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* From the Ottawa Times…
A state agency is seeking former state Rep. Frank Mautino’s “clarification” on the more than $250,000 he paid to a Spring Valley bank since 1999.
Mautino, who is now the state’s auditor general, listed Spring Valley City Bank as the recipient of $259,000 in campaign money, even though the purpose listed in documents for the spending was for everything from food to travel.
“They are clearly not expenditures to the bank,” said Tom Newman, director of campaign disclosure for the state Board of Elections. […]
“Maybe the committee didn’t know the correct way to do it, and they took their best stab at it,” Newman said. […]
“We’ll try a couple of times to get in touch with them and see where it goes from there,” Newman said.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 2:51 pm
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Well this could be really ironic.
Comment by Anon Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 2:53 pm
This should have been clarified, by Auditor Mautino weeks and weeks ago.
Weeks ago.
It’s festering now, Before, it was a cut, then a wound, now the wound needs something to stop the festering.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 2:56 pm
This almost went away. Time to switch to plan B.
Comment by m Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 2:58 pm
I was wondering if Mautino was waiting for some parts to come in and he’d gotten a loaner. Haven’t heard much from/about him in the past several days.
Comment by My New Handle Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 2:59 pm
Answers needed now. Not days, weeks or months from today. Maybe get these guys on it? For as much grief that the “Freedom Caucus” was given their NO votes look better and better each passing day.
https://capitolfax.com/2015/10/21/our-own-freedom-caucus/
Comment by Anon2U Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 3:04 pm
Heh. Going back in history is fun. Who’s looking goofy now?
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Oct 21, 15 @ 12:00 pm:
Why am I not surprised that Anon2U would come out in defense of the “goofball 10″
Comment by Anon2U Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 3:17 pm
I have been filing D-2’s for relatively small local committees for close to 20 years.
Any time I had a question about the appropriate way to reflect either income or expenses I simply called the SBE and got my question answered.
“Maybe the committee didn’t know the correct way to do it, and they took their best stab at it,” - this rational simply does not cut it!!!!!!!!1
Comment by illini Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 3:18 pm
He got cash. Plain and simple.
(unless that drive-up window was servin’ burgers /s)
At minimum, sh*tty record-keeping, which is a biiiiiigggggg problem for an Auditor General.
Comment by cdog Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 3:19 pm
In looking at these revelations, I can almost live with the car expenses. Big district, commutes daily to session, drives big SUV, whatever. I can’t find any comfort with this bank stuff-and the fundraising after being selected as AG to fund shredding of records.
The ’splainin’ is overdue, General.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 3:19 pm
When is the investigation by the Attorney General, or anyone, beginning? It’s not like the Inspector General can review this.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 3:21 pm
So what exactly is the Board’s role in examining campaign expenditures. From Mr. Newman’s statements it would appear they don’t seem to care to much about the content of expenditure reporting. It seems odd that payments to a bank for food, etc. are out of the norm, but why wouldn’t the Board catch that? As seen on the blog, these aren’t one time expenses, but going back 10+ years of the same items. Perhaps the bigger story is why isn’t the Board using their oversight authority.
I also love the nonchalant ‘we’ll try calling them’. What’s their calling policy? Once for potential fraud under $500, twice for $500 and over? Why the relaxed approach to this? The Board has investigatory powers…maybe they should dust off their copy of their enabling Act so they can refresh their memories of what they are supposed to be doing.
Comment by Jon Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 3:22 pm
Could he have charged those items,food, gas, etc, to his credit card which is a bank card? That’s how lots of folks use their cards.Might not have conformed with reporting rules, but wouldn’t be unusual for someone to do it
Comment by Truthteller Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 3:33 pm
He was probably paying the bank for credit card charges for food, travel, etc. Easy enough to clear up.
Comment by Anon123 Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 3:35 pm
===Perhaps the bigger story is why isn’t the Board using their oversight authority.===
I am guessing that this is a funding issue and that the legislature may not be excited to fund people to go through their campaign records.
