* The following joint statement was release this afternoon by Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady and the McKenna for Governor campaign…
Over the last several weeks, questions have arisen regarding a poll commissioned by the Illinois Republican Party and paid for with State Party funds during the tenure of Andy McKenna as Chairman of the Party. The poll, taken last April, contained opinions of Illinois voters related to relevant issues and voter identification of a number of potential statewide Republican candidates. At his instruction, and at the urging of the Finance Committee, Mr. McKenna’s name appeared in the voter identification questions of the poll. The poll also included an analysis of his personal name identification with Illinois voters.
The State Central Committee of the Illinois Republican Party has concluded that Mr. McKenna should not have done so without prior Central Committee approval and disclosure. Mr. McKenna had no intent to violate the spirit or the intent of the Party’s by-laws and he sincerely apologizes for having done so.
…Adding… This was in the statement but buried beneath a bunch of extraneous stuff, so nobody saw it…
State Party Chairman Pat Brady, the Illinois Republican Party, and Mr. McKenna now consider this matter closed.
The Tribune notes a discrepancy…
Tyrone Fahner, a McKenna friend who chaired the state GOP’s finance committee at the time, previously had told the Tribune that the party’s major campaign contributors decided to authorize the poll and it was Fahner’s idea to include McKenna’s name.
But the joint statement from the Illinois GOP and McKenna’s campaign said McKenna’s name was included in the poll “at his (McKenna’s) instruction, and at the urging of the Finance Committee.”
Some background…
Some of McKenna’s rivals in the Republican primary election have accused him during the campaign of using party funds to weigh his bid for governor or one for Senate, which he never launched.
What’s more, they said, he met with some of them to sound them out about their potential strategies and donors, never disclosing he was considering his own bid.
Fellow GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob Schilerstrom’s press statement…
“Andy McKenna’s conduct is in line with Springfield culture today, but not with what our state requires for tomorrow. Andy presented himself as an honest broker in the Governor’s race before quitting as Chairman and becoming a candidate himself. He led the Illinois Republican Party Finance Committee in meeting with candidates, and then guided them to his own campaign. And now it is confirmed that at the same time he was purporting to lead Illinois Republicans, he was quietly tapping Party resources to lay the groundwork for his own bid, violating the very Code of Ethics he established.
“Now McKenna says he is an ‘outsider’ and ‘quiet cure’ for what ails the state, and he is investing his dollars to make sure we believe it. But he cannot buy enough time on television to change the fact that McKenna himself is in desperate need of a ‘hair’ cut.”
Schillerstrom also provides a quote from the state central committee’s code of ethics which was passed while McKenna was chairman…
“The spirit and intent of the Code is to ensure that those who serve as State Central Committee members do so for the sole benefit of the Republican Party and the general public, without any suggestion of service to promote their private interests.”
Thoughts?
- Anon - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 2:07 pm:
(Yawn). Any poll worth its salt would’ve had his name in it. Had he not put his name in it, the anti-McKenna trolls would’ve roasted him for paying for using money for a worthless poll.
- Rudy - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 2:18 pm:
Agreed.
- Speaking At Will - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 2:18 pm:
Anon @ 2:07 pm.
You can yawm all you want. McKenna was wrong to commission the poll with his name. He knows that. If it wasnt wrong he would not have apologized. The guy is whats wrong with the republican party
- John Bambenek - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 2:18 pm:
McKenna’s problem isn’t the poll (though that’s more fuel for the fire). His problem is that if he wins, people will literally start campaigning for Lex Green same day. We’re not talking rank and file, or tea partiers… we’re talking long-time county chairs walking right out of the party.
Both Lex Green and Randy Stufflebeam are praying for a McKenna win. Likely one, if not both, will get their 5% if he does.
- John Bambenek - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 2:23 pm:
Though, let’s be fair, it’s probably a more sincere apology that Jim Ryan’s apology for almost murdering Rolando Cruz.
- Niles Township - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 2:25 pm:
Blame The Hair.
- Silly Season - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 2:25 pm:
Aren’t parties supposed to conduct polls? I’m sure all the other candidates would have been upset if their names were left out, so it’s pretty silly that they’re attacking McKenna for including his.
- wordslinger - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 2:26 pm:
If he didn’t do anything wrong, why is he apologizing?
Was Fahner lying when he took the blame? And why did McKenna allow him to take the blame, if it was untrue, without a rebuttal?
- Reformer - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 2:26 pm:
I wonder if Andy will also apologize for violating Chairman McKenna’s admonition against ripping fellow Republicans in a primary?
- MembershipOnly - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 2:27 pm:
Whoooo cares? Can we please talk issues here? Total non-issue here.
- More Lies - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 2:27 pm:
So Fahner tried to conceal McKenna’s involvement? Another lie from the McKenna camp. The cover up is always the killer. When are these guys going to learn that.
