State Senator Michael Bond Under FEC Investigation Regarding 10th Congressional District Bid (UPDATED)

The Federal Election Commission is reviewing a complaint against the campaign of Democratic 10th Congressional District candidate Michael Bond, who currently serves Illinois' 31st senate district.

According to Lake County Republican Chairman Dan Venturi, who filed the complaint against Bond with the FEC, Bond has declared himself a congressional candidate and expended money on behalf of his candidacy -- without timely filing the proper paperwork and disclosures (due 15 days after declaring one's candidacy). Venturi notes that, as reported by Team America some time ago, Bond has reserved a website address and several draft pages of the site can be accessed (although not by design, it appears).

In addition, it is beyond question that Bond officially declared himself a candidate weeks ago (April 29), as evidenced by a press release and statements to the media. According to Venturi, Bond's campaign could be subject to a fine for failure to properly and timely file his disclosures.

You can read the complaint and other documents, including the FEC letter sent to Venturi to confirm the initiation of the investigation (MUR 6195), here.

A recent search of the FEC database reveals that a campaign committee has been established for Bond, with a Brett P. Smiley (apparently of Rhode Island... what's up with that?) as its treasurer, but the committee statement of organization (FEC Form 1) was filed only as of June 1, 2009 (when Bond announced in late April). Bond later finally filed his FEC Form 2 (Statement of Candidacy) as of June 9, 2009. Bond signed the Form 2 and mailed it on June 3, 2009, which was after Venturi's complaint was received by the FEC. Whoops.

Bond has 15 days from the receipt of the notice letter from the FEC to write to it and try to explain why no action should be taken for being egregiously late with his filing. You can learn more about the FEC complaint procedure here.

For anyone who thinks this is a lot of hooey about nothing, the left has made no bones about making this an issue when it suits them. I don't know where this rates on the FEC penalty scale, but it sure isn't good to begin your campaign by proving you can't timely file your paperwork and have to explain yourself to the FEC after the GOP calls you on it.

UPDATED: FEC Complaint Procedure: We've been taking some heat in cyberspace for talking about the Venturi complaint and whether it was sufficient under the law. The issue is whether Bond needed to pass a $5,000 fundraising threshold to be considered a "candidate" under the election code, regardless of the fact that he publicly and clearly declared himself a candidate. Here's the bottom line- the FEC guidance on filing a complaint states the following:

"Receipt of Complaint

The Office of General Counsel (OGC) reviews each complaint to determine whether it states a violation within the jurisdiction of the Commission and satisfies the above criteria for a proper complaint. If the complaint does not meet these requirements, OGC notifies the complainant of the deficiencies.

Once a complaint is deemed sufficient, OGC assigns it a Matter Under Review (MUR) number, acknowledges receipt of the complaint and informs the complainant that the Commission will notify him or her when the entire case is resolved. Until then, the Commission is required by law to keep its actions regarding the MUR confidential."

The FEC, at least, determined that the complaint was sufficient such that it was not returned to Venturi for deficiencies, and was assigned a MUR number. The ball is now in Michael Bond's court to try to weasel out of this. I am by no means suggesting the FEC's actions to date are a review of the complaint on the merits, but if Venturi's allegations were as facially deficient as some would have you believe, why would the complaint have gotten this far?

Mark Kirk on Warpath Against SuperPot, and Other Stories

Kirk Not Hot on SuperPot: Congressman Mark Kirk will hold a press conference today regarding his push for stricter penalties for selling so-called 'super pot' or 'kush' (as it apparently is known on the street). Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran agrees that this is a problem, as more and more of this stuff has been turning up in Lake County drug arrests.

Keith Turner Out for County Board: Democrat Keith Turner withdrew his name from consideration for the Lake County Board spot vacated by now-Waukegan Mayor Bob Sabonjian. Turner's planned appointment really pissed off Dem County Chairman Terry Link, who wanted his ally Bill Durkin nominated to fill that slot. County Board Chairwoman Suzi Schmidt refused to appoint Durkin because he is County Recorder of Deeds Mary Ellen Vanderventer's brother. TA hears Suzi already has some additional names under consideration, but something tells me Terry Link isn't going to get his way next time either.

