Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) | Photo Courtesy of Mark Batinick's website
Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) | Photo Courtesy of Mark Batinick's website
Following the Illinois Supreme Court’s decision on Auditor General Frank Mautino’s case, state Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) emphasized his objection to Senate Bill 0825 amending the Election Code.
He pointed out that “there is one small provision” in the bill that he is concerned about — the political committee vehicle expenditures.
“This is so Illinois,” Batinick said. “We have had an auditor general that has been found in violation of campaign finance laws. So, we're literally changing the law so he retroactively was no longer in violation of those laws.”
Both the Appellate and Supreme Courts found that the state’s watchdog abused the law when his committee spent campaign funds on gas and repairs for personal vehicles.
“The Supreme Court found him in violation,” Batinick continued. “And the other half of the case, the only reason he wasn't found in violation because he refused to provide his own financial records.”
He urged for a no vote on the bill.
“So, for years we have had an auditor general, and I think everybody knows what the definition of an auditor is, that's been under scrutiny for his finances and we're changing the law to protect him,” he said. "That is so Illinois. Vote no.”
David W. Cooke, a Streator resident, accused Auditor General and former state Rep. Frank Mautino of violating the state election code. Cooke filed a complaint against Mautino’s campaign committee with the State Board of Elections in February 2016.
He alleged that Mautino’s committee spent over $200,000 and used campaign funds on items or services that are more than “fair market value.”
SB0825 “Provides that a political committee selected to conduct an audit shall only be required to conduct the audit if it was required to file at least one quarterly report during the period to be covered by the audit and has a fund balance of $10,000 or more, an average closing fund balance of $10,000 or more on quarterly reports, or average total receipts of $10,000 or more on quarterly reports.” It was approved by Gov. Pritzker on June 17.
Alerts Sign-up