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Campaign workers for Illinois auditor general Frank Mautino while he was a state legislator have received federal grand jury subpoenas, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter.
The source who confirmed the federal investigation spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to publicly discuss the situation. He said subpoenas were sent more than a month ago.
The status of the investigation isn’t clear, nor is the number of subpoenas issued. The U.S. attorney’s office as a matter of policy does not comment on pending investigations or confirm their existence. […]
Mautino’s campaign disclosure reports show that he spent more than $200,000 at Happy’s Super Service, a Spring Valley service station, in the space of 11 years. Much of the money was paid in round figures. The expenses are described as auto repairs and gasoline in campaign disclosure reports. Mautino also reported paying tens of thousands of dollars to Spring Valley City Bank for parking, travel and other expenses that have nothing to do with banking.
* It’s not just his campaign workers, however…
Illinois’ auditor general on Thursday acknowledged a federal investigation into his campaign spending when he was a state lawmaker.
A spokesman for Auditor General Frank Mautino said that the former House deputy majority leader “is cooperating with the U.S. Attorney’s office in its investigation.”
Oy.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, May 20, 16 @ 8:57 am
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Countdown to his resignation…
Comment by Anonymous Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:01 am
Now that sounds like a real Auditor General for Illinois.
Comment by Ahoy! Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:01 am
Toast.
Comment by Mouthy Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:02 am
Fox, meet hen house.
Comment by Courser Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:04 am
As disgusting as this is, I can’t keep from laughing. In this state, even our watchdogs are corrupt…wow
Comment by Bob Cobb Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:08 am
Illinois—where ethics matter! /s
Comment by Cubs in '16 Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:09 am
“Say goodnight Gracie”
Comment by Jocko Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:10 am
Ugh. Do not envy those staffers that received a call from the federales. Bit of a warning to all you campaign critters heading out to districts in the next few weeks.
Comment by Under Influenced Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:10 am
This will be a fine grandstanding opportunity for commenters and Wehrlivesdruryian legislators alike.
There is an investigation. He is cooperating. The facts will lead wherever they lead.
Comment by LizPhairTax Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:10 am
The Aaron Schock situation is still ongoing, the question will be “define cooperating” in Frank’s situation.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:11 am
This doesn’t feel like something that is going to end well.
Comment by Cassiopeia Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:15 am
don’t know the guy, but it seems that somebody might have noticed he was a little fast and loose with interpreting rules.
can’t make up this stuff….
Comment by cdog Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:16 am
He’s going to have to step down.
You can’t have a sitting Auditor General subject to both state and federal investigations for books that were, at best, a complete mess, or, at worst, way over-cooked.
After Schock, I’m sure campaign and office expenses are very popular reading among every oppo operative in the state from both parties.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:18 am
To riff off of - LizPhairTax -
The politics here, yeah, there’s lots of opportinit to make the easy points, the layups. The politics are there to bemoan the overly simplistic.
There is also the criminal investigation. We don’t convict, then have a trial.
They are two very different things, not the same in any legal way.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:20 am
The feds, who do not leak by the way, do not comment on ongoing investigations, by the way, and did not leak or comment on this investigation. No siree. It just so happens that a source who knows when the subpoenas were sent which is just a coincidence and totally, totally, totally not one of the feds (who don’t leak and don’t comment on ongoing investigations).
Comment by The Captain Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:20 am
===The feds, who do not leak by the way…===
Sneedless to say, that’s not always the case…
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:22 am
I’m a Mautino fan, a big one, one of the few legislators who was willing to look past the partisan nonsense, but if you leave enough room in your campaign operation to generate this many questions, I have to question your abilities to be the State’s Auditor General.
During the Blagojevich years the Auditor General’s responsibilities were expanded considerably in a variety of little-noticed matters.
Comment by Just Me Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:28 am
One has to agree that an investigation is just that, and is not a conviction of any sort.
But.
We do know that the Auditor General of Illinois is at best a lousy record keeper, and by inference, a lousy follower of record-keeping rules.
Extremely ironic position for The Auditor General of a state. /s
Comment by cdog Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:31 am
===Mautino also reported paying tens of thousands of dollars to Spring Valley City Bank for parking, travel and other expenses that have nothing to do with banking.===
The only way this might be okay would be if he had a credit card with the bank that was exclusively used for campaign purposes and that he’s got really detailed statements.
===The feds, who do not leak by the way===
The article doesn’t say the source is a Fed. Regardless of whether or not the Feds leak, which is really more of an opinion than a fact.
Comment by Anon Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:31 am
I absolutely love Frank, and I seriously doubt he did anything criminal here.
That said, if you are the Auditor General and you are being investigated by the Feds, I don’t see how you can effectively do the job. The Auditor General is the closest thing we have to a “referee” Illinois state government.
When you think about of the “creative” things the administration has to be doing to fly the ship of state for 11 months without a budget, the work of the Auditor General is going to be very important in telling that story of how that was done, and whether its been done properly. Mautino is as qualified as anybody to tell the story — but that work will be too easily dismissed now that he’s under such a serious ethical cloud.
Comment by ILPundit Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:32 am
“Do not envy those staffers that received a call from the federales.”
Here is a bit of free advise - DO NOT LIE TO THE FBI!! Because they will catch you and you will go to jail. Frank Mautino is not worth going to jail for because he won’t pay your legal fees or fines. He won’t have to live with the label of a convicted felon.h
Comment by Huh? Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:45 am
I find it weird that he’s been spending this way for so long, but only after he’s appointed does anyone look at it. *proceeds to straighten tinfoil hat*
Comment by Name/Nickname/Anon Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:46 am
Any bets on him keeping his pension?
