Each Spring, designated NEIU faculty and staff are required to complete the Statement of Economic Interests form (based on the criteria identified in the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act (5 ILCS 420/Art. 4A)), and Supplemental Statement of Economic Interests form (required to comply with (Ill. Exec. Order 15-09). This economic interest filing requirement is overseen by NEIU’s Interim Ethics Officer, Abby J. Clark, who may be contacted at (309) 673-1681 or ethics@neiu.edu.
Who Is Required to Complete These Forms?
You are required to complete both ethics forms if you meet one of the following criteria:
- persons who serve as a member of the Board of Trustees of Northeastern Illinois University;
- persons who are or who function as the head of a department or other administrative unit;
- those who have supervisory authority over or direct responsibility for the formulation, negotiation, issuance or execution of contracts entered into by the State;
- those who are a Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-PI on a grant;
- those who have supervisory responsibility for 20 or more employees; and
- those who have responsibility for the procurement of goods and services.
How Do I Complete the Forms?
Statement of Economic Interests: instructions to complete the form will be mailed directly to your home mailing address this week. If your address has changed in the past year, please notify the Ethics Officer and also contact Human Resources to change your home address.
Supplemental Statement of Economic Interests: instructions to complete the form will be emailed to your NEIU email address, along with a link and unique pin.
Both forms are filed electronically.
Timeframe and Deadline
The Statement of Economic Interests form and Supplemental form are retroactive filings to the prior calendar year (January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023).
The deadline for filing both forms is May 1, 2024.
STATEMENT OF ECONOMIC INTERESTS
Filing Procedures
You will receive instructions to the filing website from the IL Secretary of State via U.S. mail. For first time filers, this will contain a password and access code to set up your account. For returning filers, the email address you filed with previously is your login.
Visit the website. Log in with your NEIU email and the password provided in the Secretary of State letter (returning filers will use the access code and password they filed with previously. If you cannot recall this detail, you will enter your email address in the “retrieve password access number” to have that information emailed to you. This option will ONLY work for those who have filed electronically in a prior year. The email address you filed with last year is also listed on the mailing you received from the Secretary of State.
- If you cannot locate your letter and password, please contact the Secretary of State at economicinterest@ilsos.gov. Be sure to include your question, name, and a phone number where you can be contacted, if necessary.
- The NEIU Ethics Officer cannot obtain this information; you will need to contact the Secretary of State at the email address above.
The Secretary of State will provide you with a confirmation email once your form has been successfully filed. You will receive a second email once the Ethics Officer has reviewed your form (as required by law). These communications will be sent from WebServer@ilsos.net and will contain the subject line: “User Information from Illinois Statement of Economic Interest Filing System to confirm accurate email address.” Please check your spam filter for emails from the Secretary of State and add WebServer@ilsos.net to your address book to ensure delivery to your inbox.
FAQs for Filing the Statement of Economic Interests
Question #1
Items typically listed under assets include:
- any single block of stock, public bonds, or commodity futures worth $10,000 or more in one company (name only - NOT THE AMOUNT)
- investment real estate, farmland, and rental property (other than your personal residence - list the city and state only)
- sector mutual and sector exchange traded fund –funds of more than $10,000 invested in a particular industry - or business beneficial interests in trusts
- business interests
- partnership interests
Spouse includes a party to a marriage, civil union, or a registered domestic partner.
You do not need to list 401(k) accounts, savings/checking accounts, CD's, notes/bonds/securities issued by a government entity, college savings plans that qualify as tuition plans, Medicare benefits, inheritances and bequests (other than beneficial interests in trusts), tangible personal property, retirement accounts, diversified investment funds, or personal residences and vehicles.
Question #2
Please list the source of income/name of asset for any income or capital gains and date sold, if applicable, reported on your federal tax return more than $7,500. Revenue from leases, rentals, royalties, prizes, awards, forgiveness of debt, any annuities earned from trusts in excess of $7,500 should also be reported for this question. This includes income reported on but not limited to form 1099, W-2, and K-1.
For pension income or other income from whatever source derived, (for private practices or consulting work) just list the name of the practice or company).
