Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on Wednesday criticized a political ally for hiring relatives, even as Assessor Joseph Berrios continued to defy an ethics panel's recommendation that he remove them from his payroll.
Preckwinkle, who called Berrios' hiring of his son and sister "inappropriate" in late 2010, put a finer point on it, saying the assessor should abide by county anti-nepotism ethics rules.
"I've always said throughout my political career that if you're in public office you should not hire your relatives," Preckwinkle said at an unrelated news conference. "This is not appropriate. And it leads to the perception that government is only for friends and family. And that's neither good nor right.
"And I've talked to Joe about this, as recently as Monday;, quite candidly, and he and I disagree. That's where that is."
Staff members for Berrios confirmed that the two had spoken, even as they referred further questions to attorney Steven Puiszis, who reiterated Berrios' argument that Board of Ethics has no say over the assessor's office.
Like Berrios, Puiszis cited a 1994 opinion by the state's attorney's office that concluded many countywide elected officials did not fall under the jurisdiction of the Board of Ethics or the ordinance it enforces.
The ethics board, in a recent preliminary finding obtained by WGN-TV, concluded that Berrios violated the ordinance when he hired his sister, Carmen Berrios, and his son, Joseph "Joey" Berrios, shortly after he took office in late 2010. The sister now makes nearly $108,000, and the son makes more than $80,000, the records show. At the time, Berrios dismissed criticism, saying, "You bring people you can trust and who will protect you."
The ethics finding recommended that Berrios "remove his sister and son" from his payroll and be fined $10,000. "Assessor Berrios' actions show a knowing and flagrant disregard of both the letter and the spirit of the ethical standards that all public officials are required to adhere to," the finding stated.
Berrios has 30 days to ask the board to reconsider its decision before the finding becomes final and is officially made public. At that point, he could take the issue to court to dispute the board's jurisdiction. Puiszis declined to say what action Berrios would take.
State's Attorney Anita Alvarez has not been asked for an opinion in the current case, said Sally Daly, her spokeswoman. Until that happens, the office would not offer an opinion, added Patrick Driscoll, Alvarez's civil chief.
Last year, a judge appointed Puiszis as a special state's attorney to represent Berrios because of a potential conflict, Driscoll said. Alvarez's office usually would represent Berrios, but it also represents Preckwinkle, who appoints members to the Board of Ethics.
Commissioner Larry Suffredin, D-Evanston, said he believes the ethics rules, as amended last year, should apply to Berrios. Preckwinkle agreed.
"I think the ethics rules should apply to everybody," Preckwinkle said. "Not just the president's office and the offices under the president, but every elected official. They should apply to the county as a whole."
