* Illinois Review…
Palatine Township Republicans met [yesterday] evening to endorse 2014 primary election candidates. Those candidates receiving 60% or more of the votes were officially endorsed by the Palatine Township Republican Organization (PTRO). The results were as follows:
ILLINOIS GOVERNOR
* Rauner: 65% (endorsed)
* Rutherford: 20%
* Dillard: 11%
* Brady: 4%
* As usual, money was an issue. Illinois Observer…
Palatine Township Committeeman Aaron Del Mar, who is also the Chairman of the Cook County Republican Party, helped engineer Rauner’s victory, sources say.
Del Mar and the committees under his control have been showered with cash from both Rauner and Rauner ally Jack Roeser, a wealthy conservative activist .
Rauner, who recently won the GOP Lake County straw poll, donated $1,000 to the Palatine Township GOP on August 28, 2013 and $2,500 to Del Mar’s personal political committee on August 12, 2013.
Roeser donated $5,000 to Del Mar’s personal political committee on October 19, 2012 and $5,000 on August 16, 2013. And since Del Mar become the Cook County GOP party chief in April 2012, Roeser and his wife and his company, Otto Engineering, have donated $46,500.
“Rauner’s Palatine endorsement was foreordained,” said a GOP source. “Roeser and Rauner are Del Mar’s biggest donors.”
Dillard’s gubernatorial campaign donated $500 to the Palatine Township GOP on September 7, 2013.
* By the way, Rauner has reported raising $519,317.53 since he filed his November 13th letter of intent to bust the state contribution caps.
That total does not include Rauner’s own $500,000 contribution to himself. So, he’s over a million. It does include a $250,000 contribution from Glen Tullman, a $100,000 contribution from Illinois Policy Institute board member Elizabeth Christie, and $20,000 from Edgar Bachrach, who is listed on Rauner’s disclosure as an Illinois Policy Institute board member.
* In other Rauner news, Greg Hinz looked at some more contributions…
The story is that four companies listing the same address — 4615 Northpark Drive, Suite 101 — each in recent days have donated $10,500 to the Rauner campaign, according to a state Board of Elections disclosure filed yesterday.
The question is, why? And who?
The Rauner campaign isn’t saying. The candidate’s spokesman failed to respond to several requests for comment.
What I do know is, three of the firms are in the self-storage business and the fourth is a financial firm, RG Investments No. 4 LLC, according to the filings. None has a listed phone number that I could find.
Greg sent me a link to the story and asked if I had any idea what was going on. I searched around and e-mailed him back some clues…
Update — Rich Miller at Capitol Fax may have figured out part of the mystery.
Another donor who gave $5,300 to Mr. Rauner in June is Colorado Springs businessman Richard Graham. And he has a company, Graham Investments, that lists the Northpark Drive address and is in the warehouse business.
Mr. Graham wasn’t immediately available for comment. Perhaps he was just spreading around his donations. But the question remains: Why would a Colorado guy who runs self-storage facilities be so interested in who’s elected governor of Illinois?
Most likely what’s going on here is that we have a wealthy guy who got around the contribution caps by sending maxed out checks from various corporate entities he controls. It’s legal. And now that there are no caps, it’s no longer even necessary.
Still, as Greg notes, it is a bit odd that a Colorado storage business owner would be so heavily involved in the Illinois governor’s race.
* Meanwhile…
Bruce Rauner’s initiative to get a term limits question on the Nov. 2016 ballot just got a new treasurer, according to newly filed disclosures with the state.
At the last reporting period, the initiative raised $600,000 since August and had $458,000 in the bank at the close of the period.
Harlan Teller of Evanston, who now heads the Center for Economic Progress, will now serve as the treasurer of the Committee for Legislative Reform and Term Limits. Records show he once made a modest donation to Gery Chico for Chicago Mayor.
About the Center for Economic Progress…
We help promote financial education and sound money practices — helping cut ties to predatory financial services.
We provide year-round workshops and one-on-one financial coaching to help clients set financial goals; create a spending plan; access safe and affordable bank products like bank accounts and small dollar loans; and review and correct credit reports and improve credit scores.
We have helped nearly 10,000 families open bank accounts and provided financial workshops in Chicago’s underserved communities to reach thousands more.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 10:46 am:
Rich Daley, Rahm Emanuel, Gery Chico …
At what point do we stop pretending that PPC is close to those men becuase he needed to be because of his love for “Education” and just have Bruce Rauner OWN that Rich Daley, and Vacation Buddy Rahm Emanuel, and the man, listed as your Treasurer, felt the need to donate to Gery Chico, and not say its all “Politcal Baloney”?
