Cohen Denies Buying Endorsements
CHICAGO (WBBM) - In the race for Illinois governor, independent Scott Lee Cohen Friday denied an accusation that representatives from his campaign tried to buy the endorsements of two ministers.
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The Rev. Gregory Lee, of Chicago's Sun Rise Missionary Baptist Church, told CBS2 that what he was told at a ministers' luncheon for Cohen Tuesday in Matteson was blatant -- that he could get a payment of at least $500 if he publicly backed Cohen's bid.
"It was blatant," Rev. Lee said. "It seemed that way to me. That's why it didn't really set well at all."
Cohen said ministers talked at the luncheon about other candidates who had allegedly offered cash for endorsements, but not him.
"At no time did I ever offer or authorize to be offered, money in return for support of these pastors," Cohen said, leaving the brief news conference at his West Loop headquarters without taking further questions.
Cohen said the accusation is an "underhanded trick" and that the notion itself "appalled" him.
The Green Party candidate for governor, Rich Whitney, said he had no independent proof of such an offer but said, in effect, that if a minister said it, it must be true.
"It's not the first indication we've had that Mr. Cohen is ethically challenged," he said during a hastily-called media briefing outside of the Thompson Center.
Even if money did change hands in return for the endorsement, it would not necessarily be illegal.
Cohen and Whitney both said that they are attempting to gain entry to debates between Democratic incumbent Pat Quinn and Republican Bill Brady in the remaining days before the Nov. 2 election. They said they had no indication that Channel 11 would include them in a debate next week, although they said it appeared more likely that they may be able to participate in a radio debate.
