Democratic Cook County state’s attorney candidate Anita Alvarez accusedopponent Howard Brookins Jr. on Thursday of dragging his feet on child-supportobligations, but he called the attack “disgraceful” and said the disputestemmed from bills involving a doctor not fully covered by his insurance.
The highly charged dust-up comes less than two weeks before voters willpick a Democratic nominee in the contest to replace retiring State’s Atty.Richard Devine.
Citing court records, Alvarez said the former wife of Brookins, the 21stWard alderman, had to file petitions in court at least four times since 2003to get the payments she believed she was owed.
Alvarez and Brookins released court documents showing Nanette ComeauxBrookins filed a petition in September 2006 to force him to turn over incometax records as well as separate petitions filed in July 2006 and April 2007seeking reimbursement for about $1,000 in medical expenses.
Brookins said in a statement that the dispute arose as a result of hisformer wife’s decision to take their son to a doctor who was not part of theirHMO. “As a result, we needed the judge to determine who was responsible forthe out-of-network payments,” Brookins said.
Speaking after an afternoon candidates forum, Alvarez accused Brookins ofengaging in a “pattern” of financial irresponsibility that also includes acontroversy about rent payments.
“He doesn’t seem to accept responsibility until he’s sued,” said Alvarez,noting that one of the state’s attorney’s duties is to help collect childsupport.
Brookins fired back later in the day with documents appearing to back uphis claim that he’s fully paid up on child-support payments.
“Unfortunately, it is common for a husband and wife to have disputes whengoing through a divorce,’ Brookins said in a statement. “It’s disgraceful thatmy opponents have decided to bring a 9-year-old boy into their negativecampaign tactics.”
Nanette Brookins could not be reached for comment. The complete case filefrom the couple’s divorce was not available Thursday from circuit clerk’soffice.
At the Chicago-Kent College of Law forum, Ald. Tom Allen (38th) sparredwith Robert Milan, Devine’s top assistant, over whether the office does enoughto crack down on police officers who lie in court.
But Milan said Devine’s office had prosecuted bad officers for everythingfrom theft to perjury to first-degree murder. Milan said he had developed atraining program to help prosecutors detect when one of their witnesses may belying.
The purpose of the forum was to get the candidates’ views on a report thatthe Criminal Justice Project of the Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice issuedin December on the county’s justice system.
The candidates largely agreed with the report’s call for more spending onspecialized drug and mental health courts. The courts’ purpose is to providetreatment programs to divert low-level offenders out of the more expensivejail and prison system.