Nick Blumberg of WTTW/Chicago PBS and Vernal Coleman from ProPublica are credited. This narrative was jointly released by WTTW/Chicago PBS. ProPublica is an independent journalism organization that seeks to uncover any improper use of power. Enroll in Dispatches, a newsletter that brings attention to unethical behavior nationally, to obtain weekly updates in your mail. In 2013, Roseland Community Hospital was in the process of searching for a director. Mendoza, who is the top officer dealing with state finances, takes care of all the payments the state has to make, including paying out Roseland Community Hospital for those people who are supported by Medicare or Medicaid. Earlier on this year, Mendoza held a fundraising event with Tim Egan, the President and CEO of Roseland Community Hospital, and tickets for the occasion cost up to $5,000. (This information was sourced from WTTW/Chicago PBS). Dr. Samuel Brunson, who is a professor and associate dean at Loyola University Chicago, suggested that Egan’s being part of the advertisement was inappropriate. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has a set of regulations that disallows nonprofit organisations from being involved in political campaigns. After viewing a commercial for a candidate with a connection to a hospital, tax expert Brunson commented that it was “a pretty flagrant violation of this rule”. The commercial featured the hospital’s CEO who was speaking while standing in a hospital setting with two people wearing lab coats. Brunson noted that “it’s not him saying the hospital endorses her, but it’s him saying, ‘I am the CEO of the hospital, I’m speaking in my capacity as CEO … about what she did for the hospital itself'”. A representative for the hospital stated that the CEO’s political work was known to the hospital’s leaders, and that it has helped the hospital accomplish its objectives in the area. The spokesperson did not give any commentary on whether Egan’s presence was in breach of federal nonprofit regulations.
Author: Amaury Abreu
