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* UPDATED x1 * McKenna facing “ethics probe” by state GOP?

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* I’m not sure what, exactly, an “ethics probe” is if it’s conducted by the Illinois Republican Party, but somebody over at HQ apparently doesn’t love Andy McKenna…

Sneed has learned GOP gubernatorial hopeful Andy McKenna is the target of an ethics probe by the Illinois Republican Party, which he once chaired.

• To wit: Sneed is told the Republican State Central Committee, the party’s managerial arm, has authorized an investigation of McKenna’s use of GOP money to commission a poll without consent of fellow party members. The committee claims the poll was used to determine McKenna’s chances of success as a statewide GOP candidate in this election cycle. (Other names of GOP candidates, besides McKenna’s, were used in the poll.)

• To wit II: The Illinois GOP party also cast a dim view of the “high” salaries awarded GOP party employees earlier in the year, but then darted over to McKenna’s campaign when he announced his bid for governor — but it’s unclear if the ethics panel, which has yet to be formed, will include it in the probe.

Do you think a public rebuke by the party will matter?

* Rival GOP candidate Dan Proft claims to have obtained a copy of the poll that McKenna ordered as party chairman. Proft released two pages yesterday with the results redacted. You can download those pages by clicking here.

McKenna polled several top contenders at the time, including Ron Gidwitz, Bill Brady, Matt Murphy, Joe Birkett, Tom Cross, “Bill” [sic] Schillerstrom, Mark Kirk, John Shimkus and himself.

Proft…

(I)t is clear that Andy McKenna has not been honest with the party when he explains that he hadn’t considered running for office until a groundswell of grassroots organizers and Chicago GOP financiers begged him to run. This is clearly untrue.

What McKenna did as ILGOP Chairman is nothing other than conversion of corporate funds for personal use. At least, that’s how it would be viewed had he done the same thing in the business world, a world he professes to know something about it. It is a typical insider play by a typical insider politician.

Andy McKenna is spending millions of dollars on television advertisements trying to convince himself and unsuspecting Illinois GOP primary voters that he is an “outsider”. It is a curious argument for someone who spent the past five years as the Illinois Republican State Party Chairman to make, but this is Illinois after all where even self-styled reformers go to jail.

I ask the other candidates in the race to join me in demanding that McKenna reimburse the party for the cost of that survey and apologize to competitors of mine with whom he was not forthright.

Illinois Review tried to get a response from McKenna’s campaign…

Lance Trover of the McKenna campaign called IR, and when we asked the campaign’s response to Proft releasing this survey and the allegations of the Proft campaign, Trover said, “We will not comment.”

*** UPDATE *** From a press release…

Senator Bill Brady, Republican candidate for Governor, released the following statement today:

It’s become abundantly clear in recent days that during his time as Illinois Republican Party Chairman, my opponent Andy McKenna, may have violated the conflict-of-interest ethics rules he himself put in place.

McKenna apparently authorized a $25,000 internal poll while he was the Illinois GOP Chairman, that he subsequently used to to determine his chances of success as a statewide republican candidate in this election.

News reports indicate McKenna sanctioned the poll and use of Illinois Republican Party money without the permission of fellow party leaders. His actions reek of impropriety, which is why I am calling on McKenna to come forward and set the record straight.

If Andy McKenna did indeed use $25,000 of his own party’s money for personal use, what’s to say he wouldn’t do it to the taxpayers of Illinois?

Sadly, McKenna is not the only candidate in this race involved in corrupt politics of the past.

Jim Ryan, another of my opponents, took $800,000 in campaign contributions from close friend Stuart Levine, all along claiming he didn’t know Levine was corrupt.

These are perfect examples of Chicago-style politics Illinois so desperately needs a clean break from. Next to jobs and taxes, ethics is of most importance to Illinois and its voters. We need a clean break from the corrupt, unethical politics of the past. Illinois needs a candidate who will fight corruption, not take part in it. I am that candidate.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 9:15 am

Comments

Best chance in a decade for the Illinois GOP to reclaim the Governor’s office and they’re going to fritter it all away with this nonsensical infighting. Quinn could be the worst Governor in the world, but with friends like Proft etal, who needs to do a good job?

train111

Comment by train111 Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 9:22 am
Yes because this is Proft’s fault….

Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 9:28 am
If McKenna buys the nomination after the stunts he’s pulled, many long-time county chairman said they’d leave the party outright. This was caused by one unethical and ineffective party insider and it makes no sense to roll over and take it.

Comment by John Bambenek Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 9:29 am
This is a wonderful little sideshow, but probably doesn’t matter too much to real people.

That said, this business of McKenna chairing the party, commissioning a poll with himself in it and then leaving the chairmanship to run has always stunk. So investigate away and we’ll all watch from the sidelines.

Comment by Chicago Cynic Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 9:30 am
Good grief. The Dems could not have asked for a better Christmas gift. Once again the Republicans are shooting themselves in the foot. An “ethics” probe? Personally, ethics is one word I would not associate with either party and certainly would not start shouting it out. How incredible dumb can these people be? Wait….I retract that question for fear of an answer that will confirm my suspicions!

Comment by Justice Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 9:32 am
Wacky theory: If McKenna somehow wins the nomination, this could actually HELP him. So the GOP censures him in April. That just boosts his claim as a party “outsider”…or at least that’s how I’d frame my ads.

And it’s not like many of the Republicans who care about the censure are going to vote for Quinn/Hynes in the general. The gamble would be, they’d come back by November.

Of course, it could kill his fundraising and any sort of turnout momentum, causing voters to stay home instead of vote. So there’s that.

Comment by Concerned Observer Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 9:36 am
McKenna will not win the general under any plausible set of circumstances. If McKenna wins the nomination, both Stufflebeam and Lex Green get their parties established.

Comment by John Bambenek Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 9:40 am
Nobody cares about andy mckenna’s silly little poll that included his name among a host of others.

It’s a mistake for the other Republican candidates to really focus on this because at the end of the day, Jim Ryan is 14% ahead of the next closest and should be the one with a target on his back. The real Christmas gift for Democrats would be Ryan grabbing the nomination… which would pretty much mute the “running against Blago & corruption” strategy thanks to Ryan’s BFF, Stu Levine.

And it will be a sad day for Illinois Republicans when you don’t win in the post-Blago era, against Blago’s former Lieutenant Gov.

Comment by Indy Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 9:42 am
Illinois GOP Chairman Pat Brady was a former federal prosecutor in Washington. It will be interesting to see how long and how far Pat Brady will allow this alleged ethics probe to go. That may prove to be more politically relevant for the future of the Illinois Republican Party than the final results of the ethics probe of Andy McKenna.
And, as always, we need to remember the phrase “innocent until proven guilty”.

Comment by The Prophet Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 9:43 am
OK, enough of all these amateur comedians. Let’s go for the real thing. Proft/Meeks in 2010!

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 9:43 am
As noted above, Proft and many others in the GOP would rather burn down the house than let those they consider “impure” live in it.

As for county chairmen who would leave if McKenna is nominated…there is little empirical evidence that there are any GOP county chairmen in existience anyway.

Why do the Dems win in Illinois? It isn’t becasue this is such a liberal state. It is because Dems spend 20% of their time on infighting and 80% on battling the opposition. The GOP is the exact opposite.

After Feb 2 a large number of the wingnuts we enjoy interacting with here will disappear back under their rocks waiting for the next primary when they can work their magic.

McKenna was no prize as GOP chairman but this is a pathetic witch hunt that will come back to haunt the persecutors.

Comment by E Pluribus Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 9:45 am
Now Proft will go from 2% in the Tribune’s poll to 3%. He will then issue a press release talking about how his support has increased 50% due to his not tolerating corruption in the Illinois GOP. (The spokesperson for the Town of Cicero pointing out corruption–now there’s a hoot and a whole other post) The party will burn down but he will win the war of words!!
In a real snide mood today I guess

train 111

Comment by train111 Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 9:48 am
The rumor mill (NEVER a great source, but sometimes…) has it that this “probe” is not only serious, but includes Mr. McKenna’s dealings with the RGA as well. If malfeasance occurred, this could be a game changer. But that’s a big IF.

