Filings: Lawyers Who Sue Police, Defend Accused Criminals Lead Financial Backing of State's Attorney Hopeful Harris

Lawyers who specializing in suing police, and defending accused criminals, make up the largest segment of donors to the campaign of Clayton Harris, III, who is vying for the Democratic nomination for states attorney in the March 19 primary.

That’s according to an analysis of Illinois State Board of Elections (ISBE) filings by the Cook County Record.

Harris raised $162,250 from lawyers, $129,779 from local government contractors, $54,415 from lobbyists and $24,969 from government employees between July 2023 and March 1, 2024, the analysis shows.

Law firms financially supporting Harris include "white shoe" corporate firms like Arnold & Porter, Cozen O'Connor, Nixon Peabody, Barnes & Thornburg and Jenner & Block, as well as leading Cook County personal injury suers like the Clifford Law Firm and Cogan and Power.

More notable: Cook County lawyers set to square off against Harris in court, were he to be elected.  

In the wake of Kim Foxx' eight years in office, a bevy of Chicago firms now specialize not only in representing perpetrators accused of committing violent crimes, but also scrutinizing and suing police, alleging "civil rights" violations and often winning giant, taxpayer-funded settlements.

Criminal defense lawyers donating to Harris include John M. Beal, Jeffrey J. Kent and Kevin P. Bolger of Chicago, Daniel Kiss of Evanston, Brandon Brown of Homewood, Keenan Saulter of Tinley Park and Alexis Johnson of Matteson.

Saulter, who specializes in suing the police, served as treasurer of Harris' failed 2008 run for state's attorney. Johnson served as Harris' campaign chairman.

Saulter represented Anjanette Young, who sued police and won $2.9 million over a "botched raid" in Feb. 2019.

He was scolded, but not disciplined, by a federal judge for violating a court order in releasing video of the raid to the public. 

Young has endorsed Harris over his opponent, retired appellate court judge Eileen O'Neill Burke, in the Democratic primary.

"A Kim Foxx special"

Loevy & Levy, the city's most prolific suer of the the Chicago Police Department and a leading supporter of Foxx, gave Harris $3,500 on Feb. 27. 

Between 2010 and 2023, Loevy & Loevy collected $33 million in attorney's fees from Chicago taxpayers for lawsuits accusing police of violating the rights of criminals, according to City of Chicago Law Department reports.

Chicago lawyer Antonio Romanucci, who also backed Foxx, has given $5,000 to Harris. 

Romanucci is currently representing a teen tackled by a Chicago Police Officer, after he was found sitting on a bike stolen from the Park Ridge library.

Lawyers for the officer, who was charged with three felonies by Foxx and acquitted last summer, called the case "a Kim Foxx special."

He held a press conference last month endorsing Harris with Benjamin Crump, a Florida-based lawyer who specializes in suing police departments.

Crump, who represents the family of George Floyd, partnered with hedge fund billionaire George Soros to back Foxx's initial, 2016 run for state's attorney.

All told, Harris has raised $826.344 in 40 donations.

He raised $23,750 in July, $16,906 in August, $90,174 in September, $15,606 in October, $42,956 in November, $91,706 in December, $34,086 in January and $460,160 in February

Public unions have donated $121,500, including $88,500 from SEIU and $25,000 from the Chicago Teacher's Union.

His largest individual donors are Fred Eychaner of Newsweb ($113,800), banking billionaire scion Heather Steans and her husband, Leo Smith ($68,500), and trial lawyer Bob Clifford ($49,700).

Source: Illinois State Board of Elections (ISBE), data July 2023 - March 1, 2024

Who is backing Clayton Harris for State’s Attorney?