The Chicago Sun-Times reported that "a federal probe into state payouts to social-service agencies" connected to state Sen. Rickey Hendon is being widened to include three other elected officials. Among those reportedly being investigated is state Rep. Ken Dunkin, in part for a $200,000 grant he gave to an event held during Gay Games VII in Chicago, in 2006.
The event, which was not organized by the Gay Games, was a house-music party reunion held on Northerly Island on the closing weekend of the Gay Games. The Gay Games organization did not host that event. Rather, the Gay Games listed events hosted by separate agencies, from art galleries to theaters, music events to poetry slams. The state grant in question was not given to the Gay Games organizing group.
The international house-music event, featuring DJ Frankie Knuckles and other well-known house music legends, was planned as a way to promote cultural tourism in Chicago, which was the founding home of house music. The grant was through the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and is similar to grants given to other entities promoting Illinois as a cultural and tourist destination.
Part of the issue seems to be that some people associated with the event also gave campaign contributions to Dunkin, raising conflict-of-interest questions.