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* The controversial and ultimately unsuccessful IllinoisGO has officially shut down both of its campaign committees and refunded millions of dollars in contributions.
The group’s full name is Illinoisans for Growth and Opportunity and was created and run by public relations executive Greg Goldner. IllinoisGO spent millions of dollars during the spring primary season, but failed to move the needle toward the governor in any Chicago Democratic legislative races, which was essentially its core mission.
Its most high-profile involvement was supporting Rep. Ken Dunkin’s hapless primary campaign, which ended in electoral disaster. But it played in other campaigns and either lost (2nd Senate District) or wasn’t considered any sort of factor in the win (5th Senate District).
Indeed, the group’s activities only seemed to harden incumbent Democrats against the governor and pushed them even closer to their legislative leaders. To say it was a failure would be a major understatement.
* Goldner’s organization refunded about $4.6 million to several contributors on July 14th, including $600K to Helen Zell (Sam Zell’s wife) and $3 million to Houston billionaire John Arnold and his wife Laura, who have contributed lots of money to pension reform and charter school groups, among others.
I’ve asked the organization for comment and will update this post if they follow through. Its website is still active.
Hat tip: Scott Kennedy.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
Illinoisans for Growth and Opportunity (IllinoisGO) has ended operations at both its C4 educational arm and independent expenditure committee.
Our purpose was to raise public awareness of and engagement in critical public policy debates. We were driven by a fundamental belief, grounded in progressive principles, that if government is to be an agent for change and equal opportunity, it must operate efficiently in order to maintain public trust and confidence. In Illinois, that trust and confidence has been deeply damaged. The IE intended to protect incumbent Democrats, in the primary and in the general elections, who take tough votes to help restore this trust. We are ending operations, as this did not occur.
While IllinoisGO helped raise awareness among voters of the urgent crisis gripping state and local governments and school districts, in the end, voter awareness and frustration was not enough to prompt state leaders to action. Unfortunately, winning political battles was prioritized over forging a compromise to address Illinois’ budget shortfall, structural deficit, antiquated tax system, insufficient infrastructure and education funding or job-creating initiatives.
Illinois’ current financial crisis was avoidable. It has disproportionately hurt lower income workers, families and our youth. We do not believe it is enough for Democrats to simply stand against Republican policies without also pursuing a proactive, comprehensive set of our own policies to create jobs, economic growth and opportunity. Illinois Democrats have enjoyed electoral success, but in order to remain favored over the long-term, our party has to articulate that vision – and then actually deliver on the policy. Winning elections becomes meaningless without delivering real progress for the people of this state.
As we saw in 2014, voters reject politicians who don’t deliver. We need leadership that produces policy solutions to secure not only Democrats’ political future, but the future of Illinois.
- Dee Lay - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 8:32 am:
$2.8+ million wasted. Heckuva Job Goldie!
- The Fool On The Hill - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 8:35 am:
You can’t keep spending and not have the required revenue. That’s just reality.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 8:43 am:
I’m sure those Houston billionaires and the Zells were devastated they couldn’t save the great Ken Dunkin.
The update is hilarious. Still pretending not to be a Rauner front.
- Jimmy H - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 8:45 am:
Quite a press release…such honorable intentions, giving so much support to that progressive Dunkin… LOL
- Springfieldish - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 8:48 am:
“As we saw in 2014, voters reject politicians who don’t deliver.”
Oh boy, now there’s a prescient observation regarding 2018.
- Honeybear - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 8:49 am:
Glad the perfidious sham is over.
- Anon221 - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 8:55 am:
Illinois GO- “Couldn’t catch ‘em at all!”
- Huh? - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 8:56 am:
Just another example of billionaires trying to buy an election and failing.
Must be nice to be able to play with that kind of money.
- illini - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 8:57 am:
To paraphrase the song - “Money can’t buy you love”
- Formerly Known as Frenchie M - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 8:58 am:
All this for the hapless, clueless ‘what, me worry?’ Dunkin?
The sleeping bag schtick was genius.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 9:01 am:
“Illinois’ current financial crisis was avoidable. It has disproportionately hurt lower income workers, families and our youth.”
Well if it hasn’t been for a certain person insisting on his personal agenda and currently sitting in the governor’s chair, many of the problems of the last year could have been avoided.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 9:02 am:
To the Post,
What a bizarre press release. It’s as though that Crew was utterly clueless to why they were so very toxic.
