Chicago Republicans

Year-long investigation finds Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Joseph Berrios operates with potential conflicts of interest, questionable loyalties

Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Joseph Berrios, who is running for Cook County assessor, is the subject of an in-depth series of articles that are the fruits of a year-long partnership between the Better Government Association and Chicago Magazine.

The investigation - highlighted on the BGA's web site with a first-ever video commentary from BGA Executive Director Andy Shaw - paints a troubling picture of Commissioner Berrios and the Board of Review.

Among the findings:

• Berrios' campaign coffers contain hefty contributions from the same lawyers who appear before the Board of Review, and whose fortunes can rise and fall on its decisions.
• Berrios sometimes meets privately with property tax attorneys at his County Building office, and his campaign has logged donations shortly after some of these meetings.
• Berrios runs a side business that has him lobbying the state Legislature - which is controlled on the House and Senate sides by property tax lawyers whose firms have clients in front of the Board of Review.
• Berrios regularly meets with political figures and a business partner at his county office, raising questions about whether he's conducting political and personal business on government time.

"The findings of this investigation paint a real disturbing picture of how Joe Berrios does the people's business," said Shaw. "The potential conflicts of interest are numerous - and they raise serious questions about where his loyalties rest."

To tighten up operations at the Board of Review, and restore public trust, the BGA is recommending that:

--Elected officials be barred from also working as lobbyists for private interests to avoid conflicts of interest and the misuse of public resources.

--Tax attorneys who practice before the Board of Review be further restricted in how they give money to Board of Review members running for office to avoid the appearance of impropriety.


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