Republican candidate for governor Richard Irvin has shifted $800,000 from his Ken Griffin-funded campaign to two members of his slate of GOP candidates a little more than one month before the June 28 primary.
Secretary of state candidate John Milhiser received $500,000 from the Irvin for Illinois Fund on Friday, while Steve Kim, a candidate for attorney general, got $300,000 from the Irvin fund, state campaign records show. Both men are part of a slate of Republicans seeking statewide offices put together by Irvin’s campaign and backed by Griffin, Illinois’ wealthiest individual and the billionaire founder and CEO of the Citadel hedge fund.
Griffin has already given Irvin, who is mayor of Aurora, $45 million to help Irvin secure the Republican nomination for governor and challenge Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker in November.
Irvin, during a campaign stop on Saturday, said more money would be coming for Milhiser, Kim and other members of the Griffin-backed slate.
Today, Secretary of State Candidate John Milhiser is launching a new ad as early voting is getting underway. The ad, titled ‘Competence,’ highlights exactly why Illinois needs a career prosecutor who has put corrupt public officials behind bars as our next Secretary of State.
Even today, we learned more about how deeply Madigan corruption has permeated this state. The Sun-Times reported today on a recording of Madigan discussing a plan to provide secret payments to a disgraced former aide, a scheme Madigan has consistently denied having knowledge of.
The Democrats in this race have shown they are more of the same Madigan Machines politicians, and are pointing fingers over who is more corrupt. In contrast, the Irvin-Bourne slate is laser-focused on ending the Madigan-style corruption that has eroded competence in state government and held Illinois back. We must restore trust in government in Illinois, and with John Milhiser in charge of the state government office more Illinoisans interact with than any other, they can have faith that government is working for them, not the special interests and corrupt insiders.
Madigan-style politics permeating every government office, and we pay the price.
I’m John Milhiser. As a federal prosecutor and state’s attorney, I put criminals and corrupt politicians behind bars.
As Secretary of State, I’ll root out corruption and modernize government services, saving millions in taxpayer dollars to make government work for you, not just the chosen few.
I’m gonna give it a C+. The opening line reminds me of “BEARS. BEETS. BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.”. He never really introduces himself, and corruption really isn’t in the purview of the SOS.
That being said, he’s on the air, and that alone is very powerful.
Is Milhiser running for secretary of state or attorney general?
Grade: C
- Give Me A Break - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 10:07 am:
“As Secretary of State, I’ll root out corruption and modernize government services, saving millions in taxpayer dollars to make government work for you, not just the chosen few.”
You mean he won’t protect reproductive rights or call out the National Guard? Cleary we have a slacker on our hands.
- Give Us Barabbas - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 10:07 am:
C. Haven’t seen someone as stiff as that since the Celozzi-Ettelson car dealership commercials.
I kind of like how Griff makes Irvin send the cash to Milhiser and Kim instead of donating it directly. It’s like Irvin is doing the boss’ errands. It’s very telling as to how Irvin might govern, as an extension of Ken Griffin’s wants and needs, like a tool, or a pawn.
It’d be nice if, on their campaign websites, under issues, either Irvin, or Milhauser actually provided their ideas for addressing the issues that are so important to them. Naming them isn’t enough. Tell us how you’re going to solve them. Seems like, ya know, you don’t really have any solutions to the “problems” you harp on.
“and corruption really isn’t in the purview of the SOS”
Corruption is playing very strongly in the Campaign. Alexi and Valencia were more than happy to trade jabs about corruption. Alexi has Broadway banks alleged mob ties to deal with and Anna Valencia is facing a Chicago IG inquiry into fishy lobbying ties to her husband’s firm Ignite Cities.
D. He is not running for prosecutor. It’s fine to promise to run a clean office, but let’s focus on the things that the secretary of state is supposed to do.
You picked the subject, so show us how the office is so full of corruption that it is your primary mission to root it out. Because….Madigan, gets tiresome from the cheap seats.
Talk about the things that the office is actually involved in. Licensing of truck drivers. Chop shops. Drunk driving. Organ donation. Online services. And so on.
C-. For the way this primary is playing out, name ID is the whole ballgame. Milhiser’s name gets said twice and is on screen for about 3 total seconds. That’s not the worst he could do, but he definitely fell in love with the alliteration gimmick and forgot what the goal of the ad should be.
I’d give it a C because it says nothing about what he’d bring to the office. Last I checked the SoS wasn’t putting criminals and corrupt politicians behind bars.
Why is it that all Griffin funded campaigns sound the same. It’s as if the only reason to consider any of these candidates is that they aren’t Democrats and can’t get Mike Madigan out of their heads. Has anyone won a statewide office yet on that platform? I suppose Milhiser could be the first.
B. Its fine. Over next few weeks he’ll get his name ID up enough to make it over the finish line and that will set up a heck of a race between him and an opponent with very questionable judgement and ethics.
I’d give it a B. He’s getting his face out there for voters, since he’s an unknown in this race.
- Back to the Future - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 11:24 am:
B+
Came away from the Ad thinking this is a honest guy, Fed Attorney and brings up Madison.
