* Dan Proft has shut down his two campaign committees, Liberty Principles PAC and Proft for Governor. He hasn’t raised money lately, so this wasn’t unexpected.

Liberty Principles PAC raised over $25 million since 2012. Much of that money came from the super-wealthy Richard Uihlein, but Uihlein stopped contributing a while ago. Proft ran for governor in 2010, losing the GOP primary, but he kept his PAC open and ended up raising almost $1.3 million.

Proft didn’t win a large number of contests, but he did help create what we now know as the Eastern Bloc. And the millions he spent on GOP primary races unnerved lots of Republican incumbents in this state, particularly in the House. It’s one reason so many House Republicans who voted to override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of the tax hike chose not to stand for reelection the following year.

I reached out to Proft to ask if he plans to open any new campaign accounts. I’ll let you know what he says, but last month he signed on to do a nightly show for the Salem Radio Network, which serves 2,000 radio stations across the country. He replaced Joe Walsh, who is running for president… sorta.

* Proft went out with a twist. Liberty Principles PAC filed what turned out to be its final quarterly report this week showing it with a balance of $0. It reported an in-kind $1,007 contribution for “legal expenses” from the Illinois Opportunity Project and an odd expenditure of $38,847.89 for “Corrective Accounting/Journal Entry.”

Proft’s personal campaign committee also filed its final quarterly report this week showing a $0 balance, a $412.50 payment for legal fees and $3,353.11 listed under “Other Receipts” for “Corrective/Journal Entry.”

* This paper filing was dated January 13…

Dear Sir or Madam,

Our firm represents Liberty Principles PAC, Committee ID Number 24614, in connection with the above-referenced matters. Please be advised as follows:

The Committee’s Quarterly D-2 report filed electronically on January 13, 2020 for the quarter ending December 31, 2019 is the committee’s final report. This report contains a corrective accounting journal expenditure entry in the amount of $38,847.89 to account for the difference in available balance that would have otherwise shown on the committee’s D-2 Quarterly report and actual $0.00 cash balance in Committee’s bank accounts at end of quarter. The Committee is unable to account for the difference in the reported available balance and the actual cash balance even after an exhaustive internal audit through the end of 2018 that resulted in the committee’s filing of Amended D-2 Quarterly Reports from 2016Q1 to 2018Q3.

Please accept this 2019Q4 D-2 Quarterly Report as the committee’s final report. Do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions, concerns, or require any further action relating to these issues.

* As was this one…

Our firm represents Proft for Governor, Committee ID Number 22072, in connection with the above-referenced matters. Please be advised as follows:

The Committee’s Quarterly D-2 report filed electronically on January 13, 2020 for the quarter ending December 31, 2019 is the committee’s final report, This report contains a corrective accounting/journal receipt in the amount of $3,353.11 to account for the difference in negative balance that would have otherwise shown on the committee’s D-2 Quarterly report and actual $0.00 cash balance in Committe&s bank accounts at end of quarter. The Committee is unable to account for the difference in the reported available balance and the actual cash balance even after a review of its available banking records. The $3,353.11 reported as a ‘4Corrective/Journal Entry” other receipt on December 31, 2019 is not an actual contribution nor receipt of anything else of value.

Please accept this 2019Q4 D-2 Quarterly Report as the committee’s final report. Do not hesitate to contact inc should you have any questions, concerns, or require any flrther action relating to these issues.

…Adding… The irony of the missing money is pretty rich when you consider this history…

The Feb. 7-13 edition of the weekly McHenry Times devoted much of its ink to Mautino, a Spring Valley Democrat who became the state’s auditor general Jan. 1. Its lead story was titled, “Scandal brewing over Illinois auditor general’s dubious campaign expenditures.”

The Liberty Principles PAC hired a company, Chicago-based Newsinator LLC, to produce the products. The PAC paid Newsinator $85,000 in February, according to a report filed with the state Board of Elections.

Andrew McKenna, chairman of the Illinois Republican Party from 2005 to 2009, is listed as the agent for Newsinator, according to the secretary of state’s business database.