Mark Kirk Raises Staggering $2.2 Million in Q1

From the Kirk for Senate campaign:

Kirk Raises $2.2 Million in First Quarter of 2010, $6.6 Million for Election Cycle as Accelerating Fundraising Pace Continues

Kirk: “Illinois voters have a clear choice in this election to change direction, create jobs and restore integrity to the State of Illinois.”

Northbrook, Ill. – Five-term Congressman and Navy veteran Mark Kirk today reported his Illinois Senate campaign raised more than $2.2 million since January 1st and more than $6.6 million for the 2010 cycle with over $3 million in the bank at the close of the first quarter.

As of April 1st, the Kirk campaign received contributions from more than 9,000 individual contributors (80% from Illinois). More than 4,200 people (85% of all contributions) donated to the campaign in the last three months alone.

“The coming election offers the people of Illinois a clear choice to change direction,” campaign spokesman Eric Elk said. “Congressman Kirk wore the uniform of our country, fought for stem cell research and defended Lake Michigan from polluters while Alexi Giannoulias pushed risky ‘hot money’ lending schemes, authorized loans to organized crime figures like Michael 'Jaws' Giorango and wiped out $70 million in Bright Start college savings funds for Illinois families. After Rod Blagojevich and Roland Burris, we won’t get fooled again.”

Last month, the Kirk campaign launched the first TV ad of the general election. The 30-second spot, entitled “Independent,” highlights Congressman Kirk’s independent and effective record including his support for stem cell research, strong defense of Lake Michigan, leading opposition to the “Bridge to Nowhere,” votes for lower taxes and 20-year service as a Navy Reserve Intelligence Officer.

On Friday, the Chicago Tribune reported that the Broadway Bank of Chicago loaned more than $20 million to known organized crime figures Michael “Jaws” Giorango and Demitri Stavropoulos when Alexi Giannoulias served as the bank’s Vice President and Senior Loan Officer. According to Giannoulias’ brother, the family learned of the pair’s criminal background in 2004 but continued to loan them millions of dollars anyway. The report contradicted previous statements by Giannoulias that he and his family were never aware of Giorango and Stavropoulos’ mob ties when loans were approved.

While Giannoulias made Political Action Committee (PAC) funding an issue, federal records show Alexi Giannoulias’ Campaign Chairman, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, accepted more than $6.5 million from PACs – $4.41 million from corporate PACs alone – over his career along with $663,000 from lobbyists, $1.46 million from Big Banks and Securities, and $1.45 million from the health care sector. State records show Giannoulias accepted more than $1.98 million from businesses and unions in his State Treasurer race while federal records show he already accepted $93,500 from federal PACs for his Senate campaign. Giannoulias also ignored calls to refuse contributions from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Democratic National Committee, which can funnel millions of dollars in corporate PAC contributions to his campaign.

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