Not sure as a Republican primary candidate you can do more or should try to do more in 30 seconds.
D-….pretty weeak stuff from Team ‘Riffie, but hey thet been trying to teach RichieRich how to real aloud to no avail. Meanwhile Dan Brady is talking voter ID and other voter suppression stuff for SOS so they better tune it up.Pronto
Too little too late. Nice guy but nobody knows who he is outside of Springfield. And you can’t build name ID in a week, The FOP endorsed his opponent in the primary and he isn’t endorsed by any township north of I 80
==Corruption is playing very strongly in the Campaign.==
Maybe so, but in your haste to post today’s edition of “Donnie Elgin Says a Republican’s Campaign Has the Momentum of a Runaway Freight Train”, you got pretty clumsy in your attempt to change the subject. Corruption may or may not be a big issue in the campaign, but attacking it is, as I said, not really in the job description of the Secretary of State. That’s why Milhiser has to add the Vaguebook about “modernizing government services” so that at least he had one reference to the actual job he’s running for.
A lot of people are missing the point. This is Milhiser’s first intro and it’s a solid ad. He looks good. Sounds good. And yea, Sec State has a history of corruption. I think he will be a tough opponent in the general and will probably be the senior member of the Griffin slate since the Gov nominee will be Darren Bailey. Will Griff still care?
Someone recently reminded me that a State’s Attorney also deals with traffic court issues some of which are sent to the SOS for further action. The same person said that section of the SOS offices could use a significant overhaul. Even if that is the case, that messaging did not come across in the spot so it gets a C+ from me.
- Arsenal - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 10:00 am:
I’m gonna give it a C+. The opening line reminds me of “BEARS. BEETS. BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.”. He never really introduces himself, and corruption really isn’t in the purview of the SOS.
That being said, he’s on the air, and that alone is very powerful.
- John Lopez - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 10:00 am:
Is Milhiser running for secretary of state or attorney general?
Grade: C
- Give Me A Break - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 10:07 am:
“As Secretary of State, I’ll root out corruption and modernize government services, saving millions in taxpayer dollars to make government work for you, not just the chosen few.”
You mean he won’t protect reproductive rights or call out the National Guard? Cleary we have a slacker on our hands.
- Give Us Barabbas - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 10:07 am:
C. Haven’t seen someone as stiff as that since the Celozzi-Ettelson car dealership commercials.
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 10:09 am:
C. B if he was running for Attorney General with those visuals.
- 47th Ward - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 10:10 am:
I kind of like how Griff makes Irvin send the cash to Milhiser and Kim instead of donating it directly. It’s like Irvin is doing the boss’ errands. It’s very telling as to how Irvin might govern, as an extension of Ken Griffin’s wants and needs, like a tool, or a pawn.
- PublicServant - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 10:13 am:
It’d be nice if, on their campaign websites, under issues, either Irvin, or Milhauser actually provided their ideas for addressing the issues that are so important to them. Naming them isn’t enough. Tell us how you’re going to solve them. Seems like, ya know, you don’t really have any solutions to the “problems” you harp on.
- Arsenal - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 10:13 am:
==B if he was running for Attorney General with those visuals. ==
I bumped on that, too, although I don’t think the non Capfax voters really ever think “This guy’s running for the wrong office”.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 10:14 am:
I am sure this is the first of many ads about the decades of corruption in the Democratic party of Illinois led by Mike Madigan
Democrats will be back on their heels all fall with these ads as well as the daily press coverage from his trial this Fall
- PublicServant - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 10:14 am:
I give the Ad a C for alliteration by the way. No pun intended…well maybe.
- Donnie Elgin - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 10:19 am:
“and corruption really isn’t in the purview of the SOS”
Corruption is playing very strongly in the Campaign. Alexi and Valencia were more than happy to trade jabs about corruption. Alexi has Broadway banks alleged mob ties to deal with and Anna Valencia is facing a Chicago IG inquiry into fishy lobbying ties to her husband’s firm Ignite Cities.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/elections/ct-illinois-secretary-of-state-candidates-democrats-20220520-ytyiwzjoybgbzk2xsr3774cm7u-story.html
- Langhorne - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 10:22 am:
D. He is not running for prosecutor. It’s fine to promise to run a clean office, but let’s focus on the things that the secretary of state is supposed to do.
You picked the subject, so show us how the office is so full of corruption that it is your primary mission to root it out. Because….Madigan, gets tiresome from the cheap seats.
Talk about the things that the office is actually involved in. Licensing of truck drivers. Chop shops. Drunk driving. Organ donation. Online services. And so on.
- JS Mill - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 10:27 am:
=You mean he won’t protect reproductive rights or call out the National Guard? Cleary we have a slacker on our hands.=
Whew, that is honest to goodness comedy right there. And really good. Thanks for that start tro my week. Well done.
As other have said, he is running for the wrong office. But he had to so he could get MJM and corruption in the ad.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 10:38 am:
D-You’re running for driver’s license guy, right?
Which I can renew online, along with my sticker, for quite some time now.
What else you got?
