Gov’s wife’s job? Raise money to repay state-backed deal

Why did the Chicago Christian Industrial League hire Patti Blagojevich?

“Who better than the first lady of Illinois?’’ said Judy McIntyre, the charity’s former executive director, who hired the governor’s wife five months ago. “Here’s someone whose name would be immediately recognizable and would open doors.’’

The charity needed money to repay a $10.8 million it obtained from ShoreBank with help from the Illinois Finance Authority — a state agency created by Blagojevich’s husband — to build a $25 million homeless shelter.

“Everyone knew we were looking for someone to raise money because of the debt,’’ McIntyre said. “They only raise about $1 million a year, they need to raise $2 million.’’

Blagojevich is paid $100,000 under a one-year contract that began Sept. 1.

The charity won’t say how much Blagojevich has raised. But it has collected $10,000 to $15,000 in each of the past three months — the same as it did before she started, said president William Good.

On Oct. 6, Blagojevich met with officials of the Pritzker Family Foundation, which has $65 million in assets. Among those at the meeting was foundation president J.B. Pritzker, one of several candidates the Sun-Times has reported the governor was considering to fill President-elect Barack Obama’s seat in the U.S. Senate.

“This inquiry never moved past the preliminary evaluation state,’’ a foundation spokesman said, so “no specific dollar amount was ever requested by CCIL, and no contribution was ever promised or made.’’

Gery Chico, who was another potential Senate candidate, said he helped Blagojevich get the job. But Chico said he wasn’t trying to sway the governor to appoint him to the Senate seat he tried to win four years ago, when he lost to Obama in the Democratic primary.

“Her husband had mentioned that she needed work,” Chico said. “I talked to her. I had to know what she was thinking about. She said she was very interested in children’s issues and women’s issues as well. I thought it would be a good fit.’’

Chico said he asked McIntyre to interview Blagojevich. McIntyre had worked at City Hall when Chico was Mayor Daley’s chief of staff.

After consulting with Good, McIntyre said she hired Blagojevich. She said she didn’t need — or seek — approval from the entire board, whose members include Fred Lebed. Lebed runs a lobbying firm with Roland Burris, whom the governor appointed to Obama’s Senate seat. Lebed has said he had nothing to do with Blagojevich getting hired.

McIntyre left the charity shortly after hiring Blagojevich and now says the governor’s problems may hurt the homeless shelter.

“I don’t know if she can do her job,’’ McIntyre said.

“If you’re making a call on a company, and you’re asking them to give money to your agency, do they see this person as a problem?’’