- Kettle - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 2:29 pm:
I wonder if Madigan or any of his family are ever in any polls sponsored by the State Democratic Party?
- John Bambenek - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 2:32 pm:
The issue is that the party chairman should exist to support Republican candidates, not use his position of trust to gather information for his own benefit. The poll is proof he stayed on as party chairman, gathered information from campaigns that did show up to kiss his ring, and then threw his hat in with the insider information.
- Repugnant - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 2:35 pm:
I’m no particular fan of Schillerstrom, but he’s exactly right on this point. Why have rules (or laws) if they’re not to be followed and enforced?
Rationalize it how one wishes (e.g., Anon @ 2:07), it’s still wrong. If McKenna wanted a poll with his name in it, he should have paid for a separate one. Or stepped down as chairman. Given how ineffectual he proved to be in that post, he needn’t have worried that he’d have been missed.
It’s just another example of the self-serving mentality that separates petty politicians from genuine leaders.
In the meantime, I nominate Ty Fahner for the 2009 Admiral Poindexter “Plausible Deniability” Fall-On-My-Sword Award. Next time, Ty, pick someone worthy of the sacrifice.
- John Bambenek - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 2:38 pm:
Kettle-
They didn’t hide their candidacies from the party or fellow competitors though, I bet.
- DuPage Dave - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 2:40 pm:
How apt that “Tylenol Ty” Fahner’s name would resurface on the same day as this Tribune Breaking News headline: “DNA sample taken from 1982 Tylenol murder suspect”. He tried to tie his political fortunes to that case, and fate, it seems, won’t let him forget….
- Levois - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 2:45 pm:
This wouldn’t affect my view of Andy McKenna. I still wouldn’t vote for him!
- Ghost - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 2:52 pm:
Its nice to see the GOP do as much damage to itself as it can.
- CircularFiringSquad - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 2:54 pm:
Wow
Great way to begin the weekend…gotta love it when we all chew on each other…Good to see Ty Fahner back in the news..for you yongsters he ran one of the worst GOP campaigns until Alan Keyes came along.
We thought all the THompson guys were with Dillard…..maybe Fahner was a double agent waiting to boobytrap OutsiderAndy&MuttMurphy.
We assume Outsider will now drop out thus opening the way for OneLinerDan Proft to jump to the lead, savage jimRYAN, have the Cicero outfit burn down al Brady’s signs and win the primary.
- Moving to Oklahoma - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 3:02 pm:
Alright everyone. Now that we have formed a circle….
Ready! Aim! Fire!
- Big Policy Nerd - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 3:32 pm:
@ Moving to Oklahoma
Since you gave the ok to fire…How the hell can Jim Ryan say he has never taken money from gambling interests when two of his top ten contributors have made millions off investments in Horse Racing and Gaming industries. And if you want me to name names, you got to buy me a beer. I won’t do your dirty work.
- VanillaMan - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 3:35 pm:
This is ridiculous.
The chairman of a political party asked that his own name to added to a poll paid for by the party in order to judge how well he did compared to the men who confided in him as possible gubernatorial candidates.
Mr. McKenna fails here, just as he failed for the entire time he served as chairman of the Illinois GOP. He is unfit to be governor by the results he attained during his time as chairman, and unfit to be governor based on how far he fell from any ethical standards regarding this issue.
He allowed a dishonest statement to stand on the public record, and has allowed an personal acquaintance to take the blame. For weeks.
It isn’t just politics. It is about personal honesty from a gubernatorial candidate spending millions on TV ads and who has a shot at his party’s nomination.
We just don’t need any more gubernatorial-related scandals in Illinois, regardless of their perceived importance as judged by political wonks and insiders.
He should halt his candidacy immediately.
- Onemam - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 3:36 pm:
Besides for Andy and the folks who give him money is there anyone who is pumped by Andy running.
Also beisdes having run and lost statewide why should he have been on the list. Was Steve R or the list, Oberweis, Dr. Kathuria?
- KeepSmiling - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 3:36 pm:
Schillerstrom feels duped, and he should. If McKenna was entertaining a run as a competitor, he should have told the already-announced fellow candidates as much when discussing their strategies and weaknesses; it was a deceitful and one-sided sharing of information.
As much as McKenna’s alleged actions reflect poorly upon his character and trustworthiness - important considerations for the selection of Governor - the significance of this is really to the Illinois Republican Party. This is a matter of precedence regarding the practices of party leadership, not an issue of campaigns. The real or perceived ethical breach and the reasoning behind it needs to be fully acknowledged by all parties, so that it doesn’t happen again.
- Amuzing Myself - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 3:41 pm:
Funny…. same guys that used to bash Blagojevich for his Friday afternoon media releases are now employing his strategy. Somebody put a wig on the man!
