Question of the day
Wednesday, Jul 13, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
CHICAGO, IL – In response to the failure of Illinois Auditor General Frank Mautino to answer questions amidst the ongoing federal and state investigations into his campaign spending irregularities while a member of the Illinois General Assembly, State Representative Dwight Kay (R-Glen Carbon) announced the filing today of House Joint Resolution 158 aimed at removing Mautino from office, a measure with over 20 co-sponsors.
“Auditor General Mautino is not able to perform his duties with the trust and confidence that Illinoisans deserve,” Rep. Kay said. “The Auditor General’s Office is a position where transparency is at the very heart of the job itself. Illinoisans deserve a clean government and Auditor General Mautino, by his refusal to respond to public questions surrounding his ethical conduct, has demonstrated that he is unfit to remain in office.”
At issue is more than $200,000 Mautino spent over 10 years on gas and vehicle repairs at a Spring Valley service station owned by a city alderman, as well as $259,000 in payments made to a local bank since 1999.
“As the Auditor General labors under the weight of state and federal investigations which could continue for a long duration of time, the citizens of Illinois and the General Assembly must have complete, unreserved confidence that the Office of Auditor General is able to operate effectively and without the hint of scandal,” Rep. Kay added.
In a letter sent last month, over 20 other House and Senate Republican lawmakers urged Mautino to take an unpaid leave of absence until federal and state investigations into irregular campaign spending while he was a state representative conclude, noting that the Auditor General has yet to provide documentation clarifying his campaign expenditures and reporting practices through his now inactive political committee. Mautino has not responded to the letter or to repeated calls to answer official legislative inquiries.
“Frank Mautino cannot effectively do his job as Auditor General while defending himself against potential criminal charges and a State Election Board investigation,” said Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton), a Chief Co-Sponsor of the Kay resolution. “If he will not do the right thing on his own and step aside, we have a responsibility as the people’s elected representatives to hold him accountable.”
* The Question: Should Auditor General Mautino resign now or should we wait for more developments? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
survey tool
- There They're Their - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 11:30 am:
He should resign out of a sense of duty to the restoration of people’s trust in government. If he doesn’t resign, it will appear that he will remain only for the protections that being an office holder provide, including the cost of criminal defense. Its clear that there was some questionable activity. He should do the honorable thing and step down.
- WhoKnew - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 11:31 am:
“I had this thing & maybe it wasn’t as Golden as I thought!” /s
Voted leave now (as in yesterday).
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 11:32 am:
(Sigh)
Voted “Let’s wait a while”
“WHY?!?!?”
This is my thought;
Dear Auditor Mautino,
You know how this may play out, you also know what a vast majority of us don’t know about how you plan to move forward.
My hope is that you don’t wait to late to make any decision you know you may need to make.
It’s up to you to make a move and do what you know is right, no matter what that next move is.
Oswego Willy
Voted “Let’s wait a while”
- Precinct Captain - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 11:32 am:
I voted “Let’s wait a while.”
What we currently have is the appearance of wrongdoing fueled by innuendo. What we do not have is specific evidence of wrongdoing.
Is there any evidence the Auditor General’s office is not functioning right now? If there is not, then there is no reason, as of yet, to bounce Mautino.
- cdog - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 11:33 am:
The office of Auditor General comes with an expectation of “above and beyond.”
That doesn’t mean above the rules and beyond reach of accountability. /s
Step down.
- snap - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 11:37 am:
I said no. The allegation is he may (or may not) have used campaign funds for personal vehicles. This is a political issue, not an issue of corruption or inability to do his job. Mautino’s lawyer is likely telling him not to respond to questions until the feds have a chance to speak with him and they will do so on their time table.
If every public official with questionable expenditures was asked to resign when a complaint is filed or the feds started looking at them, we would probably have no one left. Anyone can file a complaint, and the investigation is the result of the complaint. No charges have been filed.
- MOON - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 11:37 am:
Given the Federal Investigation I can understand why some questions were not answered.
Having said that I voted to wait awhile.
However, that time frame should be no more than a month or two. If he cannot resolve these issues with the Feds shortly then he should resign.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 11:40 am:
I said resign weeks ago and I’ll stick with it.
The most generous view of his campaign finance records is that they’re a complete mess. Financial accounting is kind of a big deal when you’re auditor general.
- A guy - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 11:40 am:
If it’s inevitable, sooner is better than later. Reluctantly, I vote now. For his own sake.
- burbanite - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 11:41 am:
voted now. This has been going on for a while, sure they knew before everyone else did and I am tired of Illinois being known for corruption and/or the appearance of corruption.
- theq - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 11:41 am:
I voted resign…. even if he did not purposefully commit fraud at the very least it shows that his record keeping is awful something an auditor shouldn’t have an issue with
- sal-says - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 11:43 am:
Auditor General (!) had about 6 months to answer & get his act together and STILL needs more time? And pulled ‘the 5th’ at a hearing? How in this world can this guy be AG??? Oh right: It Is IL!