Michael Bond Mandates Credit Cards on Metra, But Where's the Money? State Senator (and declared candidate for the 10th Congressional District) Michael Bond was finally able to get his legislation passed that forces Metra to accept credit cards. Big whoop. I am a Metra rider, and I have never felt inconvenienced by having to by my tickets with a check. But the point here is that Bond forced this down Metra's throat and provided no way to pay for the costs Metra will incur in gearing up to take credit cards. Metra estimates the cost will be $3 to $5 million annually. Wonder where they will get that money?

Can we say 'unfunded mandate'? Is the Michael Bond plan of governance to pick populist causes and force them through Congress, but have no plan to pay for the program? If you think this sounds like a typical Dem, I would have to agree with you. I don't think we need more of that type of thinking in Washington.

Mark Kirk Warns of Coming Inflation Due to Obama Policies; Now He's a Traitor

Wow, another trip away on business and I come back to the left-wing blogosphere going nuts over the latest comments from Congressman Mark Kirk warning that the Obama administration's 'print and spend' monetary policy has got us headed for serious finanical trouble. Hear Kirk explain it all here:



You can read the transcript of the interview here.

But, the spin from the left is that Kirk is anti-American, a traitor, and devaluing America's financial interests and security... because why?... because he came out and told the Chinese what they already knew: the economic policies of the U.S. have this country headed for major trouble if we don't reduce the cycle of borrow and spend that shows little sign of letting up.

Treason??? Really?

Let's get real, folks. Mark Kirk didn't let the cat out of the bag to the Chinese. By all accounts, they may be a lot smarter than we are.

I can remember just a few short years ago when the left considered it 'patriotic' to rail against the Iraq war and President Bush, and to protest the 'unjust' and 'illegal' nature of it all. Now, under President Obama, it seems that the left will take any opportunity to squash dissenting opinions. Others have noticed this. Could this have anything to do with the fact that they are scared to death of Mark Kirk and his chances to take over the "Obama" senate seat?

The good news is, this tactic may well backfire for the Dems. Mark Kirk has now been established as a national expert on finance and especially with respect to the Chinese. He's been put on the same level as Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, and the issue is who is being truthful with the Chinese, not to mention the American people. The Chinese response to Geithner when he told them their investments were safe: he was laughed at!!! (as Mark Kirk pointed out, you have to have some appreciation for Asian culture and politeness to realize how shocking it was for an audience to openly laugh at a foreign dignitary).

When you compare foreign policy experience among possible senate candidates, it kinda makes Alexi's highly-publicized junket to Greece to carry Dick Durbin's briefcase look a little silly, don't ya think?

HRO Day at the Races; Schakowsky Out For U.S. Senate

Yesterday, we attended the House Republican Organization day at Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights. The HRO took over the top-tier club and skyboxes and the rain managed to hold off while attendees discussed the craziness in Springfield and upcoming elections. Notable attendees included House Minority Leader Tom Cross and State Republican Chairman Andy McKenna.

The Lake County delegation was well-represented, including State Reps. Sandy Cole (who invited TA and family, thanks Sandy!), JoAnn Osmond and Mark Beaubien. Dan Venturi, Lake County Republican Chairman, and Suzi Schmidt, Lake County Board Chairwoman (pictured at right with Andy), were also there, and were both being quizzed on the direction of the Lake County Board (with three spots opening up for appointment just in the past few months). I also saw County Board members Linda Pedersen and Steve Carlson, and former Board Member Bob Powers.

I didn't win any bets, but I didn't lose much either. Anyone who thinks that gambling is the cure for the state's budget ills is a simpleton. At least, they won't be plugging the budget gap with my gambling tax contribution.

While there was much idle speculation and gossip, the only thing I felt worth reporting was that State Senator Michael Bond is apparently out there raising money for his 10th Congressional District bid, although he seems to be doing it very quietly, which isn't like him. As we've noted here, his website is not even functional at this point. State Senator Susan Garrett was also discussed as a rival for Bond in IL-10. The consensus among the GOP members I spoke with seemed to be that they'd all easily support Garrett if it came down to that, rather than be saddled with even more from the Link-Bond regime that has done so little for Lake County. So far, no strong GOP candidate to replace Mark Kirk (if that becomes necessary) has emerged, and the GOP is in a bit of a box while Kirk contemplates his future from the sidelines. No one from leadership (either national or local) has asked TA's opinion yet, but you can be sure we will be watching the emerging candidates closely (and offering our opinions and possibly an endorsement).

