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“C’mon, man. That was just an accusation”

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Illinois

* You gotta read this entire story. It’s a real hoot…

A Republican running to become the top law enforcement officer in the state took tens of thousands in campaign contributions from companies in the Cayman Islands, a restaurant whose owners are named in FBI mafia investigations and another group whose owners were jailed on federal fraud charges.

DuPage County Board Member and former Burr Ridge mayor Gary Grasso admits he has made some “first time mistakes” in his fledgling campaign for Attorney General. Twice, the State Board of Elections has rebuked him for accepting donations above the individual and corporate contribution caps.

Grasso reported a $25,000 campaign donation from Yorkville Investment I, LLC, on October 27th, which not only exceeds the corporate limit of $11,100, but state records show the business was registered as a foreign entity and is no longer open for business. Asked about the illegal donation, Grasso said he planned to give back $14,900 to bring the contribution within compliance.

“Contributions over the limit are not appropriate and those rules should not be circumvented,” said Sarah Brune, the Executive Director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.

State records show Yorkville Investment I uses the same Wheaton address as 60 Degrees Group Ltd, another foreign firm based in the Cayman Islands. 60 Degrees Group gave Grasso’s campaign $2,800 on December 7th. JR Marital Trust is also registered at the same address in the Caymans, and sent Grasso $11,100 on the same date.

Go read the rest of it.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 9:15 am

Comments

Rich:

Expect to see a lot more stories like this. A lot.

The surge in first-time candidates on both sides of the aisle means lots of amateur hour antics.

Comment by Juvenal Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 9:19 am
===The surge in first-time candidates===

This guy is on a county board and is a former mayor. No excuses for him.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 9:23 am
I think we have identified the replacement for Jeff Sessions after he gets the boot in the coming year.

Comment by former southerner Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 9:24 am
Great colorful strory. The informant “In 2013, known mobster Paul Carparelli told an FBI …” this guy used to own a really good Italian deli/restaurant in Bloomingdale . I hated to see it go out of business When he was sent to prison.

Comment by Texas Red Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 9:24 am
Is the FEC even relevant in a state campaign?

Comment by OneMan Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 9:24 am
Hilarious. also pretty funny considering in August I was being challenged that Harold would receive the nomination, because other people still had yet to come out to challenge her. and look where we are now.

Comment by Iggy Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 9:30 am
“If you say extortion again, I’ll have your legs broken” - Mayor Carmen DePasto

This is a hoot to say the least, lol

As is typical in these type stories, the work arounds abd excuses sound like everyone involved thinks this is “1985” or so, and not 2017, and getting “around” certain “tings” for a “friend of ours” isn’t as easy as envelopes and calls from phone booths.

To Mr. Grasso I say this… sometimes “furgettabout it” means “furgettabout it”.

Capiche?

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 9:31 am
@One Man–

Unfortunately not, they’re the Feds. Separation of powers.

But if he tried this while running to be a Congress critter… whole different ballgame.

Comment by Lynn S. Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 9:33 am
===…because other people still had yet to come out to challenge her. and look where we are now.===

I’m sure after weighing the idea of losing statewide in a wave election with Trump in the White House and Rauner at the top, let Harold take another loss. If she wants to lose, let her.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 9:34 am
Amateur?

Sounds pretty professional to me.

Comment by OK Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 9:35 am
Looks like Ms. harold’s oppo research team is warming up. “No comment” she says. heh.

Comment by Sugar Corn Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 9:41 am
So former Burr Ridge Mayor running for AG vs establishment candidate, current Burr Ridge Mayor running for State Rep vs establishment candidate.
Didn’t realize was the training ground for outsider politicians?

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 9:49 am
OW - I hear you about Harold “taking the loss.” When she first announced I really wondered what she was thinking. But if she faces Quinn in the general, don’t you think she has a decent chance to win?

Comment by DarkHorse Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 9:50 am
Grasso=connected
Quinn=corrupt
Raoul=bought and paid for by big tobacco

Harold’s chances are improving daily.

Comment by Just Visiting Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 9:53 am
===But if she faces Quinn in the general, don’t you think she has a decent chance to win?===

Quinn might even help Rauner if he wins…

Harold is a pro-life conservative running in a year where Trump and Rauner are unpopular, and how much of a drag both will be when Rauner runs as a coastal limousine uber-liberal social agenda Democrat, who wants to destroy labor… and Harold being all that is not. Quinn helps, I “guess”, but does Quinn erase all that wave. We’ll have to wait, due to the number of actual people on that Dem ballot and if others like Raoul, for example, has a constituency that will be only his.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:01 am
Yorkville is a Delaware Corporation. “Foreign,” at least on SOS’s website, means that the corporation is foreign to the state, not to the country.

Comment by Back to the Mountains Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:21 am
==But if she faces Quinn in the general, don’t you think she has a decent chance to win?==

Even against Quinn, she’s toast if she doesn’t moderate her far-right wing stances. She’s not as strident, of course, but her history of statements reads no different than Jeanne Ives policy-wise. Illinois isn’t going to elect a version of Ken Cuccinelli, someone willing to throw away taxpayer dollars tilting at national culture war windmills.

Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 11:01 am
Erika Harold opposes abortion even in cases of rape and incest. Totally opposed to same sex marriage, civil unions even. Voters will decide if that’s cool with them or not.

Comment by Sugar Corn Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 3:10 pm
He is known as Grasso the….. in Burr Ridge

Comment by bear3 Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 4:00 pm