FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2024
Clayton Harris Caught Misrepresenting His Role As A Top Anti-Union Corporate Lobbyist
CHICAGO – While Clayton Harris’s campaign tried to misrepresent his role as a top corporate lobbyist who led anti-union, anti-choice efforts by claiming he was merely a “lower-level employee,” a 2022 tax form reveals he was in fact a high ranking decision maker.
In response, the Eileen O’Neill Burke Campaign for State’s Attorney released the following statement:
“Political insiders like Clayton Harris are used to distorting the facts and getting away with it, but voters deserve the truth. Despite his attempts to downplay his role, Clayton Harris is listed as the President of an anti-labor coalition to deny workers fair wages and basic rights like bathroom breaks and the right to form a union. Corporate lobbyists lie, but tax forms don’t.”
According to this 2022 tax filing, Clayton Harris served as President and Chair/Director of the Coalition for Independent Work, a well-funded, anti-union campaign to ensure workers were not treated as employees so they could be paid less than the minimum wage with no benefits.
“Democrats can’t trust Clayton Harris to fight for them and do what’s right when he lobbied against good pay, benefits, and working conditions for ordinary people. His anti-union record disqualifies him for this important office. During his time with the Illinois Coalition for Independent Work, he helped kill needed worker misclassification reforms which would have raised the standard for workers in Cook County. He did not stand by workers, and they should not stand by him while he seeks this esteemed office,” said Teamsters Joint Council 25 President Tom Stiede.
Harris led the second half of the anti-worker campaign at the City of Chicago once a campaign at the State legislature concluded.
During this time as a corporate lobbyist, Clayton Harris also directed tens of thousands of dollars in political donations to anti-choice Republicans in Illinois. They even supported a candidate that a leading Illinois pro-choice group called “the Most Anti-Woman Nominee to Ever Run for Illinois Governor.”
Previously, while serving as Chief of Staff to convicted former Governor Blagojevich, Clayton Harris personally contributed to anti-abortion Republican Ethan Hastert – who was running against a Democrat with a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood.
Eileen O’Neill Burke’s latest TV ad – “Change” – highlights Harris’s record.
