This information applies to SEI due by May 1, 2024.
Article 4A of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act prescribes the form and filing requirements for SEI (5 ILCS 420/Art. 4A).
Process
SEI must be filed with the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office (ILSOS) every year by May 1st. The simplest way to file is through the ILSOS SEI online system. If, for some reason, you are unable to file
electronically, you will have to file the paper version of the Statement of Economic Interests form.
You should have received a paper notification letter in the mail directly from the ILSOS on or around March 14, 2024. That letter is important as it contains personalized information on how to access the SEI submission form on the ILSOS SEI online system.
First-time online filers: When you receive the notification letter, log in using the
access number and password provided in the letter and follow the instructions. Please
visit the ILSOS’s First Time Filer Help Section for more information.
Previous online filers: When you receive the notification letter, log in using the access number
and password you used last year. Please visit the ILSOS’s Previous Filer Help Section
for more information.
Once the filing process is complete, your SEI will be added
to the ILSOS SEI database and accessible to the public.
Content
The SEI form contains seven (7) questions about different
aspects of your financial situation. Certain questions will ask you to report any applicable assets or debts held in, or payable to, your name; held jointly by, or payable to, you with your spouse; or held jointly by, or payable to, you with your minor child. Please respond to those questions with information from Calendar Year 2023. To complete the form, you do not need to disclose specific amounts or values or report interests relating either to political committees registered with the Illinois State Board of Elections or to political committees, principal campaign committees, or authorized committees registered with the Federal Election Commission. If you have any concerns about whether an interest should be reported, please contact the Ethics Officer for a consultation.
As stated above, all the information you disclose will be available to the public. DO NOT include account numbers, Social Security numbers, or other confidential information in your responses. If a residential address is requested, use only the name of the city and state to identify the property at issue.
Definitions are extremely significant in the SEI form. A set of definitions for some of the terms used in the SEI form (including “asset” for Question 1 and “income” for Question 2) is available HERE for your reference when completing your filing. Those and additional definitions all come from the Act (5 ILCS 420/Art. 1).
You may find the following documents helpful to you in completing the SEI form:
- Federal income tax returns, including any related schedules, attachments, and forms; and
- Investment and brokerage statements.
You must answer all seven (7) of the questions on the form. Please ensure that the information
you provide in your answers is complete and accurate. Failure to complete the SEI in good faith and within the prescribed deadline may subject you to fines, imprisonment, or both.
Ethics Officer Review
The Ethics Officer must “review” your SEI after you have completed it. If you file your SEI electronically, you do not need to send the Ethics Officer a copy or let her know you have completed your form – the ILSOS system will do that. Further, the Ethics Officer will not follow up with you after her review unless she notices a problem that you need to fix. If, for some reason, you must file a paper SEI, be sure to complete your form and send the original to the Ethics Officer in plenty of
time for her to review and sign it and return it to you so that you may mail it to Springfield by May 1.
Failure to File
Please keep in mind that non-compliance with this annual SEI filing requirement will be penalized:
- $15 for failure to meet the May 1 deadline.
- $100 fine per day (in addition to the $15 fine) for failure to file by May 16.
- Failure to file by May 31 will result in the ILSOS submitting your name to the Office of the Illinois Attorney General and may result in forfeiture of your employment.