Oct. 22--The Cook County Democratic Party's executive committee decided Wednesday to let the party's top leadership vote on whether to rescind its re-election endorsement of Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown, who is under federal investigation.
Joseph Berrios, county Democratic chairman and county assessor, said the county central committee -- 80 township and Chicago ward committeemen -- will meet Friday to reconsider Brown's slating, which she narrowly received when the party met in August.
Berrios said the party's executive committee, made up of its top nine officials, was not recommending any action on how the central committee should vote, but only agreeing to let the full party hierarchy decide.
"We feel that this is a decision that has to be made by the entire party because of the fact when we voted, we voted as one, and that decision (on Brown's endorsement) should come from everyone," Berrios said.
"Our recommendation is we all meet and we all talk about this and then make a decision on Friday. If there is a vote to take away the endorsement, we also will hear from new potential candidates who would like to have our endorsement for that office," he said.
Several people have expressed interest in gaining the Democratic endorsement for circuit clerk if Brown's slating is rescinded, party leaders said privately, including Alds. Michelle Harris, 8th, and Walter Burnett, 27th; and attorney Jacob Meister.
Berrios said the county Democratic central committee's first action Friday will be to hold a roll call on whether to withdraw Brown's endorsement. If that happens, he said, Brown would have the opportunity to appear before the central committee to present her credentials along with others seeking party backing.
Some Democrats called for the party to reconsider its endorsement of Brown, who is seeking a fifth term, contending she denied she was under investigation when asked during August slate-making.
The Tribune has reported that federal authorities joined an investigation launched by the Cook County state's attorney's office into the sale of a North Lawndale building owned by Narendra Patel, a longtime campaign donor to Brown and a west suburban businessman.
Patel, who is now deceased, gave the 2,275-square-foot, triangle-shaped property on South Pulaski Road to Brown's husband, Benton Cook III, at no cost in June 2011, records show. Months later, Cook put the property in the couple's name, and later they transferred it to a for-profit company Brown had set up years earlier.
The couple then sold the run-down building for $100,000 to developer Musa Tadros, county documents show.
Neither Brown nor her husband has been charged with wrongdoing.
A Brown spokeswoman declined to comment Wednesday.
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