SPRINGFIELD - In the last four calendar years, State Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Belleville) has pulled in $2.8 million in itemized campaign contributions for a job that pays less than a base salary of $70,000 a year.
The vast majority of that largesse is derived from outside the area he serves. Just 12% of the total has come from sources within Madison and St. Clair counties, where he has served a total of 29 years in the House in two different districts.
Individuals in Madison and St. Clair contributed $211,270 to his campaign committee and individuals elsewhere contributed $824,396.
His committee received transfers of $124,720 from committees in Madison and St. Clair and $1,641,595 from committees elsewhere.
His committee transferred $202,047 to committees in Madison and St. Clair and $766,384 to committees elsewhere.
Unions, trial lawyers, and a few big businesses are among his donor base.
One contribution from 2018 stands out not for its size, but for its connection to Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden.
The wife of Devon Archer, Krista Archer of Brooklyn, NY, gave Hoffman $1,000 on Oct. 11, 2018. Devon Archer, who was a former fellow board member with Hunter Biden on the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, was sentenced last week to a year and a day in prison for fraudulently issuing and selling more than $60 million of tribal bonds.
Hoffman seeks re-election to a 16th term in November. He will face political newcomer Ashley Hunsaker.
Help from Speaker Madigan
Hoffman was first elected to House District 112 in 1990. In his third term he did not seek re-election, instead he launched a campaign for Congress. He lost the 1996 general election to Republican John Shimkus.
He returned to the 112th in October 1997 when his successor Glenn Bradford, considered to be vulnerable in the 1998 election, stepped down.
Six days after Bradford stepped down, he was awarded a $20,000 no-bid contract for legal services that House Speaker Michael Madigan's office awarded him, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The contract was investigated by State Police over allegations that Bradford was not required to do any work. Madigan said payments to Bradford were an "administrative mistake." Bradford returned what he had already been paid on the contract, approximately $10,000. Case was closed.
Madigan, who was Speaker for all but two years from 1983 to 2021, left office last year. He was indicted March 2 on federal racketeering charges.
In 1998, Hoffman ran against Republican Steve Reeb and won by a 55-45 margin.
In the 2010 general election, Hoffman lost to Republican Dwight Kay, 48-52.
What happened next? State Rep. Tom Holbrook, a Democrat who had served eight terms at the 113th House District (beginning in 1995), stepped down in November 2011 to chair the Illinois Pollution Control Board. His House seat was given to former police chief Scott Penny who held the place for a successor in the 2012 general election.
Hoffman moved from Collinsville to Belleville. He ran for and won the 2012 general election against Republican Melinda Hult, by a 66-34 margin.
Through his political career, Hoffman has received nearly a half million dollars in support from Madigan-controlled entities:
Democratic Party of Illinois: $435,258.21
Democratic Majority: $17,750
Friends of Michael J. Madigan: $6,629.58
Other peoples' money
Big checks from Chicago, Springfield, and other sources have flowed into a campaign treasury that held $1,709,857 as this election year began.
Candidates count on Hoffman for support like he provided in 2018, when his committee transferred $604,582 to other campaigns.
In the first quarter of that year the plumbers and pipefitters union in Maryland gave him $55,400.
He transferred $55,000 to current Rep. Lamont Robinson of Chicago.
He transferred $1,000 each to seven Chicago area candidates and $2,500 to attorney general Kwame Raoul.
He transferred $6,500 to St. Clair County central Democratic committee.
The American Federation of Teachers in Westmont gave him $52,500 in the second quarter and he saved most of it.
In the third quarter the laborers union and the pipe trades each gave him $10,000, and operating engineers in Springfield gave him $5,500.
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the American Federation of Teachers in Fairview Heights each gave him $5,000.
He transferred $55,000 each to Rep. Jerry Costello II of Belleville and former Rep. Natalie Finnie of Elizabethtown.
He transferred $45,000 to Rep. Monica Bristow of Alton, and $35,000 to former Rep. Lisa Dugan of Bradley.
In the fourth quarter, laborers gave him $70,400, the Health Care Council in Springfield gave him $54,500, and AFSCME gave him $50,400.