Schakowsky Out: As some on this blog predicted, 9th District Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky said no to a U.S. Senate run. While this was fairly well expected, and Jan was not considered a top candidate by many due to her liberalism and felonious husband Bob Creamer, it will re-energize the other Dems (Alexi, Chris Kennedy, etc.) as the field begins to narrow. As Capitol Fax Blog points out, this is all basically another way of having something to talk about while we all (including Congressman Mark Kirk) wait for Attorney General Lisa Madigan to make up her mind on a possible U.S. Senate bid.

Weekend Update: Curran, Link, Kirk, Patti B., Groupies

Well, I'm back after a few days in DC this week on business. There's a lot going on, so let's get to it.

Sheriff Mark Curran's First GOP Golf Outing a Big Success: Last evening, we attended Sheriff Mark Curran's annual golf outing at Antioch Golf Club. It was a beautiful day for golf, and 41 foursomes filled the course to overflow capacity. Curran sold over 60 hole sponsorships (including one by the Team America Blog!), and offered 19 silent auction items and 30+ raffle items. TA even won some golf balls which he gave away, since I'm a sailor, not a golfer. My guess is he should have grossed $35 to $40 grand. Curran thanked all of his supporters and the Lake County Republicans, who he said welcomed him with "open arms" after his party switch.

Curran's first outing as a Republican after he bailed from the corrupt Democrats was especially important to show that he has the strong support of the GOP, and also to build up his war chest, as he will likely be the #1 Dem target in 2010 for revenge's sake.

Heard On the Golf Course- Terry Link to Resign? A completely unconfirmed rumor that was buzzing around the links yesterday was that State Senator Terry Link (D-Waukegan) is thinking seriously of resigning from his senate post. The reason given was not health, but anticipated ethical issues that may break soon. I have to be skeptical about this, considering that Link has exhibited Teflon-like resistance to scandal taint, even when he's caught with dead people on his nominating petitions. But, hey, if it's true, I'll take it. It is to TA's everlasting shame that the Lake County GOP was not able to knock Link out after 3 hard tries, but as my old football coach used to say, 'never apologize for a win,' regardless of how you get it.

If Link did resign, that would most likely open the door for State Rep. Kathy Ryg (D-Vernon Hills) to move to the senate, and a new replacement for her legislative seat in the 59th District would be chosen, which replacement would run in 2010 against GOP challenger Dan Sugrue, who is eager for a second run at the position. Would Ryg play well in Waukegan and North Chicago without the Terry Link machine in top force to back her up like it's ushered in Link all these years? A good question.

Finality with Mark Kirk's Divorce but No Senate Decision... Yet.

I ran into Congressman Mark Kirk when I was in DC, and we talked briefly about his divorce from wife of eight years, Kimberly, which was finalized this week. The divorce, while regretful, was amicable, and Kirk's team has made sure no one in the press was surprised by this news. The divorce records won't be sealed, which indicates there's not much political fodder, if any, here, although the Dems (being the classless bunch they are) have already tried to make some hay of it. TA understands that Kimberly has already sent Mark a check for this campaign cycle and can be counted on to continue to be a strong supporter of Mark's efforts.

While the divorce may be final, Kirk's decision on whether to stand pat in the 1oth District (likely facing State Senators Michael Bond or Susan Garrett) or run for U.S. Senate for the Burris seat, is anything but. Kirk is still weighing his options, and may not make a decision until the Dem field becomes more clear. Jan Schakowsky is scheduled to make an announcement on Monday, but the much more interesting factor in Kirk's decision is likely to be Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

The joke among Kirk staffers is that buttons will be made that say "I Don't Know!" so perhaps people will stop asking them about Kirk's inclinations. They just don't know. As we have said here before, you may as well ignore the endless speculation and statements from people in the press who claim to know which way Kirk is going to go. They don't know either.

