At a press conference this morning, U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky endorsed Independent candidate Forrest Claypool in the race for Cook County Assessor. She is the third Democratic member of Congress to back the former Cook County Commissioner. "Forrest Claypool has a proven record of reform and that makes him the right choice for the voters of Cook County in the Assessor race," Schakowsky said in a release.

Claypool also unveiled a list of five "ethics principles" he says he would follow if elected. These include turning down campaign contributions from corporate tax attorneys and refusing to hire relatives. The release of the reform platform follows the publication of a joint investigation between Chicago Magazine and the Better Government Association that argues Democratic nominee Joe Berrios "has been a stalwart opponent of efforts to take clout out of the [Cook County tax appeals] system and make it more transparent."