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Did Dan Proft’s independent expenditure PAC illegally coordinate with Bailey’s campaign? The case will go before the Illinois Elections Board next week

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Illinois

* In 2022, the Tribune found evidence of alleged illegal coordination between Dan Proft and Darren Bailey. Here’s the Democratic Party of Illinois’ summery of the story…

For months, the People Who Play By The Rules PAC, run by one-time failed candidate and Florida resident Dan Proft, has been running ads funded by Dick Uihlein to support Darren Bailey’s run for governor. By law, PACs cannot coordinate with individual campaigns, but new reporting sheds light on Proft and Bailey’s relationship that begs the question: What is Dan Proft doing for the Bailey campaign and why? […]

• The political committee is an independent expenditure PAC and, by law, is not supposed to coordinate its spending activities with Bailey’s campaign. But the apparent efforts by Proft — who also co-hosts a conservative radio show for which Bailey has been a frequent guest — to try to intercede in a potential legal matter involving Bailey indicate he may be playing a larger role than previously acknowledged.

• Proft also is involved in political mailers disguised as newspapers that have been sent to thousands of homes across the state, disseminating disinformation to disparage Pritzker. In 2016, a similar mailing effort funded by a former Proft independent expenditure PAC was cited by the Illinois State Board of Elections for illegal coordination with candidates.

• An internal dispute between Republican governor candidate Darren Bailey’s campaign and a recently departed Bailey political worker has raised questions about the level of involvement the conservative leader of a Bailey-aligned political action committee has had with the Bailey campaign.

• During those negotiations, Proft weighed in, apparently in an effort to quash the filing of a possible lawsuit in the matter that could become public and hurt Bailey’s chances.

Click here to read the Democratic Party of Illinois’ complaint to the Illinois State Board of Elections. Back to DPI’s press release…

The best read of the law suggests the State Board of Elections could impose a fine of as much as $42,018,000 on the PAC should they find a violation. [Emphasis added]

* Last year, the ISBE took the first step to probe possible collusion between Bailey and Proft. Crain’s…

At its meeting yesterday, the board agreed with a hearing examiner that “justifiable grounds” exist “with some basis in fact” to believe that Proft coordinated with Bailey’s campaign in efforts to promote Bailey, then a state senator, and bash his Democratic rival, incumbent Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who was re-elected. […]

The board’s decision to proceed to a full formal hearing means the complaint against Proft, the PAC, Bailey and his campaign has passed an initial legal sniff test of sorts. […]

Proft and Bailey were not available for comment today. In briefs filed with the Elections Board, their attorneys argued that nothing improper occurred and that any ads Proft’s group ran were based on “publicly available” information.

The key matter referenced in the board report was a series of interviews Bailey granted to Proft for his radio show during the campaign. Among other things, the two repeatedly suggested that, because of high crime rates under Democratic officials, Chicago “isn’t a safe place to live.” Proft later echoed that theme in his PAC ads, repeatedly blaming Pritzker for letting crime get out of control.

Click here for the report.

* And now to today. Crain’s…

More than a year after the Illinois State Board of Elections began its probe of right-wing talk radio host Dan Proft’s super PAC, the board will hold a hearing to determine whether the independent expenditure group colluded with Republican gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey in the 2022 election.

On April 29, hearing officer Jim Tenuto will examine the complaint against Proft, Bailey and the People Who Play By the Rules PAC. Democratic Party of Illinois Executive Director Ben Hardin filed the complaint, which the board agreed to hear last year.

Proft, now a Florida resident who vowed to Crain’s that he would never live in Chicago again “unless the political leadership changes,” is expected to appear in person at the Cook County Building next week.

Hardin alleges that the millions of dollars funneled into Proft’s PAC to oppose Gov. J.B. Pritzker should be considered illegal, in-kind contributions to Bailey’s campaign since the two parties coordinated. Hardin’s team pointed to Proft’s radio show, where Bailey was a frequent guest in the months leading up to the 2022 election and where the two exchanged ideas that later ended up in the PAC’s advertisements, according to the 2023 hearing officer report.

posted by Isabel Miller
Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 11:59 am

Comments

The name of Proft’s PAC has always made me giggle because it’s so opposite to reality. Like an arsonist calling himself an anti conflagration consultant. Playing by the rules is the opposite of what this guy is about and always has been, and I’m hoping that he is transitioning from the FA to the FO phase, and takes Bailey with him .

Comment by Give Us Barabbas Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 12:14 pm
Dan Proft sure is a man who plays by the rules (banned punctuation).

(C’mon…someone had to say it.)

Comment by Just Me 2 Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 12:24 pm
I have no idea why any Democrat would ever file an election complaint against Proft. You would think the Democratic Party would hire him to keep working for the Republicans

Comment by DuPage Saint Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 12:26 pm
== Hardin’s team pointed to Proft’s radio show, where Bailey was a frequent guest in the months leading up to the 2022 election and where the two exchanged ideas that later ended up in the PAC’s advertisements, according to the 2023 hearing officer report. ==

Hey, if you’re going to break the law, maybe don’t do it in public and broadcast the evidence?

Comment by Homebody Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 12:50 pm
Did the Pritzker campaign work with the Democratic Governor Association to interfere in the Republican primary?

Comment by Carol Taylor Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 1:01 pm
Nice whataboutism Carol.

Comment by Big Dipper Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 1:05 pm
== to interfere in the Republican primary==

This argument cracks me up. What you’re basically saying is that Republicans are too stupid to make their own decisions.

Comment by Demoralized Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 1:32 pm
Surely a God fearing Christian like Bailey wouldn’t illegally collude with Proft now would he? If the hearing office concludes there was illegal coordination, does Bailey face any repercussions other than to his already questionable reputation?

Comment by Cubs in '16 Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 1:33 pm
=Did the Pritzker campaign work with the Democratic Governor Association to interfere in the Republican primary?=

Maybe you could explain what you mean by “interfere” because I don’t think it means what you think it does.

Comment by JS Mill Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 1:35 pm
Rich -

I feel like I should jump in here and explain that the Democratic Governor’s Association Illinois PAC was not an Independent Expenditure Committee.

I don’t know whether they coordinated with Pritzker’s campaign or not — I assume they did — but it’s not only allowable but completely normal.

Since no one else has said it, let me add that richly ironic name of the PAC is “People Who Play By the Rules”. I think that was concocted when Proft thought the number one issue in the race was going to be JB’s toilet or his daughter not wearing a mask in Florida where it was completely okay not to wear a mask.

At any rate, let’s hope that Proft’s business model is broke for good so that Republicans can get back to recruiting worthwhile candidates.

Comment by Juvenal Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 1:51 pm
Proft has already posted a pic of himself in graduation garb. So I assume he thinks he’s in trouble.

Comment by Amalia Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 2:13 pm
==Did the Pritzker campaign work with the Democratic Governor Association to interfere in the Republican primary?==

No.

Comment by low level Friday, Apr 26, 24 @ 4:44 pm
“… any ads Proft’s group ran were based on “publicly available” information.”

“Hey, we talked about it on the radio show. That makes it public, right?” /s

Comment by Eldon Hughes Monday, Apr 29, 24 @ 10:55 am