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Report: Mystery PAC spending $180K attacking Rauner’s GOP opponents

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A new spot that’s hitting TV and radio this week attacks three out of the four gubernatorial primary candidates, sparing only Winnetka venture capitalist Bruce Rauner.

A source with knowledge of the buy said the group — Mid-America Fund — spent roughly $180,000 on broadcast, cable, and radio for this week.

I checked with the State Board of Elections this morning and was told that state law requires disclosure within 10 business days of the formation of the PAC.

As we’ve already discussed, the PAC’s ads began running last Friday. So, it could be next week before we see any state paperwork.

But since this is a 501c4 group, it’s doubtful we’ll ever know who is actually funding the ads.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 11:30 am

Comments

Bruce Rauner and Crew have learned from Remo, what the “3″ and the “2PACS” have not…

“Why take a chance …”

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 11:31 am
To me, the worst part is that even moderately-engaged Republican primary voters aren’t connecting the dots on this guy. I’m no Quinn fan, but I’d prefer gross incompetence over Rauner’s base cynicism.

Comment by Teller Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 11:41 am
Gee - I wonder who could be behind it?? We may need Sherlock Holmes for this one.

Rauner gives money to Club for Growth and they attack Aaron Schock - thought to be a leading candidate for Gov.

An attorney who has done work for Rauner raises the ONLY allegations of misconduct ever lodged against Dan Rutherford when he is perceived as Rauner’s biggest threat.

Now, ANOTHER PAC (see above) attacks all 3 of Rauner’s opponents, sparing only Rauner - the only candidate with ZERO government experience!!

Rauner, of course, claims he KNOWS NOTHINK!! about any of this, but he’s the same Bruce Rauner who told the Tribune Editorial Board yesterday that he didn’t remember when he bought his multi-million dollar penthouse in Chicago.

Comment by veritas Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 11:44 am
This has a Koch smell about it. Sadly, we may never know who the real funders are. Thanks US Supreme Court.

Comment by Nearly Normal Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 11:50 am
@ veritas -

Be fair. When you own as many homes as Rauner, it’s hard to remember when you bought which one!

Comment by Joan P. Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 12:10 pm
Cui bono?

The cynicism on this dude is amazing.

Rauner has all the money in the world to bury his opponents in negative spots out in the open, but still feels the need to do so on the sneak.

It’s like he can’t help himself. He goes sneaky even when he doesn’t have to.

This is a rare bird here. Caveat emptor.

And for my final Latin trick, the Rauner campaign can be summed up as:

Veni. Vidi. Visa.

I came. I saw. I bought.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 12:13 pm
or Vici. Visa. Prada.
I conquered. I bought. and Prada is way better than Gucci.

Comment by PoolGuy Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 12:20 pm
===or Vici. Visa. Prada.===

C’mon. He’s a kabillionaire.

Vici. Visa. Louis Vuitton.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 12:26 pm
@word: well-said (or the Latin for same)

It could be a race for ownership of the campaign, between Rauner’s deep pockets, and those of some national right-wing players.

Who’s buying whom?

Comment by walker Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 12:27 pm
Has anybody tried calling the registered agent associated with Mid America Fund Inc. just to see if she would talk?

The link Rich gave us the other day is for a Roberta J Mertz in St. Clairsville OH. Per the Google, Mertz is a registered Democrat and St. Clairsville is far away from Cincy. She also seems to be a part-time staffer at an Ohio community college, not an attorney.

Has anyone called Roberta to ask her what her interest is in an Illinois GOP primary for governor?

Comment by hisgirlfriday Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 12:32 pm
Rich i was trying not to mix Italian with French

Comment by PoolGuy Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 12:40 pm
===Has anyone called Roberta===

Yep. No response as of yet.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 12:44 pm
=== trying not to mix Italian with French===

I’ll concede that point.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 12:47 pm
between the Shock ads last year and now this, I hope SCOTUS has the people’s best interests in mind and not just the special interests.

this is a frightening trend to me, especially when billionaires may be behind these ads.

Comment by PoolGuy Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 12:53 pm
I know this is just a small thing, but in the ad, they mispronounce Dan Rutherford’s name.

Comment by G'Kar Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 1:02 pm
It’s Casablanca!

The political observers/insiders here are “shocked, shocked!” that someone is playing hardball.

Using abundant resources within the legal parameters to beat the ever-loving crap out of your opponents to achieve success in an election.

Sounds like a Speaker I know of…

Comment by Adam Smith Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 1:03 pm
— but I’d prefer gross incompetence over Rauner’s base cynicism. —

Heck of a choice for Governor of this once great state.

Comment by Rufus Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 1:53 pm
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 12:13 pm:

Veni. Vidi. Visa.

++++++++++++

Veni. Vedi. Carhartt!

Comment by Cincinnatus Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 2:18 pm
So what’s this “Prosperity and Jobs Fund PAC” created today to boost Rauner and the $250 large it got from the Workers Interest Network” at some PO Box in Chicago. Workers Interest Network has a website, but its pretty bogus in that you can’t tell anything about the organization from it.

train111

Comment by train111 Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 2:41 pm
Seems to be connect to Chicago Federation of Labor. Dems funding Rauner, of course. Why don’t the no-Rauner trio lead with this? https://twitter.com/eakbwmk/status/372850902446927872

Comment by IbendahlLuvsJBT Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 3:01 pm
==- PoolGuy - Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 12:53 pm:==

Since when has SCOTUS ever had the people’s best interests in mind and not some obscure legal-political fantasy of elite interests? Rarely if you ask me.

Comment by Precinct Captain Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 4:24 pm
@train111

The Prosperity and Jobs Fund PAC is to OPPOSE Rauner. Not boost him. I got a little thrown off when I saw the A-1 and his name on it at first too.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 4:41 pm
For the record, Rauner denied to the Tribbies that he has anything to do with these spots.

There are just mystery people in Ohio who really don’t like the other three for some reason.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 4:49 pm
OK because I’m a freak, couldn’t help myself from trying to look into Roberta J. Mertz a little more.

One interesting thing I came across was that David Mertz of St. Clairsville OH mentions on this site in passing that his wife, Roberta, is a former congressional chief-of-staff.
http://www.iptw.org/board-staff.htm

Also, on a pipl.com search of Ms. Roberta J. Mertz of Ohio there is a mention of additional names being associated with this person as “Roberta Hood” and “Roberta Hood Myers.”
https://pipl.com/search/?q=roberta+j+mertz&l=Ohio%2C+US&sloc=US|OH|None&in=5

Roberta Hood Myers was an employee of Rep. Cass Ballenger, R-North Carolina, until he left office in 2005. http://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/30747/Roberta_Hood_Myers.html

So at least that explains how this random person in Ohio is connected to the Republican political scene a little bit.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 4:53 pm
You are a HisGirl after my own heart

Comment by Soccermom Wednesday, Feb 5, 14 @ 9:10 am
On Dutch’s birthday, Let’t remember his rule of NOT speaking bad of other Republicans. We know this is a “4″ pac. Let’s hope Bruce is not in total control and can discourage further negative ads.

Comment by RRBREAKFASTCLUB Thursday, Feb 6, 14 @ 11:05 am