Comment by Anon Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 3:43 pm
Kid gloves. Kid gloves
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 3:44 pm
=Could he have charged those items,food, gas, etc, to his credit card which is a bank card? That’s how lots of folks use their cards.Might not have conformed with reporting rules, but wouldn’t be unusual for someone to do it=
Follow up question:
Why has this issue turned into a guessing game?
Comment by Qui Tam Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 3:52 pm
===Perhaps the bigger story is why isn’t the Board using their oversight authority.===
Same should be asked about many Departments, Boards, and Commissions in IL.
Comment by Qui Tam Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 4:21 pm
It appears Mautino got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Comment by Mama Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 4:28 pm
The big question is what took them so long to audit Mautino’s campaign finance records?
How many more elected officials’ campaign finance records should be audited?
Comment by Mama Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 4:39 pm
At its worst it is converting campaign funds for personal use, at its best it is really sloppy accounting and record keeping. Either one should be a job terminator for an auditor.
Comment by ParisIlini Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 5:20 pm
===It appears Mautino got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.===
Ugh. This is why I’ve refrainfed from commenting too deeply with this.
Let’s see what shakes out first.
Respectfully.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 5:24 pm
==It appears Mautino got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.===
Well, gas station cookies are overpriced, but not as overpriced as what he also claimed to have paid for gas.
Comment by Robert the Bruce Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 5:31 pm
==At its worst it is converting campaign funds for personal use, at its best it is really sloppy accounting and record keeping. Either one should be a job terminator for an auditor.==
Perhaps what legislative leaders look for in an ideal auditor candidate is either corruption or incompetence.
Comment by Robert the Bruce Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 5:39 pm
What I saw in the Web Times looked like he was withdrawing money from his campaign account at Spring Valley Bank to pay bills and campaign workers like poll watchers etc. It seems clear from what I looked at. Hope a explanation comes soon.
Comment by Augie Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 6:01 pm
You all are kidding, right?
Don’t you know you’re supposed to use the /s on your posts?
Rauner just BOUGHT the Republican Party. He’s poured so much unregulated campaign cash into so many dark money groups that it is only a matter of time before they accidentally run a campaign against themselves.
Oh wait - that’s actually happening in the 26th District right now.
We never found out - and may never know - who funded the hit from out-of-state on Schock. But we know, don’t we?
Rauner and his high-priced army of accountants, lawyers and consultants not once but twice evaded the very same campaign reporting laws you want to lynch Mautino over.
And he thumbed his nose at the press and everyone else while he did it. Everyone except Susan Garrett, who had not a word of criticism when Rauner handed out $200,000 in untraceable gift cards to his GOTV “volunteers.”
The filings by Mautino’s campaign treasurer have shortcomings. But they are Shortcomings in his filings which, btw, none of his previous opponents nor the board ever thought serious enough to raise before.
Another week, another Distraction, still no budget.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 7:30 pm
- YDD -
I think you’re hittibg the flip side of all of this pretty well with the Gift Cards, alleged Rauner Dark Money “hits”, the 26th District, Proft, the “Rauner Employees” off a D-2…
That’s all the flip side, 100% true.
Reality?
The crux is Auditor General Mautino, whom I have nominated for Golden Horseshoes on his side of the aisle, needs to get out in front of this like weeks ago.
I’m waiting. I’m watching.
Your points - YDD - are not lost on me.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 7:37 pm
Frankie’s home town paper, the News-Tribune (LaSalle-Peru) is one of the few papers not following this story. Wonder why there’s so much corruption in Illinois? If I was a reporter or editor for that paper, I’d have to quit. They won’t ask questions, they won’t demand answers. Their radio station WLPO is doing the same thing. What about integrity in journalism? Anyone?
Anyone?
Comment by FormerAuditorFrankie Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 8:00 pm
RESIGN and use your pension to pay your legal fees.
Comment by JLR Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 9:21 pm
Silence on this has been deafening. Frank needs to explain-this isn’t going away.
Comment by justacitizen Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 11:30 pm