- woodchuck - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 10:53 am:
The whole campaign is a modern day version of Brewster’s Millions –the old Richard Pryor movie. “None of the above” was the campaign message and a ton of money to blow on a campaign. Rauner may go down as the guy who spent the most money to lose. All that toast and no jelly…
- itsericwithaK - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 10:55 am:
It seems the mater of pay-to-play has struck again.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 10:56 am:
===Rauner may go down as the guy who spent the most money to lose===
Blair Hull set the bar pretty high. $29 million if I remember correctly.
Man, if I had $29 million to blow…
- Downstater - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 11:03 am:
I am shocked!!! Contributions are being made and people vote for the candidate making the contribution. Sounds like smart politics.
- woodchuck - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 11:03 am:
Hull may hold that title for awhile. Thanks for the reminder, 47th. $29M would buy a lot of endorsements, just not thoughtful voters.
- Ghost - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 11:04 am:
Just think if we spent this much money providing health care and wages to walmart employees… I am not sure buying an office to limit services for the poor is the trickle down effect out economy needs to create a thriving society. Perhaps we could us a higher tax brackets on all these folks who have all this money to toss at an election and raise the minimum wage and provide health care instead
- too obvious - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 11:10 am:
It just wouldn’t be election season if Jack Roeser didn’t blow at least half-a-million bucks on a losing campaign.
- hisgirlfriday - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 11:13 am:
Is Rauner’s Edgar Bachrach the same Bachrach that was a plaintiff in the 2012 lawsuit to try to eliminate IL’s campaign contribution limits? If so, has anyone asked Rauner if he will try to get that law repealed for everyone who runs and not just rich guys like him who can smash the law’s limits with their own money?
- Weltschmerz - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 11:15 am:
When my son was a youngster he’d ask me, “Dad, who is your favorite baseball/football/basketball team?” I’d wait a moment and look in the newspaper and say whoever was in first place.
- langhorne - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 11:20 am:
rauner can spend all the money he wants, and probably will. i am still waiting to hear him explain what it is that he will do, and how he will accomplish it. cut spending? how and where. implement term limits? there is that pesky constitution. referendum on gay marriage? he still mentioned that, even tho, um you know. etc etc. i know a wealthy “outsider” candidate wont get into that in his commercials, or rigged endorsement meetings. but at some point, some reporter, or editorial board, has to get a real world answer.
- LincolnLounger - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 11:22 am:
I LOVE the fact that campaigns think these GOP endorsements by township and ward organizations matter.
Ask Comptroller James Dodge or Comptroller William J. Kelly how well the organizations delivered in the last GOP primary for them. Dodge even lost his own township.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 11:23 am:
So Rauner drops a half million on IPI over the years, and then IPI board members start writing big checks to his campaign. I get it.
- shore - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 11:24 am:
1. The guy went to Harvard Business School, you have to look at a lot of these guys from out of state through that lens.
2. Sorry but money is part of politics and the ability to raise it is part of a show of a candidates viability. Dillard, Rutherford and Brady have had decades to woo these donors, build networks and compete, the fact that they are not financially is a red flag.
3. Meg Whitman spent $200 million to lose in California in 2010. That’s the bar right now.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 11:25 am:
===the ability to raise it is part of a show of a candidates viability===
Yep.
The difference between Rauner and Hull is that Rauner has raised a lot of OPM.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 11:26 am:
…Aside, of course, from all that nasty stuff in Hull’s OR report.
- OneMan - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 11:34 am:
Thinking of suggesting my township org start doing endorsements….
- OneMan - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 11:35 am:
Yeah, if Blair Hull had been better in/at relationships the world could be a very different place today…
- Formerly Known As... - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 11:39 am:
Grassroots? Hardly.
More like astroturf.
- PoolGuy - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 11:42 am:
the insider playing the outsider using insider tricks and tactics. sooo sneaky. maybe no one will notice? hmmm
also 47th Ward, “Man, if I had $29 million to blow… ” did you borrow that quote from Mayor Rob Ford?
- Eve - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 11:49 am:
Center for Economic Progress is one of my favorite charities. They do volunteer income tax prep for low-income people every year. I started volunteering there when I started learning about how much earned income tax credit money went to interest on rapid refunds that other tax preparers encourage.
This is an interesting alliance.
