Dorothy Brown (politician)
Dorothy Ann Rabb Brown Cook, also known as Dorothy Brown (born September 4, 1953) is an American lawyer and politician affiliated with the Democratic Party who served as the clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County from 2000 through 2020.
Dorothy Brown | |
|---|---|
Brown in 2015 | |
| Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County | |
| In office December 1, 2000 – December 1, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Aurelia Pucinski |
| Succeeded by | Iris Martinez |
| Village Administrator of Dolton, Illinois | |
| In office October 2021 – December 2021 | |
| Appointed by | Tiffany Henyard |
| Succeeded by | Keith Freeman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Dorothy Ann Brown September 4, 1953 Minden, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Benton Cook (m. 2009) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Southern University (BS) DePaul University (MBA) Illinois Institute of Technology (JD) |
Brown's tenure was criticized for inefficiency in the clerk's office and a failure to adequately update the office's operations with digital systems. She was also criticized for sizable use of political patronage. Her tenure was plagued by many scandals regarding her ethics. She and numerous associates have been the subjects of criminal investigations into alleged involvement in corruption schemes.
Brown was an unsuccessful candidate for mayor of Chicago in the 2007 and 2019 elections, an unsuccessful candidate for Chicago city clerk in 1999, and an unsuccessful candidate for president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners in 2010. After her tenure as clerk of courts ended, Brown spent several months as the village administrator of Dolton, Illinois.