[Bumped up from Friday to Monday for visibility and comments opened.]
* Gov. Bruce Rauner and his wife Diana have contributed $9 million to House Republican Leader Jim Durkin’s campaign fund. Ken Griffin contributed another $3 million to Leader Durkin. Click here to see the disclosures.
Griffin, the state’s wealthiest man and a major Rauner ally, gave another $2 million to Comptroller Leslie Munger this evening. Click here.
Earlier this evening, Leader Durkin gave the state GOP $3 million.
…Adding… Press release…
Statement from Susana Mendoza, Democratic nominee for Illinois State Comptroller regarding Comptroller Leslie Munger receiving MILLIONS from Governor Rauner and his billionaire friends
“This is an overwhelming lack of independence for a constitutional office holder. Comptroller Munger is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Governor’s office. Governor Rauner, whom Comptroller Munger should be serving as a checks and balance to, has now given her a $1 million buyout check to his self-proclaimed wingman, and just two of his friends have now given her $7 million. By shamelessly accepting any of these funds, she has demonstrated her utter lack of independence and complete reliance on her political sponsor. The only way for Leslie Munger to keep the constitutionally mandated independence of the Comptroller’s office and not subvert the state constitution in the eyes of the voters is to give back this $1 million takeover bid from Governor Rauner and the $7 million from his two billionaire buddies. The comptroller’s office should not be for sale.”
* Watch the money move around with ScribbleLive…
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 6:02 am:
===The only way for Leslie Munger to keep the constitutionally… ===
Again, Mendoza Crew,
Do yourself a solid, when trying to play the whole “Constitution” thingy, the withholding of legislators pay not only flies in the face of the constitution and statues, it shows a gross and complete lacking of the sworn constitutional duties of the Office of the Comptroller.
By far, the smartest person in Mendoza’s ad about what she would do as Comptroller is the woman, honestly asking…
“You can do that?”, asked the smartest person in the Mendoza Ad…
“Nah, but please, understand, I don’t care about the constitution unless I can care about the constitution by pretending I’m fighting for the constitution, while touting an idea that isn’t constitutional…”
Ugh.
If Mendoza wins, it will be in spite… of her cracker-jack Crew.
“The only way for Leslie Munger to keep the constitutionally…”
Learn what the job actually does, Mendoza Crew, then you can actually have ideas that are not against her oath from Jump Street.
- Rabid - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 6:20 am:
I’m confused why would a democrat give millions to a republican?
- Carhartt Representative - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 8:08 am:
Wow! That’s a huge move for a Democrat like Diana Rauner to donate so much to a GOP candidate.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 9:17 am:
===Gov. Bruce Rauner and his wife Diana have contributed $9 million to House Republican Leader Jim Durkin’s campaign fund.===
So is Diana Rauner fair game yet or not? If she’s putting her name on this donation, I’d say she is a fair target for criticism.
- MSIX - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 9:34 am:
I’ve often wondered what it would be like to be wealthy enough to buy any car I want on a whim. Just walk into a dealer and drop 6 figures on a Ferrari or a Porsche. I’ll never know that freedom, though. Just the way it is.
I can’t even begin to grasp what it’s like to be wealthy enough to dump tens of millions on campaign contributions that will ultimately be wasted on idiotic campaign ads like the ones we see here all the time. However, I can easily imagine how ashamed I’d be if I wasted money like that when so many everyday people on whose lives I had a direct influence are in such dire need of funding.
- PublicServant - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 10:02 am:
Well, I guess we’ll see how much money can buy politically, because they’re not going to be accused of maybe not pouring enough into purchasing the seats after the election is over.
- Responsa - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 10:50 am:
==So is Diana Rauner fair game yet or not? If she’s putting her name on this donation, I’d say she is a fair target for criticism.==
People, especially Democrats, can criticize her until the cows come home if it makes them feel better. But other than that, what it buys them, IDK. She is married to the governor and is the state’s first lady. Diana is not running for any office.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 12:08 pm:
===Diana is not running for any office.===
The Democrat Diana Rauner put her OWN name… her name… to $46 million for Raunerites.
Diana Rauner isn’t a “Babe in the Woods”. Diana Rauner isn’t a civilian either.
At all.
- Responsa - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 2:00 pm:
Try answering the question OW. Other than getting it off your chest what do you think you are trying to achieve by focusing on Mrs. Rauner? What is the expected ROI from all your lengthy and spirited comments about Diana here today? Who if anyone are you hoping to influence–and to what end? What do you expect her to do or say that will personally satisfy you? Whose votes are you trying to affect by your commenting here on this subject? All the frenzied effort and incivility about this today just seems so pointless and very small.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 2:33 pm:
I did answer the question, you just don’t like the answer, LOL.
Diana Rauner, a Democrat, pointedly so in ads, in her words, in her self-deprecating mocking of all of us… is funding Raunerites, funding Republicans, under her own name.
How am I suppose to believe Diana Rauner is a Democrat now?
Seriously. Diana Rauner’s own persona is now not based on a reality of party, but on a dedication to an agenda to destroy social services or destroy labor.
Bruce Rauner stated that’s how to get at Democrats, and Diana Rauner, a Democrat, is aiding the cause. If Diana Rauner wanted her name off these filings, I’m sure she could’ve gotten that. She didn’t. So…
Spare me this innocence of Diana Rauner, “what is the goal”… the goal isn’t anything.
The truth is Raunerism is being funded by the Rauners, one a Democrat, the richest man in Illinois, and a Wisconsinite…
… That’s… the list.
Diana Rauner is willing to put her name on the choice of funding an agenda that either destroys social services or destroys labor, as per her husband, then her name is in the discussion.
Diana. Rauner’s. Choice.
- Responsa - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 2:58 pm:
You have said the same things over and over in different comments on several threads ad nauseum. We get it. We do. You want Diana’s name “in the discussion”. It is. You put it there. However, that is different than answering the questions (as specifically outlined above) of WHAT you are hoping to achieve by having Diana in the discussion and by challenging Diana’s bonafides as a Democrat or how she and her family spend their money. Those questions you have most definitely not answered. Whatevs. Have a nice day.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 3:14 pm:
- Responsa -
===…or how she and her family spend their money.===
Raunerism is being funded by Democrat Diana Rauner and Bruce Rauner.
It’s not about the money ($46 million) it’s not about party, it’s about Raunerism at ALL costs, including the bonafides(?)
- peon - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 5:59 pm:
Money, meet hole in the ground.
The chances of even $46M having a major impact this cycle seems - in my humble opinion - remote.
Money can’t buy you love. Sometimes it can’t buy you hate either.