- Nearly Normal - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 4:14 pm:
McKenna gets Trib edorsement for the primary.
“McKenna would aggressively push new ideas for education and job creation. He would be a no-nonsense governor after a decade of too many FBI probes and too much insolvency. We see him as a just-the-facts executive who could set, and sustain, a course to ethical and financial stability. When he and other candidates appeared before our editorial board, McKenna cut to the heart of Springfield’s tendency to placate powerful constituencies by bulldozing billions of dollars their way. Nothing will happen to begin unraveling Illinois’ financial fiasco, McKenna soberly offered, “until somebody says, ‘Here’s the spending level we’re going to live with.’”
What was that about “ethics?”
- CircularFiringSquad - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 4:23 pm:
OMG..Outsider Andy has Daddy get endorsement from his former corp. board.
What a group of fools
- colt 45 - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 4:26 pm:
he got the trib endorsement
- Team Sleep - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 4:32 pm:
Here’s an interesting thought to ponder. What if Andy had already been an elected official while he was also party chairman and had subsequently commissioned said poll? If he were interested in moving up as many politicians are, it would not be ludicrous to think that he would have included his name in a poll with other statewide candidates - announced or hypothetical.
When JBT was state party chair, it was no secret she wanted to run for governor. If she had stayed on longer than January 2005, she would have possibly done the same thing. What would party faithful have said then?
It poses the question that any future chairman would or must ask. As an example, if Dan Rutherford were to win the treasurer’s office, take over as party chair in January 2013 and form a gubernatorial explanatory committee, would he preclude himself from a poll even though he would certainly be a viable candidate for the second-highest office in this state? I would hope not.
The ILGOP cannot cease to function if/when certain people are in power as opposed to others.
- Big Policy Nerd - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 4:36 pm:
Wow. The Tribune has Endorsed McKenna. Let the Good Times Roll!
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/elections/chi-100108gop-endorse-link,0,3243757.story
- Justice - Friday, Jan 8, 10 @ 4:59 pm:
I had a chance to talk with Andy McKenna at length the other day and he seemed to me to be honest, straight forward, informed, and committed to straightening out the financial mess we are in today. He was willing to be a one term governor in order to do what is necessary to get us back on the track toward a balanced budget. Aside from that, I’m sure for some he is evil and for others he is good. My take was he is bright and can do the job.
People outside this and a few other blogs will only see his ads. With the cash he is putting into them he will be very well recognized and has a great chance at winning.
- And "The Beat Goes On" - Saturday, Jan 9, 10 @ 8:47 am:
A simple matter of “an error in judgement” on Mr. McKenna’s part. We all make them. Pat Quinn made a small “error in judgement” by allowing the early release of violent criminals. Pat was really sorry. Bill Clinton made a small “error in judgement” with Ms. Monica Walinski. Bill sure was sorry. Lighten up you guys. Everybody makes mistakes. Andy McKenna is truly sorry and is probably going to personally reimburse the Illinois State Republican Party for the $28,000 cost of this poll because he feels very badly about getting caught. Forget about it. Life moves on. This is Illinois.
- I worked with Andy - Saturday, Jan 9, 10 @ 10:21 am:
They act like it’s just the poll.
Find out about the secret pay raises. The bonuses.
Ask about the stolen email lists, donor lists, and mailing lists.
Ask the SCC where the money went - they failed miserably in their oversight capacity.
He raised **S000000000** much money…but left the IRP completely bankrupt.
I liked Andy. He does come across as a nice, introverted, mousy guy. I got along great with him for a long time. A friendly neighbor type. He is a boiling pot of ambition and frustration (due to his lack of personal success) and he will stop at nothing to win a political seat.
That is Andy McKenna. His desperation at winning an election has made him the guy that canabalized an entire state party and alienated basically everyone that ever worked for or with him (minus the 2 or 3 he hooked up with sweet contracts from the IRP and outside vendors they did a lot of business with.)
- Reality - Saturday, Jan 9, 10 @ 1:23 pm:
The Tribune endorsement will not carry the day. When Mr. Kass endorses, people will pay attention.
- LincolnLounger - Saturday, Jan 9, 10 @ 2:48 pm:
I’m not sure for whom I’m voting for in the GOP primary, but it won’t be for McKenna.
That being said, I don’t get what the big deal is. The idea that these potential candidates were coming to McKenna and the State Party and giving them some kind of insider information before McKenna announced his candidacy is preposterous.
The State Party is always neutral, so they weren’t getting anything. Further, McKenna was most interested in US Senate, if you will recall Mark Kirk’s temper tantrum.
This is a tempest in a teapot. The candidates should be talking about real issues that affect Illinois voters and their families. The party “leaders” need to shut up and quit manufacturing red herrings.
Welcome to the world of Dan Proft.