A closer look at campaign contributions, spending from 2022 Illinois general election

State data present that Dan Proft’s Folks Who Play by the Guidelines PAC spent virtually $36 million through the second half of 2022, totally on promoting boosting Sen. Darren Bailey’s gubernatorial bid and opposing Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

Of that, $2.4 million was spent on consulting. Former ABC-7 political reporter Charles Thomas was paid $100,000 in two $50,000 installments. Thomas appeared in a few of Proft’s adverts praising Bailey.

Tyrone Muhammed, the controversial founding father of Ex-Cons for Neighborhood and Social Change, which payments itself as a violence interruption group, was paid $250,000 for consulting work.

Proft’s Starfish Consulting was additionally a recipient of just about $535,000.

However the highest-paid advisor for Proft’s PAC over the past six months of 2022 was a Chicago firm referred to as Salvo Web page LLC, which received $800,000, plus one other $111,000 for web site companies.

Salvo Web page will not be registered as an organization with the State of Illinois. The one marketing campaign funds to the corporate disclosed to the state have been made by Proft’s Folks Who Play by the Guidelines PAC. Google searches flip up nothing. Proft didn’t reply to repeated requests for remark over a number of days.

A search of Salvo Web page’s Chicago handle on the State Board of Election’s web site turned up a clue.

Salvo Web page shares a Chicago road handle with Pipeline Media. The Columbia Journalism Evaluation’s Tow Middle has carried out intensive reporting on Pipeline and related firms. In keeping with that reporting, the corporate is run by Brian Timpone, a longtime Proft affiliate. I wasn’t in a position to attain Timpone.

Richard Uihlein, who was the principal funder of Bailey’s marketing campaign through Proft’s PAC in addition to some direct contributions, controls a committee referred to as Restoration PAC, which paid Pipeline and an affiliate firm properly over one million {dollars} final yr for varied companies, CJR’s Tow Middle reported final October.

And that brings us to Republican Illinois lawyer normal candidate Tom DeVore.

When DeVore busted the marketing campaign contribution caps in his race final August with a $250,00 private mortgage to his marketing campaign committee, some thought he may be opening the door to massive contributions, maybe from the billionaire Uihlein.

As a substitute, all DeVore actually did was enable Democratic incumbent Kwame Raoul to take a million-dollar contribution from Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s marketing campaign fund — $940,100 greater than Pritzker might’ve contributed had the contribution caps been in place. A number of labor organizations additionally contributed sums barely above the earlier cap restrict of $59,900, but it surely wasn’t a lot.

DeVore acquired a $10,000 contribution from James Hoeg in late October, which was $4,000 greater than he would’ve been in a position to obtain had it not been for the caps being lifted (Hoeg, by the way in which, lately contributed $50,000 to Paul Vallas’ Chicago mayoral marketing campaign).

DeVore additionally acquired a $50,000 contribution in late September from the Anthony Marano Firm (which sells produce to Chicago-area eating places). The contribution was $38,000 above the by-then-negated restrict.

And that’s it. $42,000 is all DeVore seems to have netted from his cap-busting mortgage.

There’s usually an expectation when candidates mortgage cash to their campaigns that they’ll spend most of it. As a substitute, DeVore reimbursed himself virtually all of that money, together with a $200,000 fee on Oct. 14, despite the fact that the marketing campaign was coming into its remaining few weeks, after which one other $15,000 the day after election day.

DeVore reported $226,072 in contributions beginning the day after he loaned himself that cash, which was nearly $11,000 greater than what DeVore reimbursed himself.

Outdoors of the mortgage reimbursement, DeVore reported spending lower than $142,000 within the fourth quarter, which ended Dec. 31. In contrast, Raoul reported spending virtually $1.9 million in the identical quarter.

DeVore spent simply $8,642.98 on promoting through the fourth quarter. Raoul reported spending virtually $1.7 million.

In different phrases, DeVore didn’t run a marketing campaign designed to win. However we just about knew that through the marketing campaign itself. He received thumped by Raoul.

DeVore did handle to raise and provides voice to some of us on the far proper. Shannon Adcock was a major DeVore contributor, kicking in $2,500 throughout September. Adcock is among the founders of Awake Illinois, a far-right group that opposed pandemic mandates in faculties that has since morphed into firing up ethical panic over homosexual and trans individuals in faculties, libraries and occasional retailers. Vallas spoke at one in all her occasions.

DeVore is now busily lining up shoppers to fund a 3rd lawsuit towards the state’s assault weapons ban at $200 an individual. He raised greater than half one million {dollars} with that very same flat charge to fund his first two fits.

Wealthy Miller additionally publishes Capitol Fax, a each day political e-newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.

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