- woodchuck - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 11:50 am:
== Dillard, Rutherford and Brady have had decades to woo these donors, build networks and compete, the fact that they are not financially is a red flag.===
Rutherford has raised considerable money - 2nd highest total of the candidates with no debt and no bills. I would take the volume of support he gets from a lot of small donors who are committed rather than a small number of big checks to Rauner from insiders as some kind of a reciprocal process. Yeah, Rauner can get money but he has no message. He has no appeal to actual voters. He is a campaign pastor preaching to his own choir.
- OneMan - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 11:55 am:
I would have to say Bruce’s support is not totally astroturf, did encounter calculators for hims earlier this week (I think or late last week) who said they were volunteers… Hitting a train station for a guy at 6:00 AM does show some support..
- truth hurts sometimes - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 11:57 am:
Rauner is the king of “pay-to-play” politics.
The only supporters he has are the ones he’s handed a $20 bill to.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 12:11 pm:
===Hitting a train station for a guy at 6:00 AM does show some support..===
Unless its your “job”, or you are getting the usual $5/$10 a signature …
Then it really isn’t support, unless you count the “volunteer” supporting their family on the cash … then its 100% “support”
…Could be either
- OneMan - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 12:13 pm:
Sorry Willy,
If they said they were volunteers and I did ask several of them specifically if they were getting paid, I am going to take their word for it.
- Samurai - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 12:21 pm:
From my public university political science studies probably the most useful information recalled is that politics is about who gets what, when, where and how. Last, but more importantly: “Money makes the world go round.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWg8iaLuBDg
- DuPage - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 12:30 pm:
Rauner is from that general area, he might have got more votes because of that.
- Soccermom - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 12:55 pm:
Pool Guy, 47 said “to blow”, not “for blow”.
- Anon - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 12:57 pm:
All of a sudden we’re surprised that (GASP) candidates throw money at organizations and (GASP), township/county endorsement sessions are foreordained? Come on, get real.
- Chris - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 12:59 pm:
“Why would a Colorado guy who runs self-storage facilities be so interested in who’s elected governor of Illinois?”
Self-storage has been an area of private equity investment for the last couple decades. It is possible that Rauner himself or GTCR fund is a LP in some of Graham’s entities.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 1:00 pm:
Ok, add to the Menu ….
Endorsements:
Lake Co GOP - $3750, $15 for 250 votes
Palatine Township - $1,000 to the Palatine Township GOP, plus $2,500 to Del Mar’s personal political committee - $3,500 total… plus …
Roeser donated $5,000 to Del Mar’s personal political committee twice for $10K total …
Palatine Township total - $13,500…
Plus the $46,500 Del Mar was “primed” since becoming County Chair …
$60K for Palatine and County Chair.
I want to, again, apologize to - wordslinger - and - AA -, for not getting AWillyWord con$ulting on this train.
- PoolGuy - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 1:00 pm:
soccermom, could be for pizza or vodka red bulls too…
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 1:06 pm:
- OneMan -,
Fair enough.
Maybe when the D-2s come out, we will have more clarity on “volunteers” and “expendatures” and how many signatures collected…
- hisgirlfriday - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 1:06 pm:
From the filing info, looks like Rauner changed out his personal campaign treasurer too.
His original campaign treasurer was a local BMO Harris exec, but his new one is a political consultant out of Georgia, Paul Kilgore, who is also Schock’s campaign treasurer.
Did Schock and Rauner make up and I missed it?
- Public Opinion - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 1:20 pm:
Kilgore does campaign disclosure as a business for a wide array of federal and statewide candidates. And I understand he does a good job. His relationship to both Schock and Rauner amongst others is purely transactional.
- Snucka - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 1:34 pm:
Not to split hairs, but one can also honestly call oneself a volunteer if one is not personally being paid by the campaign to collect signatures. Lots of township and county organizations have received contributions from Rauner/Roeser, and they have plenty of patronage workers to dispatch.
- Snucka - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 1:37 pm:
Just to clarify: what I described IS electoral politics. It is how to get on the ballot and how to win elections. Still, the nature of Rauner’s support should not be mistaken for some kind of grassroots groundswell. He is spending money to gain favor with party leaders. It’s a legitimate strategy, and we will see if it works.
- Tim Snopes - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 1:42 pm:
So what’s the difference between buying an endorsement and Blago selling a Senate seat? The Feds should investigate.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 1:45 pm:
Pool Guy, I don’t drink Red Bull so make that vodka straight, on ice.
As for Rob Ford, you give a guy like that just $1 million and he’d be dead in a week. But boy, what a week!
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 1:46 pm:
- Tim Snopes -,
Very wreckless of you to compare the two.
If you can’t tell the difference between those very specific two examples, then I can’t help you understand politics or why you never bring in the “guys from down the street” trivially.
