In his early career,Cabonargi worked on the staffs of Illinois U.S. senatorsPaul Simon and Dick Durbin. He then worked as a law clerk to U.S. District Court judge William J. Hibbler. Thereafter,he entered the private sector,working as a lawyer concentrating in complex commercial and regulatory litigation.
From 2005,until being appointed to serve on the Cook County Board of Review in 2011,Cabonargi worked as senior attorney and prosecutor at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
From 1993 to 1997,Cabonargi worked as a staff assistant and economic development advisor in the Chicago office of U.S. senatorPaul Simon. In 1997,Cabonargi worked as a staff assistant in the Chicago office of U.S. senator Dick Durbin.[6]
Cabonorgi worked as a lawyer. From 2002 to 2004,he worked at the law firm of Gardner Carton and Douglas LLP,where he concentrated on complex commercial litigation.[6] During his time at this firm,he defended the City of Chicago in both federal and state litigation deriving from the closure of Meigs Field.[6] From 2004 to 2005,he worked at the law firm of Bell,Boyd,and Lloyd,LLC,where he concentrated on complex commercial and regulatory litigation.[6] While working here,he was also appointed Special Assistant Cook County State's Attorney,defending the Cook County Sheriff's Department against claims of police misconduct.[6]
From 2000 to 2002,Cabonargi worked as a law clerk to U.S. District Court judge William J. Hibbler.[6] During his time in this position,he initiated and helped to establish the courts first help desk for pro se litigants.[7] For this,he was given the Award for Excellence in Public Interest Service from the Federal Bar Association and the U.S. District Court.[7]
Work at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
From 2005 until 2011,Cabonargi worked as a senior attorney and prosecutor in the Division of Enforcement at the Chicago Regional Office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.[6][7] He brought a $2.8 billion private offering fraud case,at the time the largest private offering fraud case filed by the Commission. For this he was bestowed the Chairman's Award.[6][7] In 2008,for his work against financial fraud targeting seniors,he was bestowed the SEC Director's Award for Excellence.[6][7]
Cabonargi was reelected,unopposed,in 2012,2016,and 2018.
In March 2018,Cabonargi's campaign was asked by the Board of Ethics to return $68,950 in funds received from 97 contributions that were in excess of limits.[9] Cabonargi complied with the Board of Ethics ruling and returned the $68,950 in donations and cited the multiple changes in county reporting measures.[10]
In 2020,Cabonargi voiced disagreement with a notion expressed by former Cook County clerkDavid Orr that the Cook County Board of Review has a "longtime pay-to-play culture" and needed reform. Cabonargi said "the Board of Review has ethics protocols in place to ensure transparency and professionalism..."[11]
In 2022,Cabonargi lost his bid for reelection to the Cook County Board of Review. His loss to political newcomer Samantha Steele was considered an upset to the incumbent Cabonargi.[12]
2020 Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County campaign
Cabonargi pledged, if elected, to modernize the office.[4]
Meiseter filed an ethics complaint against Cabonargi in mid-January 2020 alleging that Cabonargi had accepted $120,000 in improper campaign donations from individuals who had argued property tax appeals before him at the Cook County Board of Review.[17] Cabonargi's campaign claimed the allegations in the ethics complaint were false.[17]
Cabonargi placed second, losing to Iris Martinez.[14]
Regional Director of the Department of Health and Human Services
Cabonargi (left) in 2023 with Senator Dick Durbin (center) and HHS Secretary Xavier BecerraCabornargi in 2023
In early 2023, Cabornargi sent an email to colleagues within the Democratic Party to inform them that he would be departing his role in Illinois' State Democratic Central Committee in order to accept an appointment by President Joe Biden to serve as a regional director for the Department of Health and Human Services.[18] He was formally appointed to this role on March 13, 2023.[19]
Democratic party leadership roles
In 2018, Cabonargi was elected as the Illinois Democratic state central committeeman for Illinois's 9th congressional district.[4][20] Per the Chicago Tribune's Rick Pearson, as of 2021, Cabonargi was one of the more politically progressive members of the Illinois Democratic State Central Committee.[21]
In 2019, Cabonargi was appointed a vice-chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois.[4] In 2021, Cabonargi supported Robin Kelly in her successful bid to become the chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois.[21]
