— Part 1: INC. hears that the Cook County Democratic organization will ask State`s Atty. Richard Daley to probe the purchase of campaign contribution disclosures from the city clerk`s office by a city employee working for Mayor Harold Washington. There`s nothing illegal about buying copies of campaign disclosure statements, but it is illegal to use the information for political purposes. And INC. hears that a member of the Mayor Washington Fund who is on the payroll of the city Department of Human Services bought the disclosures of former Mayor Jane Byrne, Illinois Atty. Gen. Neil Hartigan, Aldermen Ed Vrdolyak (10th) and Ed Burke (14th) and Daley and that many of those listed as contributors were then sent an invitation to Washington`s Thursday fundraiser at the Palmer House.
— Part 2: Just what is that little blue smudge in the bottom right corner of the invitation to Washington`s fundraiser? Is it a union ”bug,”
indicating that the invite was printed by a union shop? Or is it just supposed to look like one? A spokesman for the Washington Fund told INC. that the invite was printed by a North Side firm. But when INC. called the nonunion firm, no one could remember printing it. And when INC. called the Washington Fund back, no one could remember anything. It`s not illegal to hire a nonunion shop, but it is illegal to counterfeit a union ”bug.” So what gives?
Me first, me first . . .
Didn`t Mayor Washington vow to be the first to submit to a drug test after disclosures that one of his bodyguards failed a test for drugs in his system? Well, he wasn`t. INC. has learned that Ald. Vrdolyak, who called for a city ordinance demanding drug testing for city employees, just passed the test with flying colors. Watch for Vrdolyak, chairman of the city council Committee on Neighborhoods, to which the drug-testing ordinance has been sent, to convene his first hearing on the measure Monday.
Star tracks . . .
Ann Jillian, who just finished filming the fifth episode of ”It`s a Living” even though she`s undergoing chemotherapy, has only one regret about this week`s People magazine cover story about her recent mastectomy. Jillian`s husband, former Chicago cop Andy Murcia, tells INC. she was disappointed that the magazine didn`t use any of the ”dozens of pictures” taken of her and Mary Beth Scala, the Chicago nurse who juggled her schedule so she could be with Jillian during her recuperation from surgery. Scala, a St. Joseph Hospital nurse, and her husband, Jerry, a Chicago police officer, just returned from spending a two-week vacation with the Murcias, who invited several Hollywood pals to a party in the Scalas` honor. Jillian will be back in town for a Sept. 14 gala for Christ Hospital and Little Company of Mary Hospital at Carson Pirie Scott`s just-remodeled Evergreen Park store.
Music notes . . .
INC. hears that several bands are planning to regroup, with slight variations on the original lineups. . . . Now that David Lee Roth has garnered beaucoup MTV Video Award nominations for his solo work, his departure from Van Halen seems assured. Word is that he`ll be replaced by Sammy Hagar. . . . Emerson, Lake and Palmer may become E, L and Powell, as in Cozy Powell, former drummer for the Jeff Beck Group. . . . And finally, there`s talk that Led Zeppelin may emerge again, with Power Station drummer Tony Thompson joining Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones.
City ditties . . .
Organizers of Sunday`s Chicago Triathlon tell INC. that their city permit will be issued Thursday and say they`ve been negotiating with the city for a permit since Sept. 12, 1984–and that it is the city that has been stalling matters. . . . Mayor Washington and a select entourage will jet to China and Japan Aug. 23 for a two-week whirlwind tour to promote economic development in Chicago. They`ll be back Sept. 8. . . . State Comptroller Roland Burris, who was just named president of the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers, is urging creation of a post in the federal government: a chief financial officer who would keep track of the $2 billion spent daily by the feds and who would guard taxpayer dollars.
INC.lings . . .
INC. was so relieved to learn that Gov. James Thompson won`t spend taxpayers` money for his state ”Flyaround” next week, ending all the speculation about his re-election plans. The campaign fund will pay for it. . . . Did anybody notice that when U.S. Agriculture Secretary John Block denied INC.`s item about his plans to leave office at the end of the month, he didn`t deny he had an executive search firm looking for a spot for him? . . . Thursday birthdays: Princess Anne, 35; Julia Child, 73; Mike Connors, 60. . . . Moose Productions` ”Dungeon Masters,” which has been running for more than two years at the Leo Lerner Theatre, will close Sept. 10. . . . One of the corporate teams in Thursday`s Hanover Corporate Challenge will get off their wheels to run the 3.5-mile race. The team is from Schwinn Bicycle Co.
The acid test . . .
Because professional photographs can be doctored, the finalists for Wednesday`s Miss Arlington Million Pageant were chosen on the basis of their professional photos, which can easily be doctored–and their driver`s license photos. Cote (pronounced ko-tay) Lind passed both tests and went on to win the title.