And I don’t think I would doubt Pat Brady’s willingness to push this along. This could bad for McKenna (and the Party) very quickly.

Comment by Middle of the Road Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 10:04 am
This issue had to come up. McKenna’s moves over the past year are questionable. Bring it up, demonstrate this guy’s level of ethics, and ensure he never gets a nomination or is involved in party politics again.

It doesn’t matter how much McMoney he has. McKenna abused his position for his own personal benefit - even if he did so within legal limits.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 10:27 am
I’m starting to get the feeling that some GOPers don’t like McKenna.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 10:27 am
What a hoot….crooked deals BEFORE a vote is cast. There must be a first — even for IL. Even George and Blagoof never achieved this level of mopery.

Perhaps some sharp eyed media giant could ring up the RGA and ask about how much cash they might have dumped on ILGOP while OutsiderAndy still had the office keys

Perhaps “Gags” Brady could do a little presser to fill us in on the developments of the probaramabama. Perhaps CommandoKirk and ChopperJim could wisk in to help.

Comment by CircularFiringSquad Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 10:28 am
If the campaign staff are working for less money on the McKenna campaign than McKenna paid ‘em at the Illinois GOP, it does look like a sleazeball move. And it’s the kinda trick other ethically dubious politicians use.

But McKenna’s an outsider. Just ask his PR company. BTW, did they get fat working for the Illinois Republican Party too?

Comment by Carl Nyberg Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 10:39 am
I don’t know why, but the “Bill” Schillerstrom gaff made me laugh aloud.

Comment by I Want My GOP Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 11:10 am
It’s all very simple. There are some among the 19 on the state central committee who are backing other candidates for governor.

Unfortunately the Illinois Republican Party is such a closed society, we’ll probably never know the details like who brought this up, and who voted in favor of an investigation.

This was reportedly all done behind closed doors in closed executive session at the State Party’s quarterly meeting this past Saturday in Bloomington.

Comment by just sayin' Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 11:54 am
Dan Profit reportedly had drinks downstate recently with state party executive director Curt Conrad.

Makes you wonder if he was the one who gave Profit the ammo to attack his old boss?!?!

Comment by Interesting... Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 12:03 pm
In re: Interesting… - Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 12:03 pm

Are you sure about that? I think that’s probably a case of mistaken identity on your source’s part. I believe that was someone else if we’re thinking of the same occurrence “downstate”.

Comment by S Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 12:32 pm
“Downstate” or Springfield or Chicago or wherever, a recent meeting reportedly occurred.

I apologize if the location was inaccurate. I will check with sources but you do not seem dispute a meeting took place or address whether the current state party staff are providing ammo to attack their former boss in the gubernatorial primary.

And that is “interesting”

Comment by Interesting... Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 12:45 pm
Sorry if I wasn’t clear in my comments - it wasn’t just the location I was thinking of, it was the meeting itself between the two. I’m thinking of a meeting that took place between a few people, but not with Dan or anyone else running for Governor or their staffers. Maybe we’re thining of separate events. Regardless, have a good day!

Comment by S Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 1:00 pm
Oh please. A poll was conducted by the party to get an idea of potential candidates for major upcoming races. Happens many times. McKenna’s name has been mentioned as a potential candidate for years, so any reasonably accurate poll would have his name as one of the choices. There’s nothing “unethical” about it. Proft and his Illinois Review minions are obviously pouting over their low numbers, numbers that confirm that they are as irrelevant as anyone with common sense has known for a long time, and they are fishing for ways to get his name out there. Creating inside baseball “scandals” is his s.o.p., a s.o.p. that is a proven failure, but he keeps repeating his mistakes.

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 1:33 pm
—If Andy McKenna did indeed use $25,000 of his own party’s money for personal use, what’s to say he wouldn’t do it to the taxpayers of Illinois?—

Since Bill Brady drove his previous gubernatorial campaign $600,000 into debt, what’s to say he wouldn’t do it to the taxpayers of Illinois?

