Uh-oh
Tuesday, Feb 16, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Finke…
State Sen. Sam McCann has billed his campaign fund for thousands of dollars in mileage reimbursements, including more than $38,000 in just the last year.
At the federal mileage reimbursement rate of 57.5 cents per mile, it would mean McCann, a Republican from Plainview, drove more than 66,000 miles on public business in the last year alone.
In addition, campaign finance records show that McCann has received thousands of dollars in reimbursements for what the campaign labeled as “grouped expenditures.” […]
Since he took office in 2011, McCann claims he has put more than 500,000 miles on his vehicles traveling the district. McCann said in his early years in office he often paid expenses out of pocket without taking a reimbursement from his campaign fund
Go read the whole thing.
* This is actually a recycled story from August of 2015. Note the change of the starting point…
In the last year, McCann’s disclosed “mileage” reimbursement and the “grouped expenditures” total $59,019. If that entire amount were for mileage, that would equal 102,641 miles driven in the last year alone.
McCann acknowledged to The Insider that the “grouped expenditures” were payments to him and that “some” was for mileage, but declined identify how much or to explain why the earlier reimbursement payments were cloaked in anonymity.
“In those grouped reports, some was for mileage, but not all,” McCann wrote in an e-mail. “I started running in 2009. In those six years, I have accumulated over 300,000 miles. I just started reimbursing myself for mileage.”
Indeed, in previous campaign filing periods between 7/1/2-9/30/12 and 4/1/4-6/30/14 McCann disclosed no similar mileage reimbursements or “grouped expenditures.” In past filings, McCann disclosed only minimal car expenses. In the first quarter of 2013, 1/1/13-3/31/13, for example, he reported only $510.61 in gas receipts.
Still, at the assumed rate of McCann’s current mileage reimbursement implied in the campaign finance reports, it suggests that approximately one-third of those 300,000 miles driven over the last 9 years were accumulated within the last year. Odd. Without a more detailed public accounting of the $59,019 in reimbursements, the payments will likely beg more questions.
He needs to answer these questions. Now.
- Team Sleep - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 10:12 am:
Hmm…sloppy bookkeeping from his business and personal life have bled over into his governmental and political life. Shocker.
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 10:14 am:
Maybe the Auditor General should look into this?
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 10:15 am:
Hopefully he handles this better than Mautino has so far.
- RNUG - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 10:25 am:
McCann shows up at almost every public event. That’s one of the things I like about him; he does work his istrict. As big as Sam’s district is, it should be easy to explain.
- @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 10:26 am:
Yes, quite.
– MrJM
- walker - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 10:27 am:
I’m thinkin’ maybe the reports should be required to specify the number of automobiles involved, for all auto- related expenses. They can then be eyeballed for reasonableness.
Hate to be bureaucratic about it, but this whole mileage and travel expense thing, using campaign funds, is both widespread and open to real abuse.
- cardsmama - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 10:28 am:
My daughter read a post on this subject on fb from an SJR, I believe. Mr. McCann posted a response and explanation that was more than sloppy bookkeeping. She read it to me, so I can’t pinpoint it, but I told her that he needs to make that more public than buried in comments…
- Labrador Retriever - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 10:29 am:
I was actually thinking his mileage was rather low. His district is huge and I have seen him at multiple events outside Sangamon county. I went to 2 parades last year and he personally shook my hand at both events. Say what you will about his book keeping but the guy seems like he busts his butt for his constituents. The fact he bucked Rauner just makes him an even better choice for our district
- NIU Grad - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 10:30 am:
Better call Schock.
- old pol - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 10:36 am:
I wonder how many miles he told his auto insurance company he drives a year? I suspect 66,000 miles would put him in a higher premium bracket:)
- sosilly - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 10:59 am:
Everyone likes McCann except for his opponent and Rauner. This is non-issue to anyone in mccann District because they see him everywhere. The only thing bad that you can say about McCann is that he could probably use more staff.
- Omega Man - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 11:00 am:
I have seen Sam at lots of public events. He speaks at many AFSCME gatherings also. Frankly, I don’t see how he keeps up it. A true public servant in the best sense of the word!
- Team Sleep - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 11:08 am:
Silly - so you like McCann and apparently don’t like Benton or Rauner, but that’s a ridiculous thing to say. This is gonna be a close race. I’m sure not everyone “likes” McCann.
- Anon - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 11:33 am:
I live in the district and I’ve never liked McCann. There’s a difference between looking busy and actually accomplishing something. He’s an empty suit, not worthy of the senators that held that seat before him. So, no, not everyone likes him. He’s done a good job claiming to be the “man of the people” but it’s an image just like many other campaigns promote. I’ll always for for anyone who runs against him in the primary and likely skip the race if he’s the nominee in the fall.
- RNUG - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 11:41 am:
The primary is going to be hard fought but the main reason it will be close is the Rauner sourced / funneled attack ad money.
- sosilly - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 11:44 am:
RNUG totally correct.
- illini97 - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 11:44 am:
If I were a public official at this point, I’d be rather uptight about tracking my mileage. Given the ubiquity of GPS and smartphones, it should be easy to track, no?
- M - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 11:48 am:
McCann is extremely popular in his district. Benton can’t make much traction. So these oppo file stories are apparently the plan moving forward. Convincing people why they maybe shouldn’t vote for McCann is one thing. But Benton better figure out a way to convince someone why they should support him instead.
- Behind the Scenes - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 12:28 pm:
The release of an outraged statement from one of Benton’s attack dogs so quickly after the SJ-R story appeared makes me wonder if the order was reversed (story before outrage). A primary reason Larry Bomke declined to run when that district was redrawn was that it was made so huge. Sen. McCann really does have a lot of territory to cover, and he seems to be everywhere. Wonder if anyone is checking on that nice ‘plain wrapper’ state ride Benton has?
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 12:36 pm:
Given recent events, I’m guessing there are many lawmakers whistling past the graveyard on their mileage reimbursements.
- Curmudgeon - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 12:52 pm:
As I once had a large marketing territory to cover, I’m not at all surprised by that sort of mileage and travel cost — especially if it includes any vehicle maintenance, meals, and the like. Seems to me to be much ado about very little.
- Mama - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 4:43 pm:
I think they need to change the laws on campaign travel: Expenses should be reimbursed. Receipts should be attached to request for reimbursement of campaign expenses. Reimbursing actual expenses would be better than the system they are using now.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 5:22 pm:
It ain’t hard to log 2000 miles a week.
- Brendan - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 6:24 pm:
Some kind of odometer verification should be required for such reimbursement claims.
- KAC - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 7:32 pm:
First ever post, I read as much as I can here and love it. However, please be polite to Senator McCann. He does an awesome job for us. He is at almost every event possible. He does vote for his district. He has to put several hundred miles a weekend in his vehicle(s). You will see him in Jerseyville, Springfield, Pittsfield, and more. McCann is a good guy!
- Big Muddy - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 7:58 pm:
=McCann is a good guy!=
So he shouldn’t follow the law? Not saying he broke the law here but this type of logic explains why Illinois is where it is.
The mileage he was reimbursed for doesn’t add up no matter how large his district is.
- Hickory - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 8:23 pm:
Plain and simple, for each reimbursement their should be supporting invoices. Show us the invoices.
- cannon649 - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 8:40 pm:
The IRS requires a log for each business and personal trip.
Would like to see that - It would be required on audit.
- Property of idoc - Tuesday, Feb 16, 16 @ 9:44 pm:
Mautino had the same concern crop up earlier this year, and now McCann? DId the Schock slaying start with mileage questions too? Hmmm!