Metro East Democrats on Election Board's fine list

Perhaps the least of East St. Louis Democrat Charlie Powell Jr.'s worries is that his campaign committee owes the state $15,675 in fines for filing late reports with the Illinois State Board of Elections.

In June, Powell was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit vote fraud during the Nov. 2, 2004, general election. Awaiting sentencing, Powell--the former head of the powerful East St. Louis City Central Democratic Committee--faces five years in prison.

Powell and about 40 other politicians or political campaigns are named on the Board of Election's recent list of unpaid fines.

Four other Democratic groups with ties to the Metro-East appear on the list, including the Committee to Retain Justice Hopkins, the East St. Louis City Central Democratic Committee, Young Democrats of Madison County and St. Clair County Young Democrats.

There were no metro Republican organizations on the list.

The Committee to Retain Justice Hopkins of the 5th Appellate Court faces fines totaling $150 for two separate violations. It filed a semiannual report due Dec. 31, 2004, one day late. That cost $50. The other mistake cost $100 for an error on its 2004 A-1 report.

Young Democrats of Madison County was fined for filing four reports late between Feb. 28, 2000, and March 24, 2005. The group owes a total of $2,750. The costliest mistake happened turning in a seminannual report due June 30, 2004, 31 days late. That cost $2,325.

St. Clair County Young Democrats owe the state $1,175 for filing late reports between March 20, 2000, and Feb. 17, 2001. Oddly, the costliest fine, $600, was for filing a pre-election report three days late. A year earlier it was filed four days late, but that only cost $400.

Between June 1, 2001 and April 19, 2005, the Committee to Elect Charles R Powell, Jr. committed eight infractions, two of which netted $5,000 fines. Powell's committee filed a semiannual report due June 30, 2004, 64 days late, and a seminannual report due Dec. 31, 2004, 35 days late.

The East St. Louis City Central Democratic Committee, under Powell's direction, racked up $17,050 in fines, having committed eight violations. Those occurred between Feb. 28, 2000, and Dec. 1, 2004. The committee was fined $5,000 for turning in a semiannual report that was due on June 30, 2004, 60 days late.