STATEMENT ON BEIDLER’S “VIOLATION OF STATE LAW” INVESTIGATION
Prue Beidler campaign Treasurer, Dianne Casuto, published a statement detailing their formal complaint and investigation filed with the State of Illinois against the Lake Forest Caucus. Casuto states, “For all their assertions of integrity and honesty, both the Lake Forest Caucus and Tack for Mayor Committee dishonored these values by exceeding the state imposed legal limits for campaign contributions…There is no question about it; this is a violation of state law.”
The rules issued by the Illinois State Board of Elections (26 IAC 100.75(i)):
“For purposes of Code Section 9-8.5(b) [the campaign finance limits], an election cycle ending on the date of the consolidated primary election shall end on that date even if no consolidated primary election is held in that jurisdiction. The election cycle for the consolidated election shall begin on the day after the date of the consolidated primary election, even if no consolidated primary election is held in that jurisdiction.”
“At issue in their misguided complaint is the timing of our campaign contributions to the Tack campaign,” said Joe Oriti, Lake Forest Caucus Treasurer. “Lake Forest Caucus PAC in-kind contributions to the TackforMayor Political Candidate Committee approaching $100,000 are split between two election cycles (one beginning March 1st 2023, and one ending February 28th 2023), and therefore are within the state legal limits set for campaign contributions. This information was verified by a simple phone call to the Illinois State Board of Elections.”
David Hunt, President of the Lake Forest Caucus responds, “Do you want a mayor that can’t manage a simple phone call, let alone is wrong about the law? If you want someone who is more measured, thoughtful, and does meticulous homework, then you should vote for Randy Tack.”
“This spurious complaint by the Beidler campaign distracts Lake Forest voters from what really matters in this mayoral race: electing the most qualified candidate. This is Randy Tack.” says Chris Benes, Vice President of the Lake Forest Caucus. “Randy’s complex problem solving skills, organizational management experience, and adherence to fiscal responsibility has enabled him to make a positive difference in the lives of thousands of people. He is the most qualified mayoral candidate.”
Oriti added, “Will the Lake Forest for Transparency website publish the facts from the State Board of Elections or will their silence prove that they are the press shop for the Beidler campaign? If the latter, I would hope they are reporting the cost of that website as required by state law…”
Hunt concluded, “I would note again, as I did in my e-mail to the community last week, that this level of spending is due solely to the actions of Prue Beidler, and is not sustainable for our community and the Lake Forest Caucus. In addition, any additional legal costs spent fighting frivolous legal complaints such as the one at issue here only adds to the costs of our undersized budget.”
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Beidler Campaign Statement: https://lf4transparency.com/hijinks
Election Law: https://ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/026/026001000000750R.html