* The Tribune’s coverage of last night’s comptroller debate…

Republican Comptroller Leslie Geissler Munger again tried to link Democratic challenger Susana Mendoza to longtime House Speaker Michael Madigan and the state’s financial woes. And Munger also accused Mendoza of previously double dipping at the public trough by collecting two government paychecks.

In turn, Mendoza painted Munger as a “wingman” for Gov. Bruce Rauner and took her to task for failing to “denounce” Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Support of Trump has been a litmus test issue thrown at Republican candidates across the country this fall. Mendoza said Munger enjoys backing from some of the same campaign donors as Trump and that it should take “half a nanosecond” to know where to stand on the controversial candidate.

Munger said she’s “really working very hard to stay out of the issues at the top of the ticket” and “certainly cannot support a lot of the things that Mr. Trump has said.” But she declined to state her choice for president.

* Sun-Times…

“She just accepted, from the person that she’s supposed to be a checks and balances to, a check for $1 million. By constitution, the Illinois comptroller’s office should be an independently elected office that serves as a watchdog for other executive offices,” Mendoza said.

Munger pointed out that some of that contribution was transferred out back to the Illinois Republican Party to fund other candidates’ races, prompting Mendoza to dub it “a legal laundering mechanism.”

Munger countered: “It’s not all coming in to me. My opponent has actually received plenty of money from special interests herself, including contracts that she’s gotten, money from companies she’s given out contracts out to, and money from Speaker [Michael] Madigan himself.”

“The Illinois Democratic Party is run by Speaker Madigan,” Munger said, as Mendoza interjected.

“Can I please finish? I was quiet when you were speaking,” Munger said.

There were numerous interjections during the appearance.

“Comptroller Munger has just admitted that she is allowing her campaign account, Citizens for Leslie Munger to be used as a legal laundering mechanism, so not only has she gone from being the state’s chief fiscal officer, she’s now admitted to being the state’s chief fiscal launderer,” Mendoza said.

* Daily Herald…

Mendoza, a former state legislator and current Chicago city clerk, blasted Munger for accepting millions of campaign contributions from Rauner and business owners with close ties to the governor. The money was used largely to fund television ads that depict Mendoza as a Madigan protégé who will only do the bidding of the powerful Democratic leader if she’s elected. A large chunk of it was also distributed back to the state GOP, which is using it to help fund other campaigns. Mendoza called Munger the state’s “chief fiscal launderer.”

Munger responded by noting that she’s simply following the campaign laws that Mendoza passed when she was a legislator, and adding that she “didn’t need this job” and was doing it as a service to the state.

“The governor has not bought me,” Munger said. “Everything I have done is completely legal and transparent. It’s not illegal because Susana Mendoza voted for the law.”

Mendoza kept up the attack on Munger’s campaign finances for most of the debate and deflected Munger’s complaints that she has accepted campaign funds from Madigan through the state Democratic Party’s $150,000 contribution.

“Speaker Madigan’s campaign funds have not contributed to me, nor have I asked,” Mendoza said. “It’s not the same because the Democratic Party is not the personal piggy bank of Speaker Madigan.”

* More on that topic from Illinois Public Radio…

Incumbent Republican Leslie Munger was appointed to the post by Governor Bruce Rauner. Her Democratic opponent, Chicago City Clerk Susanna Mendoza, says Munger is controlled by the wealthy governor.

“She just accepted — from the person who she’s supposed to be a checks and balances to — last week, a check for $1 million. By constitution, the Illinois comptroller’s office should be an independently-elected office that serves as a watchdog over other executive offices.”

Munger counters that she stood up to Rauner.

“The governor has not bought me. In fact, I’m probably the most independent person here because I don’t need this job. I took this role because I love Illinois.”

* The governor’s bonuses for non-union state workers was also an issue…

Mendoza said the state doesn’t have money to pay its bills or keep open social service agencies, saying they “should be prioritized, certainly over anyone receiving a performance bonus while we’re in the midst of our worst, worst fiscal crisis of all time.”

But Munger said she was under court order to pay state workers.

When moderator Phil Ponce pressed: “including bonuses?” Munger said she cannot make a distinction over salary and bonus when an agency sends the request to her office for payment.

“There is no way to determine, which is bonus, which is pay,” Munger said, accusing Mendoza of not knowing how the office worked.

Mendoza countered that one of her top advisers is former comptroller Dan Hynes, and said Munger should have, upon taking office, immediately reviewed each agency’s expenses so she could make financial distinctions when necessary.

* It’s worth watching…