- thunderspirit - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 11:45 am:
== The office of Auditor General comes with an expectation of “above and beyond.” ==
This.
== The most generous view of his campaign finance records is that they’re a complete mess. Financial accounting is kind of a big deal when you’re auditor general. ==
And this.
Sometimes the appearance of impropriety is enough. In the case of the Office of the Auditor General, which is “charged with reviewing the obligation, expenditure, receipt and use of public funds,” it is more than enough. (And this is coming from someone who thought Mautino was a very good choice for the office.)
- G'Kar - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 11:45 am:
I voted wait awhile, but it should not be a long wait. If I understood the article from yesterday correctly, Mautino plans to release information in two weeks. Let’s see what happens then.
- Rabid - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 11:45 am:
Wait, the federal investigation on Hillary ended with no charges
- Skirmisher - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 11:48 am:
To be effective the Auditor General must be seen by both parties and the public as being both above the fray and above reproach. It was a measure of lllinois’ penchant for ethically challenged processes that a legislator retread would be appointed in the first place, but the man had a moral duty to step down at the first notice of inappropriate appearance. No need to prove anything:. In Illinois, most forms of corruption in campaign finance are “legal” anyhow.
- Mama - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 11:51 am:
Voted “Let’s wait a while” - for the same reason as noted by -
Precinct Captain @ 11:32 am:
- siriusly - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 11:54 am:
If he was still a House member or some other state official my answer would be different. But I voted resign now - because this role requires confidence in him by the GA and the public.
I understand there are probably legal strategies at play here, but I am disappointed we have seen no explanations from him in more than a year.
- Robert the Bruce - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 11:56 am:
word @11:40 nailed it.
Mautino has become a liability to the D’s. At the very least, he should offer to take a leave of absence until the federal case ends.
Mautino has had 6 months to explain. re: the Hillary Clinton comparison, Hillary Clinton has been defending herself throughout, while Mautino has chosen to remain silent/lawyered-up.
- MadManMad - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 12:00 pm:
ILGA lists 14 cosponsors…am I missing some?
Voted Resign Now. I like Mautino, friendly guy. But the pot can’t call the kettle black.
- Anon - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 12:07 pm:
Voted resign, but would have preferred “take a leave of absence”. There are probably good reasons for him not to resign, but he can’t possibly be taken seriously as an auditor with this cloud still out there.
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 12:08 pm:
I voted resign now. I might feel differently about other positions, but this is the office in charge of preventing fiscal waste and abuse in state government, and the subject of the investigation is financial mismanagement. This particular office is rightly held to a higher standard, and there can be no confidence in an Auditor General under such a cloud. Even taking an unpaid leave and naming a temporary replacement if possible would be a positive step.
- Annonin' - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 12:21 pm:
We voted stay. After watrching the GOPie clown car unload at JRTC we are guess’ there must be some nasty BigBrain audits comin’ and the GA self proclaimed “smartest member” was out there trying to blunt the slam. Really sad CommandoIves and the other props were not allowed to speak and almost did not get an intro from “smartest”
Wonderin’ if he will claim mileage and per diem for this junket?
- Harry - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 12:24 pm:
I said Resign now.
For some jobs, I would say “wait.” But the auditor has to be above suspicion and this is all enough to affect his ability to perform.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 12:53 pm:
What Wordslinger said.
- NoGifts - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 12:56 pm:
Unless he admits wrongdoing, he should not resign. Wait until they drag him out.
- One to the Dome - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 1:25 pm:
wait a while. At this point, it appears very partisian - which is not to say Mautino did right or wrong. It would be better if the evidence proved beyond a doubt of inpropriety that he could not preform his job. I believe at that time Democratics would have to join in requesting his removal (Anyone remember the roll call against Blago?) to save their own necks.
- Fed Up2 - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 1:42 pm:
Is he buying time so that he is locked into yet another pension? Wasn’t there something about this on the news after a certain period of time in the Auditor’s job his pension would be boosted and we the taxpayers would have to supplement his enormous boost!!!!! Resign Now!
- Pot calling kettle - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 1:54 pm:
Wait.
The AG office is all about ensuring that government adheres to process. I expect the AG to adhere to process. The Board of Elections and the Feds all have their processes all of which take time to work through. The Republican mantra seems to be “forget process, an accusation has been made.”
The Board of elections has little in the way of standards for reporting, so past practice is the guide. If you look at reports filed, Mautino’s are within the range of practice followed, including by some of those now in high dudgeon. That Mautino filed the same types of items in the same manner for decades without question is an indication that the manner of filing was within the Board’s range of acceptable practice.
