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* David Giuliani has been all over this story…
The state elections board this week rejected former state Rep. Frank Mautino’s request to delay a public hearing on his campaign spending until a related federal investigation ends. […]
In requesting the delay earlier this month, Mautino, the state’s auditor general, cited his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
However, the board voted 7-1 against the request Monday. This means a public hearing on Mautino’s spending could take place in the next month or so, said Jim Tenuto, the board’s assistant executive director.
David Cooke, a Streator resident, filed the complaint against Mautino.
The U.S. attorney’s office and state Board of Elections are looking into Mautino’s spending of $200,000 in campaign money on car and gas repairs and a similar amount on bank payments while he was a lawmaker. Campaign money cannot be used for personal purposes.
You gotta figure that the steady Mautino drumbeat in the local press is hurting Mautino’s appointed replacement, Rep. Andy Skoog, who is in a very hotly contested race right now.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:41 am
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“You gotta figure”. Yup. The public seems to be tiring of more of the same. There is always an unpleasant cachet surrounding appointed legislators and obviously Skoog wouldn’t be there if he wasn’t a good soldier of the mob.
Comment by Skirmisher Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:03 am
The SBOE should do its job in a timely fashion. If Mautino chooses to go down Fifth Street, that’s his right.
But his continuing in office is ridiculous. At the very least, his books are a complete mess and undermine any objective confidence that he’s up for the job of Auditor General.
He’s not indispensable. He should resign.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:11 am
Illinois’ Auditor General has just cited his 5th Amendment right.
That says it all.
Comment by Downstate Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:11 am
The sand at the top of this hour glass is nearly depleted. Step down Frank. It can’t get better.
Comment by A guy Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:25 am
==Illinois’ Auditor General has just cited his 5th Amendment right.
That says it all.==
Do tell.
Asserting the Fifth Amendment does not mean someone is guilty of anything. The relevant clause reads, “nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.” As long as the Feds are investigating Mautino, anything he provides to the Board of Elections could be used by the Feds as evidence against Mautino, and Mautino’s attorney is asserting that could result in Mautino being “a witness against himself.”
We all know that a good lawyer can use your words against you and make it look like you did something that you did not do. The Fifth Amendment says that the government cannot compel you to give testimony the government’s lawyers might later use against you.
We would do well to remember the purpose of that Fifth Amendment right and not toss it off as being only of use to the guilty.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:36 am
Speaker Madigan has publicly stated he has full confidence that Auditor Mautino will be vindicated. He also has no idea why Illinois residents have the least confidence in their state government in America.
Comment by Lucky Pierre Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:38 am
==Illinois’ Auditor General has just cited his 5th Amendment right.
That says it all.==
Do tell.
Asserting the Fifth Amendment does not mean someone is guilty of anything. The relevant clause reads, “nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.” As long as the Feds are investigating Mautino, anything he provides to the Board of Elections could be used by the Feds as evidence against Mautino, and Mautino’s attorney is asserting that could result in Mautino being “a witness against himself.”
We all know that a good lawyer can use your words against you and make it look like you did something that you did not do. The Fifth Amendment says that the government cannot compel you to give testimony the government’s lawyers might later use against you.
We would do well to remember the purpose of that Fifth Amendment right and not toss it off as being only of use to the guilty.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:44 am
Sorry for the double post. (Computer issues.)
Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:46 am
How many months have they given Frank to produce supporting documentation?
Comment by Piece of Work Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:47 am
The Fifth Amendment protects your freedom, and rightly so. It doesn’t protect your job.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:48 am
There’s ideal and there’s real. The State Auditor is a critical public position which needs to be above suspicion. He has every right to plead the 5th to protect himself in any potential judicial proceedings. He also has a professional responsibility to resign and protect the Office.
Comment by walker Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 12:02 pm
Giuliani rightly keeps reminding his readers Mautino has to serve only one year as auditor general to see his pension jump up by $60,000 a year.
If the hearing is in October, Mautino only has to stretch things out through November and December to see that happen.
In the event of a federal conviction, he could lose his pension entirely.
Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 12:05 pm
Do we want to set a standard where to toss the Auditor General, all you need to do is make some allegations that trigger an investigation?
Seems like a bad precedent that future Governor’s might like.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 12:19 pm
Pot calling kettle,
Mautino’s campaign books are cooked. The reason he has yet to provide ONE PIECE of evidence to clear up his books, and now his name, is because he can’t. He pleaded the 5th and that is his right. It is our right that we demand an Auditor General of the highest ethical and professional standards we can find. Mautino fails on both.
Resign Frank.
Save what little dignity the Mautino name has left by at least being known for doing the right thing in the end.