Ahead of the 2020 United States presidential election, Cabonargi, with Chicago government affairs consultant Mike Alexander, organized for more than 120 lawyers and other legal professions to travel to the swing state of Michigan, with the goal of helping to assist in enabling a potential victory for the Democratic presidential ticket of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the state's vote.[22]
On January 27, 2023, Cabornargi departed his role as a state central committeeman in the Illinois' Democratic State Central Committee in order to accept the position of regional director for the Department Health and Human Services.[18]
Other work
Cabonargi served on the local school council of the Brentano Elementary School from 2006 to 2008.[6] From 2007 to 2009, he served on the 35th Ward's Zoning Advisory Committee.[6] Cabonargi also formerly served as a member of the University of Illinois College of Law Alumni Board.[7]
In 2012, Cabonargi was selected to be a fellow with Leadership Greater Chicago.[7]
Cabonargi serves as a board member of the Loyola Academy Bar Association, District 39 Educational Foundation, Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, and Milan Committee of Chicago’s Sister Cities Program.[5][7]
Cabonargi served as a 2020 Democratic United States Electoral College elector from Illinois, casting his votes for Joe Biden as president and Kamala Harris as vice-president.[23]
Personal life
Cabonargi is married to Erin Lavin Cabonargi and has two sons.[24][25] His wife, Erin, once served as head of Chicago's Public Building Commission.[8] She more recently served as director of construction at Sterling Bay, before leaving to start Hibernian Advisors and Hibernian Real Estate Development in 2018, a consulting firm and a development firm.[25][26]
David Duvall Orr is an American Democratic politician who served as the Cook County Clerk from 1990 to 2018. Orr previously served as alderman for the 49th ward in Chicago City Council from 1979 to 1990. He briefly served as acting Mayor of Chicago from November 25 to December 2, 1987, following the death of Mayor Harold Washington. Orr retired from the office of Cook County Clerk in 2018, opting not to run for an eighth term.
Iris Y. Martinez is an American politician and administrator. In 2020, she was elected clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County. She previously served as a member of the Illinois Senate, representing the 20th district from 2003 until becoming clerk. A member of the Democratic Party, she rose to Assistant Majority Leader in the State Senate. As court clerk and as a state senator, she is the first Latina to have held either of those offices.
Thomas J. Dart is an American attorney, politician, and law enforcement officer serving as the Sheriff of Cook County, Illinois. He previously served as a member of both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly.
Richard R. Boykin is a former member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners who represented the 1st district from December 2014 until December 2018.
Aurelia Marie Pucinski is a judge on the Illinois Appellate Court for the First District. She previously served as a trial judge and clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Her second term expires in 2030.
The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 3, 2020. Elections were held for Clerk of the Circuit Court, State's Attorney, Cook County Board of Review district 1, three seats on the Water Reclamation District Board, and judgeships on the Circuit Court of Cook County.
The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 6, 2018.
The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 8, 2016.
The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 4, 2014.
The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 6, 2012.
The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 2, 2010.
The Cook County, Illinois, general elections were held on November 8, 2022. Primaries were held on June 28, 2022.
The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 4, 2008.
The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 7, 2006.
The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 2, 2004.
The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 7, 2002.
The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 3, 1998.
The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 8, 1988.
Larry R. Rogers Jr. is an American lawyer and politician currently serving as commissioner of Cook County Board of Review from the 3rd district since 2004.
Herbert T. Schumann, Jr. is an American politician who formerly served as a Cook County commissioner from 1990 to 2002.
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