Alderman Monique Scott (24th Ward) last month received a total of $36,000 in political donations that came from her brother’s company. She also received a donation from the brother of former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.
With the Chicago municipal elections less than four months away, Alderman Scott is pulling in tens of thousands of dollars in political donations in her first election campaign as alderman, thanks to her brother, Michael Scott, Jr., whom she replaced last summer.
Michael may be gone from City Hall, but he’s using his political and business clout to help his sister win her first election as an incumbent alderman.
Amid concerns of nepotism, Mayor Lightfoot last June appointed Scott to succeed her brother, former 24th Ward Alderman Michael Scott, Jr., who abruptly resigned to take an executive job with Cinespace Film Studios.
In his newly created position, Michael Scott serves as the studio’s first Director, Industry and Community Relations, who develops early education programs for Chicago. On September 30, Cinsepace gave $5,000 to Michael Scott’s sister’s aldermanic campaign, according to records from the Illinois State Board of Elections.
More than a week later, the 24th Ward Democratic Organization gave a $30,000 political donation to Monique Scott’s campaign. The 24th Ward Democratic Organization is still headed by Michael Scott, who serves as the 24th Ward Committeeman.
Campaign filings show that weeks before that $30,000 donation, Michael Scott on September 6 donated over $51,000 from his existing campaign account, Citizens for Michael Scott Jr.
As reported last month in the Crusader, Michael Scott in July donated $59,900 to his sister’s campaign from the same account.
Campaign records also show that Alderman Monique Scott received a $1,000 donation from John P. Daley, the brother of former Mayor Richard M. Daley. John P. Daley currently serves as County Board Commissioner for the 11th District. Daley also serves as the 11th Ward Committeeman.
The rest of Monique Scott’s donations come from private, individual donors.
The official list of aldermanic candidates won’t be available until after November 28 when the Chicago Board of Elections receives petition signatures from candidates seeking to get their names on the ballot.
One candidate who may run against Scott is Vetress Boyce, who took Michael Scott to the aldermanic runoff elections in 2015. She received over 32 percent of the vote while he received over 67 percent of the vote.
Campaign filings with State Board of Elections show that Boyce on October 6 filed her State of Organization papers, required for candidates running for office. Boyce indicated on her application that she had only $100 in available funds at that time.
The Crusader was unsuccessful in reaching Boyce, who did not list a phone number, but an email address that did not work.
Boyce did not run against Michael Scott in 2019 after she opened a beauty supply shop in his ward. There were questions as to why Boyce did not run against Scott again. But there was speculation that Scott cut a deal that kept her out of the race.
Sources told the Crusader that Boyce was disappointed when Michael Scott did not support her after she applied to replace him when he abruptly resigned as alderman in May.
Michael Scott instead supported his sister, Monique Scott, who never held a political office or ran a political campaign.
Of 19 candidates, Mayor Lightfoot chose Monique Scott, who drew support from Alderman Michelle Harris (8th Ward,) an ally of Lightfoot who is head of the Rules Committee, which recommended Monique before the City Council voted unanimously in favor of her appointment. The appointment guaranteed Lightfoot a likely new ally on the fractured City Council.
Mayor Lightfoot said Monique’s appointment came after a thorough process, in which applicants were reviewed by a four-member selection committee made up of dedicated public servants and 24th Ward residents. The committee then recommended candidates to the mayor.
After her appointment, residents flooded WVON with calls to voice their disappointment with the mayor and accused her of nepotism that her predecessors allegedly engaged in when they were in office.
Before her appointment, Monique served as a park supervisor for the Chicago Park District. As a supervisor, she has tripled the number of park memberships and provides strategic leadership to ensure parks are available to every resident and visitor. She also coordinated member activities and managed a diverse staff of over 20 people.
Prior to her role at the Park District, Scott worked for 14 years as a health consultant for Lawndale Christian Health Center. Since the beginning of her career, Scott has prioritized public service and giving back to her community.
She also volunteers regularly with residents of all ages through Mayor Lightfoot and First Lady Amy Eshleman’s My CHI. My Future. youth initiative and the Westside Cultural Foundation.
Scott holds a Bachelor of Arts from Jackson State University and a master’s degree in Business Administration from National Louis University.