Throughout that election year, he transferred less than $10,000 to candidates in his own territory.
He transferred $2,000 to Congressional candidate Brendan Kelly and $1,500 to appellate court candidate Kevin Hoerner.
He transferred $6,500 to St. Clair County Democrat central committee.
In the first quarter of 2019, he transferred $5,000 to Chicago mayoral candidate Susana Mendoza, and $1,000 to current Peoria mayor Rita Ali.
In the third quarter the Illinois Education Association gave him $50,000 and laborers gave him $25,000.
He transferred $57,800 to Speaker Madigan and an equal amount to Democrats in Chicago’s 13th Ward.
He transferred $1,000 each to seven Chicago area candidates and $2,500 to former Rep. Nathan Reitz of Steeleville.
In the fourth quarter laborers and pipe trades each gave him $5,000, and operating engineers in Chicago gave him $9,500.
He transferred $1,000 each to Congressional candidate Betsy Londrigan and Rep. Lindsey LaPointe of Chicago.Over the course of the year he transferred $4,055 to local campaigns.
In the first quarter of 2020, laborers gave him $10,000 and realtors gave $5,000.
He transferred $10,000 to the state Democrat party, $3,500 to LaPointe, $2,500 to Rep. Aaron Turner of Chicago, and $2,000 each to seven Chicago area candidates.
In the second quarter the beer distributors association gave him $10,000 and laborers gave him $5,000.
He transferred $11,600 to Supreme Court candidate Judy Cates.
In the third quarter Illinois Education Association gave him $55,000 and the teacher federation in Fairview Heights gave $5,000.
He transferred $13,650 to Reitz and $13,400 to Bristow.
He transferred $2,500 to Rep. Jaime Andrade of Chicago and $1,000 each to five candidates in northern districts.
In the fourth quarter the pipe trades gave him $10,000, and carpenters, laborers, and the teacher federation in Fairview Heights each gave $5,000.
He transferred $57,800 to Rep. Suzanna Ness of Crystal Lake, $40,000 to Bristow, and $25,000 to 18 candidates mostly from the Chicago area.
Over the course of the year he contributed $6,750 to St. Clair central committee and $6,060 to Madison central committee.
He transferred $5,000 to Madison County board chairman candidate Bob Daiber and $2,050 to other campaigns in the two counties.
Last year, in the second quarter, electrical workers in Washington gave Hoffman $18,000 and seven Chicago law firms each gave him $3,000.
He transferred $1,000 to Rep. Sonya Harper of Chicago.
In the third quarter electrical workers gave him $44,300, laborers gave him $30,000, and pipe trades gave him $10,000.
He transferred $10,000 to Supreme Court candidate Mary O’Brien, and $1,000 each to three Chicago area candidates.
In the fourth quarter laborers gave him $114,800 and operating engineers gave him $41,000.
The education association gave him $40,000 and the teacher federation in Fairview Heights gave him $20,000.
He transferred $1,000 each to three Chicago area candidates.
Over the course of the year he transferred $1,000 to Rep. Katie Stuart, $500 to St. Clair central committee, and $410 to Madison central committee.
Throughout four years, Hoffman received occasional support from businesses.
Realtors gave him $40,300, video game provider J & J Ventures gave him $24,500, and Comcast gave him $17,000.
Coal producer Foresight Energy of St. Louis gave him $18,200, and Knight Hawk Coal of Percy gave him $14,500.
Illinois American Water of Belleville gave him $13,000, and Southern Illinois Builders Association of O’Fallon gave him $11,750.
Local lawyers also supported him for four years.
John Simmon’s firm in Alton gave him $11,000 and firm members gave $11,500.
Rich, Rich and Cooksey in Belleville gave him $14,500.
John Driscoll of St. Louis gave him $11,600.
Becker Hoerner in Belleville gave him $9,000 and Tom Keefe’s firm in Swansea gave him $7,800.
In Edwardsville, the Gori firm gave him $6,000, Goldenberg Heller gave him $5,000, and Walton Telken gave him $2,500.