Derrick Smith (Illinois)
Derrick Smith is a former Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing District 10 from January 2013 to June 10, 2014, and previously from March 24, 2011, to August 17, 2012. He was expelled from the legislature twice in connection to bribery charges: once on August 17, 2012, and again on June 10, 2014. His expulsion in August 2012 by the other members of the chamber was the first in 107 years. The expulsion in June 2014 was automatically triggered by state law after Smith was convicted of bribery.[1][2] He was elected to return to his seat in the 2012 elections following his first expulsion.[3]
Biography
Smith earned his Bachelor's from DePaul University in 2005. His professional experience includes working as the Deputy Director of Accounting Revenue for the Secretary of State’s Office before becoming a state representative.[4]
Committee assignments
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Smith served on the following committees:
| Illinois committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Appropriations-Public Safety |
| • Consumer Protection |
| • Housing |
| • Human Services, Vice chair |
| • Tourism & Conventions |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Smith served on the following committees:
| Illinois committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Human Services |
| • Cities & Villages |
| • State Government Administration |
| • Appropriations-Public Safety |
| • Housing |
Campaign themes
2014
Smith's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[5]
- Jobs and Economic Development
- Excerpt: "I am focusing on saving and creating jobs for our community and promoting economic development."
- Education
- Excerpt: "I understand the importance of a quality education for our children and for our adults. I want to be a strong supporter of improving our schools, keeping them open, and ensuring that schools and our kids have the right resources like computers and up-to-date books."
- Seniors
- Excerpt: "I will be a strong advocate for Seniors, ensuring that they receive the care and support they deserve and push legislation that protects their interests."
- Youth and Young Adults
- Excerpt: "The Youth are our future. I want to create a Youth agenda. An agenda that creates opportunities for our kids and young adults to have a brighter future."
- Public Safety
- Excerpt: "I want to work on strengthening the laws that protect us and work with other local officials like our aldermen to ensure our neighborhoods get a fair amount of policing and that the police are there to protect us."
Elections
2014
Elections for the Illinois House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on March 18, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was December 2, 2013. Pamela Reaves-Harris defeated incumbent Derrick Smith, Beverly Perteet, Eddie Winters and Antwan D. Hampton in the Democratic primary, while Mark Calonder ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Reaves-Harris then defeated Calonder in the general election.[6][7][8][9]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Pamela Reaves-Harris |
85.3% | 21,102 | |
| Republican | Mark Calonder | 14.7% | 3,638 | |
| Total Votes | 24,740 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Pamela Reaves-Harris |
42.6% | 2,688 |
| Derrick Smith Incumbent | 37.6% | 2,375 |
| Eddie Winters | 12% | 757 |
| Beverly Perteet | 4.9% | 310 |
| Antwan D. Hampton | 2.9% | 181 |
| Total Votes | 6,311 | |
2012
Smith won election in the 2012 election for Illinois House of Representatives District 10. Smith defeated Tom Swiss in the March 20 Democratic primary and defeated Lance Tyson (10th District Unity) in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[10][11][12]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Derrick Smith |
62.9% | 25,417 | |
| 10th District Unity | Lance Tyson | 37.1% | 15,007 | |
| Total Votes | 40,424 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Derrick Smith Incumbent |
76.8% | 7,247 |
| Tom Swiss | 23.2% | 2,193 |
| Total Votes | 9,440 | |
Campaign contributions
The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may not represent all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer, and campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
| Derrick Smith campaign contribution history | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Result | Contributions | |
| 2012 | Illinois State House, District 10 |  |
$235,094 | |
| Grand total raised | $235,094 | |||
| Source: [[13] Follow the Money] | ||||
2012
Smith won election to the Illinois House of Representatives in 2012. During that election cycle, Smith raised a total of $235,094.
| Illinois House of Representatives 2012 election - campaign contributions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top contributors to Derrick Smith (Illinois)'s campaign in 2012 | ||||
| Democratic Party of Illinois | $86,294 | |||
| Illinois Healthcare Association | $25,000 | |||
| Seiu Healthcare Illinois Indiana | $11,500 | |||
| Friends of Robert Bob Rita | $7,950 | |||
| Nickel Liquors & Mini Mart Inc | $7,500 | |||
| Total raised in 2012 | $235,094 | |||
| Source: Follow the Money | ||||
Scorecards
Illinois Opportunity Project
The Illinois Opportunity Project, "an independent research and public policy enterprise that promotes legislative solutions in advance of free markets and free minds," annually releases its Legislative Vote Card, grading all members in both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly on the basis of their support of "pro-growth economic policies that increase personal freedom and reign in expansive government."[14][15]
2012
Smith received a score of 0.00 out of 100 in 2012 for a grade of F according to the IOP’s grading scale. His score was tied for the lowest among all 120 members of the Illinois House of Representatives included in the Vote Card.[15]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Smith and his wife, Valerie, have three children. They reside in Chicago, IL.[4]
Noteworthy events
Bribery
On March 13, 2012, Smith was arrested by federal agents and charged with bribery after he allegedly accepted $7,000 in return for supporting a $50,000 state grant to a day care center. Smith did not realize his deal was being struck with an undercover informant. The bribery charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years and a $250,000 fine. He was released on a $4,500 personal bond.[16]
Smith's primary opponent, Tom Swiss, called for Smith's resignation and withdrawal from the primary election.[16] Democratic leaders encouraged voters to vote for him in the primary despite his arrest, with the idea that Smith would then take himself off the ballot so the party could appoint someone else to run in November. After winning the primary, however, Smith refused to step down.[17]
