In Cook County state's attorney's race, Eileen O'Neill Burke is getting money from Cook County judges

Eileen O’Neill Burke, the Democratic nominee for Cook County state’s attorney in November, has taken campaign contributions from at least a dozen judges, records show, though many preside over or one day could hear cases involving the prosecutor’s office.

Though some jurisdictions ban or limit judges or judicial candidates from giving money to candidates or political groups out of ethical concerns, Illinois Supreme Court rules allow judges and judicial hopefuls to attend political get-togethers, “identify as a member of a political party” and “contribute to a political organization.”

Burke’s campaign contributors include Cook County Circuit Judge Mary Margaret Brosnahan, a supervising judge at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse at 26th Street and California Avenue who gave her campaign $250 in February and $250 in March, records show.

A spokeswoman for Burke — a former Cook County judge and state appeals court justice — says of the financial support from judges: “Eileen O’Neill Burke was a distinguished member of the judiciary for more than 15 years and president of the Illinois Judges Association. It’s no surprise she earned the respect and support of her colleagues.”

Cook County Circuit Judge Charles Burns, another Burke contributor, gave her campaign $400 in February.

Brosnahan and Burns handle criminal cases prosecuted by the state’s attorney’s office.

Illinois Appellate Justice Raymond Mitchell — whose court hears appeals of circuit court rulings, including cases involving the state’s attorney’s office — gave $500 to Burke’s campaign last year, months before Burke’s Democratic primary win over Clayton Harris III.

Like departing Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, Harris was backed by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who also leads the Cook County Democratic Party.

Beside handling criminal cases, the state’s attorney’s office also represents county government “in lawsuits filed on its behalf, defends county officeholders and employees in lawsuits arising from their official duties and acts on behalf of the county in matters related to the collection of owed taxes and fees,” according to the agency.

Cook County judges handling civil cases also are among the judges who have given money to Burke.

Burke’s campaign won’t say whether contributions from judges were solicited.

Many Cook County judges are elected and must run for retention, often with the support of politicians or political parties.

Many judges contribute money to their own and their colleagues' judicial races, and some also have given money to other political campaigns.

Burke’s campaign spokeswoman forwarded a written comment from former Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride that says: “Judges, like all citizens, care about the administration of justice. The judicial canons serve to ensure everyone before a court gets a fair hearing. They are not designed to muzzle a judge’s concern for their community. I have no concern that any judge who donated to Eileen O’Neill Burke’s campaign would ever let anything other than the facts or the law affect their judgment in any case.”

Northwestern University law professor Steven Lubet, who focuses on judicial ethics, has a different view: “In a system where the judges absolutely prized the appearance of impartiality, they would not be making contributions in the state’s attorney’s race.”

Burke was an assistant Cook County state’s attorney and a defense lawyer before serving as a Cook County judge from 2008 to 2016 and on the Illinois Appellate Court from 2016 to 2023.

While on the bench, she made several campaign contributions, including to former Ald. Mary O’Connor (41st).

Burke’s Republican opponent in November's general election, former Ald. Bob Fioretti, took campaign contributions from former Cook County Circuit Judge Paul Biebel Jr. when Biebel was presiding judge of Cook County’s criminal division and Fioretti was on the Chicago City Council, records show.

Former Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez accepted campaign money from at least one judge while in office, records show.

Chief Cook County Judge Timothy Evans won’t say whether he’s the Timothy Evans who's listed as having given money this year to the campaign of Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Larry Rogers Jr., whose agency is represented by the state’s attorney’s office and whose tax appeals cases often end up in the courts.