Metro East Sun

Cahokia Unit School District #187 is being refunded its $800 political campaign donation after a government watchdog group called out the contribution for being "improper."  

The district made the donation to the "Friends of Christopher Belt" campaign, which backed Sen. Chris Belt (D-Swansea), who represents Illinois State Senate District 57.

However, political contributions from public bodies are strictly regulated. 

John Kraft, a representative from Edgar County Watchdogs, Inc., raised concerns about the donation in a Nov. 25 email sent to Cahokia Unit School District #187, noting that it is prohibited for any public body to financially support a political campaign. 

In a letter to Superintendent Curtis McCall Jr., Kraft formally requested that the school district seek a refund for the $800 donation, which was intended to cover the cost of the district's participation in the campaign-sponsored golf event.

(Pictured above: Screenshot of donation record obtained by Metro East Sun showing of Cahokia Unit School District #187 contributed to Friends of Christopher Belt.) 

“Please consider this a request that your school district obtain a refund from the ‘Friends of Christopher Belt’ campaign for the $800 the school district sent to them,” Kraft wrote in an email. “It is improper for any public body to financially support any political campaign for any reason, including paying to play in this golf outing, because it was an outing sponsored by the campaign.”

Kraft continued, urging the school district to take swift action: “Thanks for your prompt attention to this matter, and please respond with what your intentions are.”

In response to Kraft’s inquiry, a representative from the Illinois Senate Democrats confirmed that the contribution would be refunded.

“Mr. Kraft, thank you for bringing this to our attention. Friends of Chris Belt will be refunding the contribution,” a Senate Democrats’ spokesperson responded. 

The donation, which was made by the school district earlier this year, has raised questions about the ethics of public funds being used for political purposes. 

The Edgar County Watchdogs noted on their website that they discovered the improper donation during a routine audit of campaign filings with the Illinois State Board of Elections. 

The donation was listed as payment for four employees to attend a golf tournament, which was a fundraiser for Belt's re-election to the Illinois State Senate. 

Despite the district’s defense that the payment was not a political contribution, records, including an invoice, email communications and a flyer, indicate that the event was clearly campaign-related. The Edgar County Watchdogs noted that while Belt’s campaign confirmed the refund, neither he nor Superintendent Curtis McCall has formally acknowledged the issue, raising concerns about the use of public funds for political purposes.

McCall and Belt have deep financial ties. 

McCall’s father Curtis McCall Sr. is the Mayor of Cahokia Heights which was incorporated in 2021. 

One of McCall Sr.’s first moves was to hire Belt in a full-time position as the new city’s director of compliance, risk management and safety for which he was paid $64,000 per year. This is in addition to the $69,000 in base salary he was receiving as a full-time legislator at the time. 

McCall Sr.'s sons, Kerchavian and Nathaniel McCall, were also appointed to positions working for the city's water and sewer department, raising concerns about nepotism. 

Belt and Kerchavian McCall previously had paid positions with the Commonfields of Cahokia which was overseen by McCall Sr. 

Belt was first elected in 2018 and took office in 2019. 

In 2022 Belt won re-election defeating Republican challenger Wavey Lester II. Belt secured 57.7% of the vote, totaling 41,880 votes, while Lester received 42.3%, or 30,746 votes.