amount of $800.00. This was properly reported on the campaign’s D-2 filings with the state.

We sent a request for records to the school district and received their response, which was interesting.

After indicating that the school district did not agree with our “characterization of the contribution the school district provided” to the Friends of Christopher Belt campaign committee, they provided the following public records to us:

• Invoice for $800 for four employees to attend a golf tournament
• A quick-pay request for check
• An email indicating the golf tournament was a fundraiser for Chistopher Belt for Illinois State Senate, with contact information at the @ilsenatedems.org domain. This email was sent using Belt’s campaign email address to an employee of the district using the employees school district email account
• A flyer for Senator Chris Belt’s Annual Golf Tournament, clearly indicating it was a campaign sponsored event

We find it hard to understand how School Superintendent Curtis McCall Jr., would not agree with our “characterization” of this $800 payment to a political campaign as what we indicated it was; a “payment/contribution” to Belt’s campaign. McCall is no stranger to campaigns and elections; we wrote about his antics when he was the Mayor of Cahokia with Open Meetings Act violations, and intimidating meeting attendees and council members, among other things.

We emailed Superintendent McCall and Senator Belt asking McCall to seek a return of those funds from Senator Belt. We also sent that email to the golf tournament email @ilsenatedems.org.

The only response was from the @ilsenatedems.org email thanking us for providing the donation information to them and that Senator Belt’s campaign will be refunding the school district.

Senator Belt should have immediately responded, and Superintendent McCall should have acknowledged our request, but they have yet to do so.

We know, $800 is not much in the grand scheme of things, however, illegal use of public funds must stop at every level.

We suggest the School Board review each and every expenditure prior to approving them.