Comment by Anonymous Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:50 am
Two things come to mind here: taxes and money laundering. Those are Fed issues.
Comment by Archiesmom Friday, May 20, 16 @ 9:57 am
and how does Illinois end? not with a bang, but with a whimper….
Comment by Ghost Friday, May 20, 16 @ 10:10 am
Probably gets a nice pension bump if he rides it out a year.
Comment by Double Nickel Friday, May 20, 16 @ 10:11 am
Forfeiting one’s state pension, has to be convicted of a felony directly related to his duties while in office, I think. Anything less and it’s a keeper. Pensions are somewhat sacrosanct (not just state pensions) under long-standing legal principles and they are not revoked lightly. Wasn’t OJ’s NFL pension left untouched in the Brown/Goldman civil decision?
Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Friday, May 20, 16 @ 10:13 am
Don’t assume the leak is from the Feds. My impression is that lawyers who represent witnesses who have received subpoenas are the most frequent sources of “leaks” like this — not the Feds. Defense lawyers can confirm the date the grand jury issued the subpoenas and, having talked to their clients and the prosecutors, often have more information than that to share with reporters.
Comment by Keyrock Friday, May 20, 16 @ 10:15 am
I thought it odd when this whole business started (not the fed investigation but the lousy bookkeeping) that Mautino hired a public relations firm.Say what?
And in last night’s Ottawa Times, he’s saying his advisers have told him to keep quiet.
The feds never bring charges unless it’s a slam dunk. They don’t like egg on their faces. We’ll have to see where all this leads, but at the very least, it’s gross carelessness–which is not a crime but is not a good resume item for the Auditor General.
Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Friday, May 20, 16 @ 10:19 am
it seems he got his current position mostly because he is a nice guy that ‘got along with everybody - both sides of the aide”. Give us a competent, honest jerk any day. Holland was a stalwart example of what is required for that position. We went from George Washington to George Gobel.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, May 20, 16 @ 10:24 am
Illustrates the bad idea of selecting an elected pol to be auditor general
Comment by D.P. Gumby Friday, May 20, 16 @ 10:40 am
Agree with Wordslinger. Mautino needs to step down. He’s completely compromised by this situation. Regardless of how this turns out, it makes it nearly impossible for him to do the important job he was elected to do. Even if he is cleared by both the Board of Elections and whatever the feds might be interested in, this kind of sloppy book-keeping and disclosure would never make it past any competent auditor.
Sorry, and I wish it wasn’t the case. But if he has any respect for the office he holds, he needs to step down.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, May 20, 16 @ 10:47 am
Whatever happens will have a happy ending
Comment by Rabid Friday, May 20, 16 @ 11:02 am
To the choices of Frank Mautino,
I’m not going to say he sound step down or resign.
I am going to say Mr. Mautino needs to realize fairly quickly what it means with his cooperation, and decide that his next move should be… responsive… to what his cooperation actually means.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, May 20, 16 @ 11:11 am
Stuff like this wouldn’t happen if the funds were audited on a regular basis. When will IL wake up and start auditing campaign funds every two years?
Comment by Mama Friday, May 20, 16 @ 11:12 am
If/when Frank Mautino, IL Auditor General, steps down, who will be the next IL Auditor General?
Rich, do you have any ideas?
Comment by Mama Friday, May 20, 16 @ 11:16 am
What if there is no indictment? Not every investigation results in charges. Let’s see if any indictment results before pronouncing an end to his career.
Comment by anon Friday, May 20, 16 @ 11:16 am
Wonder if Madigan knew before the appointment. Welcome to Illinois where the watchdogs are as corrupt as the subjects
Comment by Sue Friday, May 20, 16 @ 11:39 am
=What if there is no indictment? Not every investigation results in charges. Let’s see if any indictment results before pronouncing an end to his career.=
Sad that this attitude seems so prevalent in Illinois. Shouldn’t we hold our elected’s to a much higher standard than “Meh, FBI investigation? So what.”
The chief financial watchdog for the state is under federal investigation for financial mismanagement at the very least. Let that soak in for a bit.
Comment by Big Muddy Friday, May 20, 16 @ 11:41 am
Anon- rare to impanel a grand jury and not see charges. Let’s say extremely rare
Comment by Sue Friday, May 20, 16 @ 11:44 am
Professional accountants/auditors have to adhere to a code of ethics that others don’t. That’s why a CPA/CIA minimum requirement to be AuditorGeneral makes sense
Comment by Justacitizen Friday, May 20, 16 @ 12:42 pm
The Feds don’t leak. But, when they do, they do it well.
Comment by Keyser Soze Friday, May 20, 16 @ 12:51 pm
This is good and should help House Republicans defeat Mautino’s successor, Skoog.
Comment by Georg Sande Friday, May 20, 16 @ 1:03 pm
===This is good and should help House Republicans defeat Mautino’s successor===
Exactly why I cannot stand hyper partisanship.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, May 20, 16 @ 1:04 pm
“Buffers?…yeah (heh heh), buffers.”
Comment by Bored Chairman Friday, May 20, 16 @ 1:15 pm
Someone has to audit the auditor.
I expected the AG could have stepped up on this months ago, but the Federales will take it from here. This needs more than the Elections Board.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, May 20, 16 @ 1:19 pm
==In this state, even our watchdogs are corrupt… wow == who will be the next IL Auditor General==
fwiw, many thought he would do the job well.
Un sure if it says more about him or us that this was in public records and should have been investigated before he became Auditor General.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, May 20, 16 @ 1:35 pm
Given Mr. Mautino’s relationships with various high powered elected officials, I would imagine he is a high valued target.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, May 20, 16 @ 2:35 pm