- Veritas - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 1:48 pm:
Jack Roeser has exposed himself as a hypocrite. The conservative values he claims to embrace are the same values that Kirk Dillard not just embraces, but has lived by and voted for. Along comes Rauner who refuses to commit on any of the issues, but who has a history of donating money to liberal Democratic candidates & causes, but Roeser loves him!! What’s the connection?? $$$$ Roeser’s Quixotic quest is to buy an election - he thinks he should be able to do it and he has entered into a Faustian deal to do so. Rauner & Roeser - they deserve each other.
- Tim Snopes - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 1:54 pm:
One’s buying, one’s selling.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 1:55 pm:
=== but Roeser loves him!! What’s the connection??===
Teachers unions. Roeser hates teachers unions more than he hates anything else. That’s why Rauner is his guy.
In 2010, Dillard accepted Roeser’s endorsement and then let it be known that the IEA was backing him. Roeser never forgave him, and for good reason. Roeser hates the teachers unions with every fiber of his being.
All the other stuff you talk about in that comment of yours is hyper-ventilating, tinfoil hat nonsense. The Roeser nod makes perfect sense.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 1:57 pm:
- 47th Ward -,
Might as well make the “Vodka-rocks” a double, we might be sitting her a while. Appetisers?
To the Post,
If every single Rauner “volunteer” is doing this out of the goodness of their heart, I’ll eat Tom Cross Gofer Headcover…
Rauner has “true believers” and those who believe Bruce Rauner is “real”, then you have those counting $20s and wondering when the next sheets are coming so they can get paid.
At 11%, there isn’t a groundswell yet, and Rauner has no “base” to build on, geographically as in a political entity (house seat, county board district, etc.,)
It is, indeed, all… about the money.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 2:02 pm:
- Tim Snopes -,
… and one has Federal Agents raiding you house.
Just saying. Bad Form.
- Jerome - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 2:07 pm:
Money from Colorado? Big deal.
The marriage equality people raised gobs of momey from out of state anf no one said boo.
But turning around and giving that money to Del Mar is just plain dumb.
- Veritas - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 2:08 pm:
Does trading his core conservative beliefs for his hatred of the teacher’s union make him less of a hypocrite?? According to your theory - Roeser dropped Dillard because of the single issue of the teacher’s union. Ergo: Roeser has embraced Rauner for their shared enmity of the unions despite Rauner’s liberal views that appear anthithetical to Roeser’s stated views.
- Johnny Q. Suburban - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 2:12 pm:
$1,000 makes Rauner PTRO’s biggest donor? Uhoh. sounds like they’re in some trouble.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 2:19 pm:
Veritas, he didn’t “trade” anything. His hatred for teachers unions has always been his main “core belief.”
- Snucka - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 3:06 pm:
Ken Griffin just pumped $250,000 into Rauner’s campaign fund. This is going to be crazy.
- Laurper - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 4:51 pm:
“So what’s the difference between buying an endorsement and Blago selling a Senate seat? The Feds should investigate.”
The difference between what Rod tried to do and Bruce is doing is huge! Blago tried to sell the Senate seat while Rauner is simply trying to buy the governor’s seat. Clearly selling rather than buying is offensive!!!
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 5:08 pm:
- Laurper -,
One is considered a “criminal act”, an abuse of power given to an elected offical, by statute, and abusing the power for personal again. (Blago)
The other is pandering, using assets, (money) for political support that amounts to a hill of beans when talking about power, or using that support to do something that is illegal based on the monies and the endorsement, along with being terribly tacky to claim a “win” based on monies (Rauner)
Capice?
- Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 8:15 pm:
=It just wouldn’t be election season if Jack Roeser didn’t blow at least half-a-million bucks on a losing campaign.=
lol That could only be funnier if it were coming from a Rauner campaign staffer.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 8:18 pm:
=It is possible that Rauner himself or GTCR fund is a LP in some of Graham’s entities. =
Doesn’t count if it’s not funding for a “Storage Wars Colorado.”