- vern - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 10:40 am:
C-. For the way this primary is playing out, name ID is the whole ballgame. Milhiser’s name gets said twice and is on screen for about 3 total seconds. That’s not the worst he could do, but he definitely fell in love with the alliteration gimmick and forgot what the goal of the ad should be.
- Steve Rogers - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 10:40 am:
D. He mentioned corruption three times. Does SoS have a corruption problem? Maybe 30 years ago. I guess this guy should have ran in 1998, not 2022.
Suggestion: spend more time on problems that do exist instead of problems that don’t exist.
- Jocko - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 10:47 am:
C for ‘Candidate Carps Corny Corruption Comparison’
- Pundent - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 10:47 am:
I’d give it a C because it says nothing about what he’d bring to the office. Last I checked the SoS wasn’t putting criminals and corrupt politicians behind bars.
Why is it that all Griffin funded campaigns sound the same. It’s as if the only reason to consider any of these candidates is that they aren’t Democrats and can’t get Mike Madigan out of their heads. Has anyone won a statewide office yet on that platform? I suppose Milhiser could be the first.
- Red Ranger - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 10:49 am:
B. Its fine. Over next few weeks he’ll get his name ID up enough to make it over the finish line and that will set up a heck of a race between him and an opponent with very questionable judgement and ethics.
- The Doc - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 11:06 am:
Another day, another instance of wishcasting from the master, Lucky Pierre
C+. It’s not a full frontal assault on the senses, which I appreciate, but otherwise the usual recycled talking points.
- B Team - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 11:09 am:
I’d give it a B. He’s getting his face out there for voters, since he’s an unknown in this race.
- Back to the Future - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 11:24 am:
B+
Came away from the Ad thinking this is a honest guy, Fed Attorney and brings up Madison.
Not sure as a Republican primary candidate you can do more or should try to do more in 30 seconds.
- Annonin' - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 11:37 am:
D-….pretty weeak stuff from Team ‘Riffie, but hey thet been trying to teach RichieRich how to real aloud to no avail. Meanwhile Dan Brady is talking voter ID and other voter suppression stuff for SOS so they better tune it up.Pronto
- JS Mill - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 11:37 am:
=Not sure as a Republican primary candidate you can do more or should try to do more in 30 seconds.=
He could address the office he is running for.
=Came away from the Ad thinking this is a honest guy=
An honest guy bought and paid for by Ken Griffin.
- chicago guy - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 11:47 am:
Too little too late. Nice guy but nobody knows who he is outside of Springfield. And you can’t build name ID in a week, The FOP endorsed his opponent in the primary and he isn’t endorsed by any township north of I 80
- Springfieldish - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 11:50 am:
“As a former Federal prosecutor ….” Now, where have we heard that phrase before and how much confidence did we have in who said them?
- Lake Villa Township - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 11:52 am:
C, the one thing I will applaud the Ken Griffin slate for is that they have a high quality voice actor.
- Back to the Future - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 11:53 am:
Thinking most US District Attorneys are not “bought and paid for” type of folks.
- Arsenal - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 11:55 am:
==I am sure this is the first==
It’s not the first.
==Democrats will be back on their heels all fall with these ads as well as the daily press coverage from his trial this Fall ==
His trial will not be occurring this fall.
- Arsenal - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 12:02 pm:
==Corruption is playing very strongly in the Campaign.==
Maybe so, but in your haste to post today’s edition of “Donnie Elgin Says a Republican’s Campaign Has the Momentum of a Runaway Freight Train”, you got pretty clumsy in your attempt to change the subject. Corruption may or may not be a big issue in the campaign, but attacking it is, as I said, not really in the job description of the Secretary of State. That’s why Milhiser has to add the Vaguebook about “modernizing government services” so that at least he had one reference to the actual job he’s running for.
- Arsenal - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 12:03 pm:
==Meanwhile Dan Brady is talking voter ID and other voter suppression stuff for SOS so they better tune it up.==
Which is also not something the IL SOS can do.
- Huh? - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 12:12 pm:
John who? Running for what office?
- Anonymous - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 12:54 pm:
==Corruption Corrodes Competence.==
Is he reminding us of the last time we had a Republican in the SOS office?
- Pot calling kettle - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 12:55 pm:
Anon @ 12:54 was me.
- New Day - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 2:49 pm:
A lot of people are missing the point. This is Milhiser’s first intro and it’s a solid ad. He looks good. Sounds good. And yea, Sec State has a history of corruption. I think he will be a tough opponent in the general and will probably be the senior member of the Griffin slate since the Gov nominee will be Darren Bailey. Will Griff still care?
I give it a B.
- Observation - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 3:06 pm:
Someone recently reminded me that a State’s Attorney also deals with traffic court issues some of which are sent to the SOS for further action. The same person said that section of the SOS offices could use a significant overhaul. Even if that is the case, that messaging did not come across in the spot so it gets a C+ from me.
- Huh? - Monday, May 23, 22 @ 5:05 pm:
“Sec State has a history”
Name a corruption scandal during Jesse White’s tenure as SoS.