Skipping ahead to a conclusion sets the wrong precedent, especially so for an office that is all about process.
- @MisterJayEm - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 2:11 pm:
“Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion.”
And, fair or not, the same is true for an Auditor General.
He’s gotta go.
– MrJM
- chad - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 2:20 pm:
I regret to cast a “now” vote, based on many years of observing this effective legislator. However, I believe he can longer fill the role with the unquestioned authority of his predecessor. This job requires the intelligent political skills he has, but also requires the public ethics and reputation of a freshly-minted Eagle Scout. In the post-Ryan/post-Blago/post-Schock world, the apparent sloppiness is a disqualifier. Geez, I hate to say what I just did.
- Handle Bar Mustache - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 2:22 pm:
Wait. They are trying to pull a “Benghazi” on Frank. How sad. He’s innocent until proven guilty.
Sad to see so many fickle characters who lauded Frank during his GA retirement and cancer battle now so quick to spit on him before the facts are in. These unseemly and bloodthirsty characters seem eager to hurt another human being.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 2:35 pm:
–Sad to see so many fickle characters who lauded Frank during his GA retirement and cancer battle now so quick to spit on him before the facts are in. These unseemly and bloodthirsty characters seem eager to hurt another human being.–
That’s out of line.
“Guilt” isn’t even the question. The facts are, the Auditor General’s campaign accounts are a complete mess.
If that had been known beforehand, he wouldn’t have gotten the gig.
It goes to competence. No one is irreplaceable.
- downstate hack - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 2:35 pm:
He should resign now. There can be no shadow hanging over this important position. It is sad but there can be no room for error as Illinois auditor.
- Pot calling kettle - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 2:39 pm:
===“Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion.”
And, fair or not, the same is true for an Auditor General.
gotta go.===
That sets a disturbing precedent. Whenever someone is unhappy about the AG, all they need to do is roll out some allegations that trigger an investigation. The precedent of resigning before an investigation is complete is not appropriate.
- Way Way Down Here - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 3:15 pm:
I voted resign now. Comparisons aren’t always fair, but I always thought Bill Holland was one of the best things that ever happened to Illinois government. Shoes to fill and all that; I’m afraid this choice was a mistake.
- The Fool On The Hill - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 3:20 pm:
Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 4:01 pm:
Reluctantly voted “wait a while.” I’m not sure that sloppy campaign bookkeeping translates to automatic unsuitability for the office of AG. It’s not like we have a lot of comparables.
I’m not in favor of dragging out events until the pension boost kicks in.
- Augie - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 4:31 pm:
Wait
There is process let it play out. He was given the time to make his case, he should use it. Just like anyone would, including the people calling for him to step down. This will be done when the investigation is over.
- @MisterJayEm - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 5:14 pm:
Pot,
I was all for waiting to hear the innocent explanation when we first learned that Mautino somehow spent $213,338.31 on “fuel and repairs” for his campaign vehicle.
That was six months ago.
I’m not suggesting he should be driven from office with torches and pitchforks, I’m suggesting he should act in the best interests of his office.
(But I also think decent people can disagree as to what constitutes acting in the office’s best interest.)
– MrJM
- Pot calling kettle - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 5:54 pm:
==I’m not in favor of dragging out events until the pension boost kicks in. ==
The precedent is that it would be taken away if Mautino were convicted of malfeasance. Waiting does not change that. It’s a Republican red herring.
==I was all for waiting to hear the innocent explanation when we first learned that Mautino somehow spent $213,338.31 on “fuel and repairs” for his campaign vehicle. ==
I had the same reaction back in February until I did the the math, the math. $21,000/yr for ten years equates to 41,000 miles @ 50 cents/mi (the federal rate). Not an unreasonable amount in a rural district, especially when Mautino supported campaign operations in Bureau, Putnam, & LaSalle Counties and leaders are expected to move around the state quite a bit. From the standpoint of BoE requirements, Mautino would need to be able to produce documentation for the last three years. From a process standpoint, Feds first, BoE second, public after.
While it would be easier if Mautino laid everything out in detail, I would still do the math myself as a way to test what is being said.
- DuPage Dave - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 6:52 pm:
This whole mess stinks to high heaven, and Mautino can’t be trusted with the job of auditor general. He may never be convicted of a crime but that is a very low standard. The auditor general must have a high level of personal integrity (perhaps not as high as Caesar’s wife) and from this point on there’s no recapturing that for Mautino.
- Korn Fed - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 7:13 pm:
Voted “Let’s wait a while” for the same reasons as noted Precinct Captain @ 11:32 am. Let’s hear the other side of the story.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 8:05 pm:
I have been willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and ample time to come up with an explanation and a defense, but this has just gone on too long. I would not be surprised if he asks for, and is given, yet another extension. If there is no crime involved, he’ll be OK; his family has a nice business to fall back on.