- Mealnie - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 8:37 pm:
I attended the Palatine Township Republican Organization (PTRO) meeting last night and decided to join the organization. I heard from all Illinois Republican candidates for governor. I voted for Rauner, for no reason other than-his platform makes complete sense. Why would I not be on board with moving away from financially draining pensions to 401K’s? Why would I be against tenure only for teachers who are achieving in the classroom-not just an automatic ‘pass’ because you’ve physically been there? Doesn’t it make sense to have term limits? There’s more…look into it. We’ve seen how tyranny in Springfield has brought doom to Illinois’ unemployment numbers and ability to attract business. I’m not a politician, an NO ONE tells me how to vote-Rauner made sense, and I believe others I sat in front of, behind and next to at the meeting last night were genuinely moved by his fresh approach and institution-free perspective. Make your own choices. Dont’ listen to the spin.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 8:52 pm:
- Mealnie - ,
===Why would I not be on board with moving away from financially draining pensions to 401K’s?===
You have heard of the Illinois Constitution? If it was that easy, it would already be done, and it would be legal. Look into it.
===Why would I be against tenure only for teachers who are achieving in the classroom-not just an automatic ‘pass’ because you’ve physically been there?===
When PPC Rauner told you that, did Bruce Rauner tell you about denying a Chicago child a better education so his Daughter, who was denied entry to bergin with, could take the seat at Payton Prep, with Political Clout, from a Rich Daley appointee? Look into it.
===Doesn’t it make sense to have term limits?===
Based on… what? why is it so obvious? What is the case for term limits that an election can’t cure? Look into it.
===I’m not a politician, an NO ONE tells me how to vote-Rauner made sense,===
Bruce Rauner is NOT a politician. Bruce Rauner is Mr. Potter from “It’s A Wonderful Life” who collects politicans, like Rich Daley and vacations with Rahm Emanuel. Look into it.
===…fresh approach and institution-free perspective. Make your own choices. Dont’ listen to the spin.====
Bruce Rauner is one of the largest donors to Rich Daley, Rahm Emanuel and Ed Rendell. Have perspectice that Tens of Thousands of Dollars to Politicians, makes Bruce Rauner … part … of the Problem. Look into it.
And Try not to get caught up in the Spin of the Carharrt Coat, or Fleece Vest, or an $18 Watch, backed by $a 500K Ad Buy, to show … how humble, the half a million dollar money is spent… talking about how frugal Payton Prep Clouter Bruce Rauner is.
Ya know … Look into it.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 9:29 pm:
On a personal note, I have always been suspicious of the term “fresh approach” or “refreshing” if it’s not used to describe a beverage. I don’t know why. And I am not going to look into it.
- DuPage Rep - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 10:50 pm:
Seems like Mr. Willy be afraid of the change to come. The more thou protest Mr. Willy.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 21, 13 @ 11:05 pm:
- DuPage Rep -,
If you do not require someone to have ethics - Bruce Rauner is your candidate.
If you want your candidate to be one if the largest donors to Rich Daley - Bruce Rauner has given to Rich Daley - “Big Time”
If you want your candidate to be a vacation buddy of Rahm Emanuel - pack a suitcase and go with Rahm and Bruce Rauner.
If you want your candidate to be a hypocrite on education - car pool a Denied Daughter not from Chicago to Payton Prep, like your candidate Bruce Rauner, but don’t forget to call a Rich Daley appointee to make it happen, and sleep well knowing a Worthy child was denied because of it.
I protest fake Carhartt costs, faux cheapness, phony wearing of vests, and thinking everything has a price, and the menu available for ALL to see.
Other than that,
With kindest personal regards, -DuPage Rep -, I remain.
Sincerely yours,
Oswego Willy
- woodchuck - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 1:02 am:
I’m with Willy. It’s all good to spout an Eddie Bauer vest and pretend not to have a Spanx tshirt and socks that cost more than the watch. It’s more more important, however, to say exactly HOW he would make change. Millions of peope for voted for Hope and Change in 2008 and believed in a candidate with no governmental executive experience. Hope is not a strategy. Change, in the public sector (as opposed to the white rich dude club that includes Rauner’s big donors), requires a fundamental understanding of the constitution and an an ability to be genuine and work across party lines. Donating to Rich Daley and buying buildings for charter schools and nonprofit headquarters in the Medical District is different than …well… leading. All the Payton Prep stuff may or Tmay not resonate. The reality is that Rauner is raising a lot of money to make consultants rich and he is a like Blgaojevich in that he has no fundamental clue what the job is, but will spout off a bunch of poll-tested responses with no ability to deliver if he manages to get elected. It’s like watching the Will Ferrell character in The Campaign. Say a bunch of things that make people clap at a small gathering, mention unions (bad), but fail to mention anything substantive about how to actually solve the challenges. Rauner is nothing more than Cam Brady Obama 014.
- Reality bites - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 2:03 am:
“Mealnie” just joins the Palatine GOP organization last night.
Today, they are commenting on Capitol Fax.
Tomorrow, he will probably be running his own blog.
Those Rauner plants move fast.