A disciplinary committee voted on July 19, 2012, to recommend that Smith be expelled from the House for allegedly accepting the bribe. House speaker Michael Madigan announced that the Legislature would return to Springfield in August to consider expelling Smith.[17]
On August 17, 2012, the Illinois House of Representatives voted 100-6 to expel Smith, the first time in 107 years that a member has been expelled. Smith announced that he intended to stay on the ballot.[18]
On June 10, 2014, Smith was convicted of accepting $7,000 in bribes just days before he won the 2012 Democratic primary. In accordance with state law, Smith was immediately expelled from the chamber for a second time. Because Smith lost in the 2014 Democratic primary, there was no chance for him to return to the legislature in 2015.[2]
On April 23, 2015, Smith was sentenced to five months in prison, 360 hours of community service and one year of probation. Prosecutors had requested that Smith be sentenced to as many as five years in prison.[19]
Return to House
During the campaign, notable Democrats including Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White campaigned for Smith's opponent in the general election, Lance Tyson. Tyson was drafted by the Democratic Party to run against Smith after it became clear that Smith would not step down. Tyson ran as a minor-party candidate under the "10th District Unity" label.[20]
Smith campaigned for re-election, reminding voters via campaign literature in this overwhelmingly Democratic district that he was the Democratic nominee in the race.[21] Tyson's website showed pictures of Tyson with Governor Quinn and United States President Barack Obama, and pointedly referred to Tyson as "The Real Democrat."[22]
Despite Democratic Party efforts to oust Smith, he defeated Tyson with approximately 63 percent of the vote. Some informal polling and expert observers attributed Smith's victory to a lack of voter information. Professor Jaime Dominguez at Northwestern University suggested the Democratic Party apparatus in the state did not work effectively and showed a lack of organization. Professor Paul Green at Roosevelt University attributed Smith's win to a lack of enthusiasm on the part of some Democratic leaders to oust him, especially those hoping to defeat him in the 2014 primary for his seat.[23]
Some lawmakers already were seeking news ways to oust the newly-elected Smith. However, the Illinois constitution does not allow the Illinois House of Representatives to expel a member twice for the same reason. Smith could still lose his seat, however, if Smith is found guilty in federal court.[24]
In a statement after the election, Smith said that he was willing to work with those politicians and legislators that voted to oust him and campaigned against him.[3] Smith's lawyers had stronger language, suggesting that Secretary of State White may come under federal investigation and referencing Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Jesus Christ to describe their client's situation.[21]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for Derrick + Smith + Illinois + Legislature
See also
- Illinois House of Representatives
- House Committees
- Illinois State Legislature
- Illinois state legislative districts
External links
- Official campaign website
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Profile from Open States
- The Chicago Tribune, "Indicted Illinois lawmaker expelled from House remains in race for former seat," November 2, 2012
- Campaign contributions: 2012
Footnotes
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Secretary of State administrator chosen for West Side House seat," March 24, 2011
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chicago Tribune, "State Rep. Derrick Smith convicted of accepting $7,000 bribe," June 10, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Huffington Post, "Derrick Smith Re-elected: Indicted Illinois State Rep Credits 'Will Of The People' For Tuesday Win," November 9, 2012
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Project Vote Smart, "Derrick Smith's Biography," accessed February 14, 2014
- ↑ repderricksmith.com, "Issues," accessed June 10, 2014
- ↑ Illinois Secretary of State, "Official candidate list," accessed March 18, 2014
- ↑ Illinois Board of Elections, "General Primary Election Official Canvass," April 18, 2014
- ↑ Illinois Secretary of State, "Official general election candidate list," accessed March 18, 2014
- ↑ The Chicago Tribune, "Results List (Unofficial)," accessed November 5, 2014
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Candidate List," accessed December 5, 2011
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Official 2012 Primary Results," accessed May 14, 2014
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, “Official Vote - November 6, 2012 General Election,” accessed January 18, 2013
- ↑ followthemoney.org, "Smith, Derrick," accessed July 18, 2013
- ↑ Illinois Opportunity Project, "The Project," accessed February 21, 2013
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Illinois Opportunity Project, "Legislative Vote Card home page," accessed February 21, 2013
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 suntimes.com, "Feds: State Rep. Derrick Smith took $7,000 bribe," March 13, 2012
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 stltoday.com, "Illinois House poised to expel one of their own over bribery," July 20, 2012
- ↑ nbcchicago.com, "Illinois House Votes 100-6 to Expel Rep. Derrick Smith," August 17, 2012
- ↑ Associated Press, "Judge sentences ex-lawmaker Derrick Smith, says politicians 'don't get it,'" April 23, 2015
- ↑ The Chicago Tribune, "Indicted Illinois lawmaker expelled from House remains in race for former seat," November 2, 2012
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 WBEZ, "Derrick Smith's attorney compares him to Jesus, thinks feds might be targeting Jesse White," November 8, 2012
- ↑ lancetyson.com, "Official campaign website," accessed November 17, 2012
- ↑ Medill Reports Chicago, "Lack of voter awareness, plus party politics re-elected Smith," November 8, 2012
- ↑ The Chicago Tribune, "Lawmaker seeks way to oust Smith again," November 9, 2012
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Eddie Winters (D) |
Illinois House of Representatives District 10 2013–June 10, 2014 |
Succeeded by Pamela Reaves-Harris (D) |
| Preceded by Annazette Collins (D) |
Illinois House of Representatives District 10 2011–2012 |
Succeeded by Eddie Winters (D) |
