A new report today from Bloomberg builds on reporting from WTTW about the deep pay-to-play connections between Richard Irvin, Ken Griffin, Aurora telecommunications firm Scientel Solutions, and Griffin’s hedge fund, Citadel.
According to Bloomberg, Irvin helped clear the way for Scientel to build a communications tower close to a Chicago Mercantile Exchange data center in Aurora over the objections of the city council. The tower was widely believed to be constructed to support Citadel’s wireless network, and its location would give Citadel an advantage over its competitors in its trading activity.
Irvin has raked in at least $135,000 in Scientel-related campaign cash and even traveled on a private plane to Mexico with Scientel’s leadership. Scientel has in turn received millions of dollars’ worth of contracts from the city of Aurora under Irvin’s watch. Meanwhile, Citadel’s hedge fund and market making operations have exploded in value, adding billions to Griffin’s net worth.
Now, Irvin is trying to take this pay-to-play gameplan from the mayor’s office the governor’s office, as he has collected $20 million from Griffin in the first few months of his gubernatorial campaign.
Griffin claims he only became aware of Irvin “months ago,” but reporting demonstrates Citadel had a longstanding interest in Irvin and his actions in Aurora. And while questions swirl, Irvin continues to hide from reporters and both Irvin’s campaign and Citadel refuse to answer basic questions about the history between Griffin and Irvin as well as the Scientel Solutions tower.
But as Griffin-funded Irvin ads blanket the airwaves and innundate mailboxes, the voters of Illinois deserve immediate answers from both Richard Irvin and Ken Griffin.
Read the full article from Bloomberg HERE.
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