Lake County Gazette

Lake Forest Mayoral candidate Prudence Beidler made campaign donations to Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot as her daughter-in-law worked in high level positions for both offices.

That’s according to an analysis of public employment and Illinois State Board of Elections (ISBE) records.

Deborah E. Witzburg-Beidler, 39, worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney for Cook County from 2008 to 2016 before leaving to join the Chicago Mayor Inspector General’s office.

City of Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg-Beidler is the daughter-in-law of Lake Forest Mayoral candidate Prudence Beidler | City of Chicago

In Fall 2015, Beidler made a maximum, $5,400 donation to Foxx’s first campaign for Cook County State’s Attorney 2015, while her daughter-in-law worked for the office, ISBE records show.

Her husband, Frank, also donated $1,000 to Foxx that fall.

A former assistant state’s attorney herself who rose to the role of supervisor, Foxx and Witzburg-Beidler worked together for five years, from 2008 - 2013, county records show.

ISBE records show Beidler has been a longtime backer of Foxx-sponsor, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, donating to her campaign 14 times for a total of $9,500.

Preckwinkle hired Foxx as her “Chief of Staff” before positioning her to challenge then-incumbent Anita Alvarez for Cook County State’s Attorney in 2016.

Six promotions

Witzburg-Beidler joined then-Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel in May 2016 as an assistant inspector general and stayed on when Lightfoot won election three years later.

Her mother-in-law has been a campaign supporter of both Chicago mayors. 

Beidler made campaign donations to Emanuel in 2011 and 2013, totaling $2,500. She backed Lightfoot in Feb. 2019 with $1,000, and then, after she assumed office, gave her $1,000 again in June 2019.

According to her LinkedIn page, two months later, Lightfoot promoted Witzburg-Beidler to “acting deputy general counsel for public safety.”

Lightfoot promoted her three more times, naming her as the city’s Inspector General in March 2022.

Last month in an email to supporters, Beidler explained that she made donations to Foxx and Lightfoot because she thought they could "reduce the rate of crime in Chicago." 

She didn't mention her daughter-in-law's work with either office.

"My son, his wife, and their two daughters are Chicago residents. In recent years, my husband and I have become increasingly concerned about their safety and I had hoped that candidates I supported might be able to help reduce the rate of crime in Chicago," Beidler wrote.

Beidler is the only Lake Forest resident who has donated for Foxx; she is one of 12 who have backed Lightfoot.

Deborah and Jay married in Boston in 2007. They met while attending Brown University in Providence, R.I.

Witzburg-Beidler attended Northwestern University Law School in Chicago.

Beidler, 77, is challenging Lake Forest Caucus-endorsed Dr. Stanford R. "Randy Tack," 64, in the race for mayor. 

Election Day is Tues. April 4.