Most of you probably have never heard of Linda Szczepanski. Until recently, neither had we.
But “Linda Ski,” as she is known in some quarters, might be one of the bigger “players” in Park Ridge politics by virtue of being the political hired-gun not only to Mayor Howard Frimark but also to two of his wing-men: Ald. Jim Allegretti (4th Ward) and Ald. Tom Carey (6th Ward).
We found out about her in researching “Hello, Kalo?” (”Kibbles and Bits,” November 26), where we questioned the wisdom of any local government body spending tax dollars on privately-owned special interests – like the City is considering doing for the Kalo Foundation, albeit at a relatively paltry $5,000. We noted the potential for undue influence where members of such special interests have close ties to the government body from whom the funds are sought.
Although the marquee names on the Kalo Foundation board of directors may be Vice-President Nancy Frimark, the mayor’s wife, and Secretary Sharon Curcio, the long-time executive director of the semi-secretive but now-disbanded Economic Development Corporation under several prominent chairmen (including Howard Frimark), we found it interesting that Szczepanski’s name also appeared there.
Why? First of all, because Linda Ski is a Niles resident. But more importantly, because she is a public relations professional and political operative who has been Mayor Frimark’s political “go to” gal since at least February 2005. He paid her almost $28,000 during his 2005 mayoral campaign, before loaning her earlier this year to Allegretti and Carey for their aldermanic campaigns – which, in turn, paid her at least $4,000 and $4,300, respectively, for her services.
Or did they? Actually, we’re not quite sure how much money Linda Ski got from the Allegretti and Carey campaigns because it’s not clear who was really paying her bills. Schedule B of the “Allegretti for Alderman” D-2 campaign disclosure form [pdf] reports that Allegretti’s fund paid “LMS Political Solutions” (which stands for “Linda M. Szczepanski” and also goes by “LMS”) $4,008.05 this year; and Schedule B of the “Citizens for Carey” D-2 [pdf] shows payments totaling $3,581.29 to LMS and a payment of $709.65 to Linda Ski directly.
But while the Illinois State Board of Elections Campaign Disclosure website shows LMS [pdf] receiving five (5) separate payments in 2007 totaling over $2,300 and Linda Szczepanski [pdf] receiving six (6) separate payments totaling over $4,100, all of those payments are shown as having come from “Friends for Frimark for Mayor.” Carey’s D-2 also reveals that “Friends for Frimark” provided $3,127.73 of the $7,025 in total contributions the Carey campaign took in.
And just to complete the circle, the “Friends for Frimark for Mayor” D-2 for 2007 [pdf] discloses those contributions to “Citizens for Carey,” shows no contributions going to “Allegretti for Alderman,” but does show a $750.36 contribution to “Friends of Robert Kristy,” the campaign fund for the Frimark ally who lost his 7th Ward aldermanic race to incumbent Frank Wsol.
One additional point of interest: Szczepanski is currently employed as Vice President of Empower Public Relations (www.empowerpublicrelations.com), the p.r. firm that just so happens to be representing Maine Twp. Trustee and Republican candidate for a 12th Judicial Subcircuit judgeship, Laura Morask. So it looks like Linda Ski’s reach also may extend into Maine Twp. government.
What’s the bottom line on all this – other than perhaps somebody needs to be a bit more diligent with their paperwork? Maybe it’s that if Allegretti and Carey want to be taken seriously as “independent” voices for their constituents rather than Mayor Frimark’s puppets, they have to overcome at least an inference that they owe their political souls to Frimark. Or maybe it’s that we just need to pay a bit more attention to the “who knows whom” of Park Ridge government, and to a certain paid political propagandist with the cozy relationship to City Hall.
But one thing is certain: If you’re looking for someone who moves in the “right” circles of the current City of Park Ridge administration to put in a good word for you or your organization, Linda Ski is somebody you should know.