Patti Blagojevich Now the 'Tarantula Mom.' I know this isn't really 1oth District material, but I had to laugh this morning while reading about Patti 'Potty-Mouth' Blagojevich's exploits on the "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!" show, and the reaction of former GOP gubernatorial candidate Judy Baar Topinka to Blago's prior references to her as a 'crazy old aunt.' Topinka responded: "That kooky old aunt -- she had three terms in the treasurer's office and never misplaced a dollar and returned $230 million in unclaimed assets and made a profit. Maybe former Gov. Blagojevich and his tarantula-eating wife ought to have thought of doing some of the same things and they wouldn't be in such trouble."

TA's Personal Aside: I had a great time in DC this week, and even met some fans of the Blog. So hi everyone- you know who you are. I've never had groupies before, so that was kinda fun.

Have a great weekend!

Roland Burris - Just When You Thought Illinois Could Not Be More Embarrassed

I'm tired of having Michael Bond's mug on my website, and the comment string on that last post was getting way too long (not to mention the three-way flame war between commentors FOKLAES, Blue Prairie, and Tikkunolum was getting a little out of hand), so it's time to move on.

In the absence of any new info from Congressman Mark Kirk about his intentions on running for Senate or Guv (remember everyone who was telling you that they just KNEW weeks ago what Kirk was going to do because 'someone' told them?), and now that the Illinois General Assembly three-ring circus has subsided for the moment (it's now Governor Quinn's turn to start throwing blame around), papers like the Tribune are having a field day with pointing out the various lies told by U.S. Senator Roland Burris, that is, when they are not giving us the blow-by-blow description of Patti Blagojevich and her bug-eating trials down in Costa Rica (my wife at breakfast this morning: "Would you eat a tarantula 'for your kids'? Not sure I would.")

The best thing was the Tribune's cut-out and fold-together, 3-D Roland "Pinocchio" Doll. Burrisocchio's long nose features two quotes- one by the real Pinocchio "There are no strings on me!" and one by the real Roland "I'll send you my check by Dec. 15th." Hahahahahahahah. Can't find it online, so you'll have to buy the print edition to see it, but it's worth it.

I'm surprised the Tribune printed this. Remember the outcry from Congressman Bobby Rush and others when various politicians were refusing to help seat Burris?

I guess that when the Tribune starts printing little cut-out dolls of black politicians without fear of being labeled racist, you KNOW the guy is toast.

Have a Sneak Peek at the Not-Ready-For-Prime-Time Website of Congressional Candidate Michael Bond

A short time ago, we criticized State Senator Michael Bond, who has declared his intention to run for Congress in Illinois' 10th Congressional District, for apparently wavering on his commitment to run, as he has not publicly announced support for a successor (thus leaving himself a potential bolt hole back to his current job, should he change his mind) and also did not even have a campaign website up.

Interestingly, due to a probable programming oversight by Team Bond, for a short while (until the Bond folks figure it out, now that I've brought it to their attention), you can get a behind-the-scenes peek at Bond's prospective website for his congressional race. While the main page at www.michaelbondforcongress.com still shows a "coming soon" notation, you can get past the main page and drill down into a few of the "content" pages, like this one, for "volunters" [sic] if you type in the address directly or get it from Google after you search for "Michael Bond congress" where it comes up in the results. You can also get access to a page for "contacts," which seems funny to me, since it seems that he will express interest in hearing from people who live inside the 10th District, even though he doesn't. Who woulda thunk you cared, Michael?

None of the other buttons appear to work, nor are the other pages publicly accessible, it seems.

Here's what the Bond congressional campaign logo will look like, from the website:

Clearly, if Bond were ready to go all-in, this website would have been completely up and running by now. It's not like Bond just decided to run for congress yesterday. So, why the hesitation, senator?

A few tips: fix the spelling mistakes before going "live." Make sure the "issues" pages have some real meat, once you make them up: 1oth District voters are a highly-educated, notoriously independent lot. They won't vote for you just because you have a picture of you and President Obama together (it's on Bond's Facebook page, but not on the campaign website...yet). Dan Seals found that out. And I would change that dorky logo. The single star above "Michael" does nothing for me. And above all, don't allow the website to come up in a Google search until you're ready to roll with it.

Excuse me. I have to go capture a few screen shots from this draft website before it 'disappears.' It might become important later for some reason to have evidence that Bond had expended money in having a website designed prior to this particular date.