Comment by Anon2U Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 12:27 pm
Thanks Mautino. More sludge piled on the gigantic heap we already have called “Illinois Politics”
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 1:58 pm
they had to get out in front of the redistricting reform as it gave to much power to the Auditor General before the SC decision made it a moot point.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 2:18 pm
Madigan stands by his guy so all other Illinois Democrats stay silent. Their collective silence makes them complicit in the coverup of Frank Mautino’s corruption. Maybe IPI will include this in their exposé on the Speaker? Maybe this whole thing, via the FBI, blows up before the November election? What happens when a national news outlet picks up on this??
What is certain is just when you thought Illinois couldn’t get any more embarrassing, it does. All thanks to Mautino and Madigan. Mautino for not knowing right from wrong and Madigan for continuing to enable unethical behavior. Sickening.
Comment by Big Muddy Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 2:35 pm
If the State finds him guilty and throws him out of office, who will appoint his replacement?
Comment by Mama Retired Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 3:08 pm
I think Madigan standing by Mautino proves Madigan is loyal to the people who have been loyal to him.
Comment by Mama Retired Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 3:11 pm
I’m surprised no one is commenting about this oversight board forcing a private citizen to bear the cost and the duty of prosecuting the case. One more example of how oversight in Illinois is built to fail.
Comment by jim Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 3:15 pm
Just because the man is bad at record keeping, does not mean he did anything illegal. Right?
One has to wonder how many elected official’s campaign managers have kept good records of the money they spent from their campaign funds?
Comment by Mama Retired Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 3:20 pm
===bad at record keeping===
That isn’t the issue. He kept lots of records.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 3:29 pm
==Do we want to set a standard where to toss the Auditor General, all you need to do is make some allegations that trigger an investigation?==
Of course not. And nobody here has argued for that, have they now?
Comment by Former IL Resident Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 3:34 pm
Skoog is in a hotly contested race? Everywhere I look I only see support for Skoog, and very little support for Long…
Comment by IL RES Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 3:51 pm
==Just because the man is bad at record keeping, does not mean he did anything illegal. Right?==
Mautino is about to find out how good banks are at record keeping. It would be a complete shock if Spring Valley Bank is not complying with every request from the US Attorney and the FBI. Their charter depends on it. Mautino may only be required to keep two years. Banks keep records for seven plus years. If they find Mautino to be in violation of the law I hope they throw all they can at him. Illinois politicians need a very strong message sent to them. AGAIN.
Comment by Big Muddy Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 3:59 pm
– Just because the man is bad at record keeping, does not mean he did anything illegal. Right? –
No, but it’s not exactly a great quality in an Auditor General now, is it?
Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 4:15 pm
===Everywhere I look I only see===
Yard signs don’t vote.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 4:23 pm
“The Fifth Amendment protects your freedom, and rightly so. It doesn’t protect your job”
^^^^^
This
Comment by Leave a Light on George Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 5:50 pm
===David Cooke, a Streator resident, filed the complaint against Mautino.===
As another commenter pointed out, it is ironic that everyone except ‘David Cooke, a Streator resident’ turned a blind eye. Classic example that in IL a little bit of corruption is no big deal.
Comment by justacitizen Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 8:09 pm
FWIW, Welshman and Outfit fixer extraordinaire Murray Humphreys established going down Fifth Street as a Constitutional right at the Kevauver hearings.
Sid Korshak , in his own way, set Kevauver straight with some surprise photos from the Chez Paree and the Drake Hotel.
Going down Five — it never occurred to any Supreme Court justice or Harvard law professor for 150 years;.
It took a Chicago gangster who never really went to school to set them straight.
Comment by Wordslinger Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:12 pm
***************
==Do we want to set a standard where to toss the Auditor General, all you need to do is make some allegations that trigger an investigation?==
Of course not. And nobody here has argued for that, have they now?
***************
Pretty much everyone IS arguing exactly that. Mautino is facing two things: 1) a citizen complaint at the Board of Elections. 2) a Federal investigation of something (they won’t say what.
Based on those two things, the majority of commenters are calling for a resignation.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 10:50 pm
Oh, Pot, you’re being very disingenuous. Frank has had months to address the serious allegations wrt to his campaign spending, but has refused to do so. He’s made it clear that he will not cooperate with the BOE investigation. He’s asserted his 5th Amendment rights and admitted that he’s facing a federal investigation. It’s not just allegations and an investigation that has lead to calls here for his resignation. He’s had months to respond to those allegations and investigation. He’s refused to do so, and in doing so, has shown he’s unfit for his office. As others have said, the 5th Amendment protects his freedom, but it doesn’t protect his job.
But feel free to continue defending the indefensible.
Comment by Former IL Resident Wednesday, Sep 21, 16 @ 11:10 pm