Natalia Chi
The right-wing radio talk show host and Republican presidential candidate after the state’s Democratic Party filed a complaint against him for failing to disclose receipts for more than $1 million to the Political Action Committee he runs. Political operative Dan Proft blames the $3 million typo. .
Proft on Wednesday filed a new campaign finance report for the Independent Spending PAC, which he runs.
In its quarterly campaign report filed on January 20, covering October through December last year, PAC raised $17.4 million and reported a negative balance of $1.2 million after spending $18.6 million. bottom.
[ Democrats file another election complaint against Dan Proft’s political operation, alleging $1.2 million in undisclosed contributions ]
Negative balances cannot be reported unless the Commission has received loan or other receipts or listed liabilities. Illinois Democrats filed a complaint with the Illinois Electoral Commission because the Jan. 20 report showed no loans, debts or other receipts.
In a revised report filed Wednesday, Proft said the originally reported $3,000,078.33 in ad spend on CBS-2 Chicago was actually $300,078.33 in ad purchases, three million more than originally reported. It showed less dollars.
As a result, instead of having a negative cash balance, PAC raised about $17.3 million in the quarter and reported having $1.5 million in cash available after spending about $15.9 million.
The complaint, filed Tuesday by Ben Hardin, executive director of the Illinois Democratic Party, “destroys” all of his PAC’s financial records, even though Proft committed “one of his most egregious” violations of the law. We have failed to disclose fully and accurately,” he said.
State Democratic officials did not immediately respond to a request to withdraw the complaint now that the PAC’s revised report has been filed.
Proft’s Independent Expenditure PAC was funded almost entirely by Richard Uihlein, a conservative billionaire mega-donor and founder of the office supply and packaging company Uline.
PAC spent tens of millions of dollars to back far-right Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey’s losing bid to Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker in November.
Mr. Uihlein is Mr. Proft’s longtime financial backer. According to records, Uihlein donated $42 million to People Who Play By The Rules PAC. That includes about $34 million from Bailey winning the Republican gubernatorial nomination in late June to his November election.
Democrats had previously filed a complaint on November 4, just before the statewide general election, alleging that Proft’s PAC illegally coordinated with Bailey’s campaign. As an independent spending PAC, people acting by the rules are not permitted to coordinate spending activities with political candidates.
[ Conservative GOP operative Dan Proft’s involvement in Bailey campaign matter raises questions about his role ]
The Tribune previously reported that Proft tried to intervene in an internal dispute between Bailey’s campaign and one of the former politicians over an unspecified personnel issue. The complaint pointed to Proft’s involvement in the personnel affair and also claimed that illegal co-ordination between Proft and Bailey had occurred, including Bailey’s appearance on Proft’s conservative radio talk show.
The complaint also accused Proft of Naples, Fla., of acting “consistently” in “cooperating, consulting, or coordinating” with the Bailey campaign. of donations, that is, the cost of supporting the donated service or campaign.
The complaint has been ruled to have been filed on “good cause” by a hearing officer, and the entire state board of elections is scheduled to hold a hearing in the coming weeks.
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