It’s was a disaster from Jump Street…
Exposure of its true intent made IllinoisGo toxic from the very beginning, and it could be argued that IllinoisGO was a point of unification for Labor & Democrats as Rauner waded into Dem Primaries as Rich Miller makes that point in the Post, but ironically, IllinoisGo never understood why that was “bad”. That ignorance was comical.
What IllinoisGo did do successfully was make Democrats spend boatloads of money, but Democrats saw IllinoisGo as an assult on their party by Raunerites, so maybe that money wasn’t wasted?
I’ve commented often about Raunerite and this Raunerite group failed because a Republican, a true Republican, would never insert themselves in Democratic Primaries so overtly. Had Rauner (which is completely impossible in Illinois to pull off…) ran as an independent, the raw stigma works have been tempered. It’s a hugely embarrassing loss, and an admittance of failure of a Raunerite Party being possible.
That failure…
The failure of IllinoisGO, for me, gives renewed hope that Republicans & Democrats will recognize any “agenda” that threatens Illinois bad.
You can never sell “bad” as a positive, especially if the bad is ripping core principles from a party (ILGo to the Dems). The Dems fought back and won. It’s now up to the GOP to be more autonomous & I can root very actively for all GOP GA candidates, as diversity comes back again.
The best GOP party had Pate’s Gorillas telling Edgar “No”. The best GOP party had Jim Ryan and Judy Topinka on the same ticket… and it made sense…
The best GOP party had Maureen Murphy and Mark Beaubien as members…
The best GOP party had a voter like me see Bill Brady or Kirk Dillard or Dan Rutherford as real options because their love for Illinois… Trumped… a candidate who’s agenda went against Republicans who know Trade Unions and Teachers and their unions, and state workers… they aren’t enemies, or despised.
The collapse of IllinoisGo could be a rebirth for the GOP too…
Will it?
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 9:04 am:
Based just on ad commissions, Goldner just gave back a pretty significant payday.
- Keyrock - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 9:07 am:
Blame Madigan, and the Rauner front groups he controls.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 9:09 am:
My mind also went to the scene in “Casino” when Nicky Santoro sees his “investments” were losing money… and
“I think I want my money back” - Nicky Santoro.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 9:12 am:
–Based just on ad commissions, Goldner just gave back a pretty significant payday.–
Meh, he did what he was told. I’m sure that was part of the deal from the beginning. He was a front, after all.
Why burn bridges for future paydays?
- Rabid - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 9:12 am:
Copyright infringement on pokeman go”
- Anon - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 9:39 am:
Finally, some good news!
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 9:45 am:
I am very happy to see this Raunerite organization fold.
“our party has to articulate that vision”
“Our party” doesn’t support sellouts like Dunkin. These are not Democrats, they’re Raunerites who meant to weaken the Democratic Party for Rauner’s benefit.
- Dome Gnome - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 10:04 am:
Proxy Wars (A Haiku)
Austerity and
Funding from wealthy Texans
Makes us vote “No Go.”
- bwana63 - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 10:10 am:
Smashing success! Congrats on a job well done.
- DuPage Bard - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 12:06 pm:
An attempt to change Party Politics in Illinois that backfired. Just because you buy one Party doesn’t mean the other group will go as well.
- DuPage Bard - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 12:06 pm:
An attempt to change Party Politics in Illinois that backfired. Just because you buy one Party doesn’t mean the other group will go as well.
- South Illinoisian - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 3:34 pm:
=OW 9:02 am=
There won’t be a rebirth of the IL GOP until that 20 million dollar sword of Damocles Rauner has over the head of every IL GOP member disappears.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 3:38 pm:
===There won’t be a rebirth of the IL GOP until that 20 million dollar sword of Damocles Rauner has over the head of every IL GOP member disappears.===
When Rauner runs in 2018, he needs some accomplishments.
Can Rauner find enough people to run against all 67 GOP GA members?
40 GOP GA members?
20 GOP GA members?
At some point, ideology is just something even politics can’t stomach.
With great respect.
- The Fool On The Hill - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 3:56 pm:
=ideology is something even politics can’t sto
- The Fool On The Hill - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 3:58 pm:
=ideology is something even politics can’t stomach.=
Word to Skillicorn and Oberweis.
- illini - Monday, Jul 18, 16 @ 4:55 pm:
Willy - “At some point, ideology is just something even politics can’t stomach.”
Exactly - I just wonder if we have reached that point, or, if not, when that will be.