Question #3
Creditor means an individual, organization, or other business entity to whom money or its equivalent is owed, no matter whether that obligation is secured or unsecured, except that if a filer makes a loan to members of his or her family, then that filer does not, by making such a loan, become a creditor.
Debt means any money or monetary obligation owed at any time during the preceding calendar year to an individual, company, or other organization, other than a loan that is from a financial institution, government agency, or business entity and that is granted on terms made available to the general public. "Debt" includes but is not limited to: personal loans from friends or business associates, business loans made outside the lender's regular course of business, and loans made at below market rates
Family includes a filer's spouse, children, step-children, parents, step-parents, siblings, step-siblings, half-siblings, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandparents, and grandchildren, as well as the parents and grandparents of the filer's spouse, and any person living with the filer.
Any remaining debt incurred in the previous calendar year in excess of $10,000 owed by you, you and your spouse, and you and your minor child should be listed by noting the name of the creditor.
Question #4
Spouse includes a party to a marriage, civil union, or a registered domestic partner.
Here, you need to list the name of any unit of government and position title or nature of services for which you or your spouse were an employee, contractor, or office holder during the preceding calendar year, except for your university position (the position requiring you to file). All positions must be listed, regardless of compensation. Examples include:
- School Board
- Zoning Board
- County Board
- Park Board
- Army Guard
- Air Guard
- employment by other state agency or state university
- previously held positions with other state agencies
Do not list your NEIU position.
Question #5
Family includes a filer's spouse, children, step-children, parents, step-parents, siblings, step-siblings, half-siblings, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandparents, and grandchildren, as well as the parents and grandparents of the filer's spouse, and any person living with the filer.
For this question, list any lobbyists in which you maintain an economic relationship with. Also, list any family members who are lobbyist registered within the State of Illinois. For example, if your spouse or business partner is a lobbyist, this must be listed. You must list their name and the relationship to you: e.g., family member name, economic.
Question #6
For this question, you must list any gift received where the value, singly or in aggregate, was greater than $500. Honorarium or honoraria are considered gifts for the purpose of this question. You do not need to list the amount, just the name of the giver.
You do not need to list gifts from family members unless they are registered lobbyists in Illinois.
Question #7
Family includes a filer's spouse, children, step-children, parents, step-parents, siblings, step-siblings, half-siblings, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandparents, and grandchildren, as well as the parents and grandparents of the filer's spouse, and any person living with the filer.
Spouse includes a party to a marriage, civil union, or a registered domestic partner.
Utilities include electric, natural gas, telecommunications, water, and sewer.
SUPPLEMENTAL STATEMENT OF ECONOMIC INTERESTS
Employees who have not received or mistakenly deleted their email with their unique pin should email: eec.ssei@illinois.gov with their name and state agency name (NEIU). The Executive Ethics Commission will follow-up to provide this information via email.
Filing Process
Instructions containing a website link and a unique pin will be sent to your NEIU email address by the Executive Ethics Commission in mid-March for electronic filing.
FAQs for Filing the Supplemental Statement of Economic Interests
Question #1
Please include any building in which you, your spouse, or a child under the age of 18 have a 5% or greater ownership interest that is rented or leased to the State of Illinois or a State Agency.
Question #2
A “non-governmental position” is a director or officer of a for-profit or not-for-profit entity. It includes directors and officers and partners of corporations, LLCs and similar. It includes board members and officers of charitable organizations. It does not include employees or volunteers or mere members of these organizations.
Question #3
This question is intended to identify those who might have a personal conflict of interest in litigation involving the State of Illinois. If you have filed a lawsuit against a state agency or with the State of Illinois, or if you are party to a lawsuit involving a state agency or the State of Illinois, please provide this information in the space provided.
Question #4
For most NEIU employees, this question does not apply and should be answered “No.” In order for the response to be “Yes,” you would need to also be employed by a state agency in a merit position that is exempt from the Personnel Code and from collective bargaining agreements or be appointed by the Governor to serve in a compensated position on a state board or commission. Please check with the NEIU Ethics Officer if you qualify for a Yes on this questions.
Reference: University of Illinois, University Ethics and Compliance Officer