Mautino committee fined $5K for campaign finance disclosure violations

The Illinois State Board of Elections cast a tie vote on whether to refer to the Illinois attorney general or LaSalle County state’s attorney the disclosure violations case regarding Illinois Auditor General Frank Mautino’s previous campaign funds.

The Illinois State Board of Elections, or ISBE, voted 6-2 on May 15 to fine Illinois Auditor General Frank Mautino’s defunct campaign committee $5,000 for “willfully failing to comply with a board order” related to campaign finance disclosure requirements.

A motion to refer the case to the Illinois attorney general or the LaSalle County state’s attorney for possible further prosecution failed on a 4-4 tie vote.

Mautino’s campaign committee from when he served in the Illinois House of Representatives made more than $225,000 in payments to a service station between 1999 and 2015, and another $159,000 in payments to a local bank between 2000 and 2015. Mautino had been ordered by ISBE to provide more information on spending that occurred between 2014 and 2015.

Mautino asserted his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and did not testify at an ISBE hearing because he is also under investigation by the U.S. attorney’s office.

Tom Newman, the director of campaign disclosure at ISBE, said it was unlikely that Mautino would pay the fine, according to the Ottawa Times, because the fine is levied against Mautino’s campaign committee, and not against him personally. As auditor general, Mautino cannot be involved with political committees. He would only be required to pay the fine if he again ran for election to political office, according to the Ottawa Times.