Goose and gander fairness doctrine?

Comment by David Ormsby Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 2:42 pm
Anon: I don’t think we can slough this one off so easily. The reasoning you use can easily be used as the spin coming from the McKenna camp (I’m not saying you’re spinning for McKenna). However, if the allegations (actually, just rumors as the moment) hold true, there are indeed some serious ethics violations or worse involved. Many party officials were, in fact, quite surprised at McKenna’s moves to run for office, perhaps because of his poor showing when he tried to be elected to the U.S Senate. If he did not tell his peers that he was testing his own viability, they have a right to seek clarification of his intentions.

What do they call it in your line of work if someone uses company funds for their own gain?

Comment by Middle of the Road Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 3:42 pm
It looks like Brady is going to be shelling out cole for Christmas. Desperation, guilt by association, smears of the front runner spoken by a politician who can’t get over 12% of the vote after 4 years of campaigning.

Comment by Reagan Spinning Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 4:00 pm
hey Interesting, when you drop in here to dime out someone, your credibility is enhanced (a bit) by correctly spelling their name. Profit? Jeez.

CFS, you are right.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 4:02 pm
I think it’s reasonable for the party to poll, and I don’t think including his name was a big deal. I’d be more worried about the party’s contributor lists and direct mail lists. I know people who are getting McKenna mail who have never contributed before to him but have to the party and are recognized as “longtime supporters”.

Comment by LincolnLounger Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 4:10 pm
Did McKenna engineer the testing of negatives for potential competitors either through the Party’s polling or through his influence as Chairman with the RGA? If so, that sure isn’t kosher.

Comment by Middle of the Road Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 4:17 pm
Bill Brady gave a state medical school scholarship worth almost $24K to the child of a man who donated thousands of dollars to him.

Here is the pantagraph story. http://tinyurl.com/yjag7wj

Bill Brady should not talk about ethics. The guy is a buffoon.

Comment by Johny Lepp Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 5:17 pm
Well, this sounds like a witch hunt to me - started by the insiders who never wanted McKenna in the first place. Why is the IL GOP focusing on something that doesn’t matter? Let’s not forget the ones who started this are the ones who gave us Alan Keyes…enough said.

Comment by Southern Illinois Voter Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 5:51 pm
Brady and Proft are correct in calling on “outsider” Mr. McKenna to explain his alleged use of state party funds for his personal use in commissioning a poll. If elected, McKenna seems to have the mentality of entitlement and ethical short comings that will serve him well in continuing Springfield’s corruption culture.

McKenna then resigns on republican day and announces he is a candidate for Governor. Incidently, McKenna touts his executive experience as qualifying him for Governor. How much executive experience does he have? His father ran the Schwartz Paper Company and an investment group installed a management team several years ago that did not include Mr. McKenna–At least as to Schwartz Paper he appears to be a true outsider.

Comment by Legal Eagle Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 6:18 pm
Republicans always skim off the top. Don’t they?

Comment by Emily Booth Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 8:08 pm
McKenna laid off or cut salaries of some ILGOP staff while giving others’ raises and paying for polls. Is this the kind of Governor he’d be?

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 8:33 pm
The poll isn’t the big issue here. I think it is unethical, but that is not the big issue. The big issues have not even been brought up yet.

SCC needs to do it’s job - ask some of these questions, and then I will take this seriously:

-$$$ payments McKenna tried to hide to certain GOP officials from state party coffers.
-Mysterious people and entities receiving $$$ from the state party. Nobody knows who/what they are nor what service they provided for the party.
-The donor lists, mailing lists, and email lists that McKenna/Murphy took from the state party and are using for their campaign. This is massively unethical.
-The meetings that McKenna AND Murphy AND their staffers had with multiple donors, candidates, staff, and consultants re: campaign plans, fundraising, individual decisions to run, etc.

If the SCC truly wants to get to the bottom of this, God Bless them. If they do the usual and let all this slide then it really shows you who and what controls the state party.

Comment by TrueTransparency Wednesday, Dec 16, 09 @ 10:10 am