While a state representative, Illinois auditor general Frank Mautino spent more than $213,000 from his campaign fund at a Spring Valley service station in less than 11 years, according to reports filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections.
It works out to more than $54 a day each day between March, 2005 and December of last year, when Mautino was sworn in to replace William Holland as the state’s auditor general charged with ensuring that public money is properly spent.
The gas-station spending, first reported by Edgar County Watchdogs, a group that runs a website called Illinois Leaks, came after Illinois Times earlier this month reported that Mautino had solicited and received $15,500 in campaign contributions after the General Assembly voted to install him as auditor general (“New Auditor General Kept Campaign Fund Active,” Jan. 7, 2016). State law prohibits the auditor general from engaging in political activity. The contributions after the General Assembly vote came before Mautino was sworn in to fill a 10-year term.
Mautino did not return a phone call.
When Illinois Times in December asked Mautino about expenditures during the third quarter of last year at Happy’s Super Service Station, which is owned by Fred West, a Spring Valley alderman, Mautino said that he had a blow-out on a highway. Campaign finance reports show that Happy’s received $2,298 for “gasoline/camp. vehicle repair” in the fourth quarter of last year and an additional $2,755 for “gasoline/camp. vehicle repair” in the third quarter. In addition, Happy’s collected $1,156 during the second half of last year for “gasoline,” according to Mautino’s campaign finance reports.
West could not be immediately reached for comment.
Scores of payments for “gasoline/camp. vehicle repair” at Happy’s over the years came in even figures. In 2008, for example, Happy’s received $1,100 on Jan. 18, $1,000 on Feb. 8, $3,000 on June 16, $2,100 on Sept. 11, $1,100 on Nov. 10 and $1,000 on Dec. 16. Other payments for “gasoline/camp. vehicle repair” came in odd amounts that year, when Happy’s received $17,309.66 for “gasoline/camp. vehicle repair,” plus an additional $1,994.58 for gasoline..
Some payments to Happy’s Super Service came while other car repair shops were also getting money. For example, Terry’s Auto Repair in Mendota received $2,350 for car repairs on July 30, 2003. Two days later, on Aug. 1 2003, Happy’s received $900 for “gasoline camp. vehicle repair.” Terry’s Auto Repair received an additional $1,210 on Aug. 27, 2003.
Between July 16, 2005 and July 27, 2005, an individual identified as Joshua Williams in campaign reports received $1,210 for vehicle repairs in a series of four payments. On July 14, 2005, just two days before those payments began, Happy’s received $718.75 for “gasoline camp. vehicle repair.” On Sept. 15, 2003, Dave Kain Chevrolet got $75 for vehicle repairs. On Sept. 16, 2003, Happy’s got $828.81 for “gasoline camp. vehicle repair.” On Sept. 17, 2005, Dave Kain Chevrolet got another $513.75 for vehicle repairs. Three days later, on Sept. 20, 2003, Happy’s received an additional $130 for “gasoline camp. vehicle repair.”.
Mautino became a state representative in 1991. Questionable spending dates back to at least 2000.
Campaign finance reports show that personal loans were given to Mautino and to campaign workers. Mautino got a $2,700 loan from his campaign account in 2000. Patty Mauna, who is listed as a campaign consultant on disclosure forms, got a $1,000 loan that same year. Pat Lewis, who received scores of payments for campaign work, also got a $1,100 loan in 2000.
Campaign funds were also used for automobile insurance. In 2012, for example, the campaign paid Progressive $2,198 for car insurance. In 2011, Erie Insurance received $598 for automobile insurance in two payments while American Family that same year received $870 for car insurance. Campaign disclosure records don’t show who was using the vehicles or why. Under state law, campaign funds can be spent for automobile insurance so long as the vehicle in question is used “primarily” for campaign or “the performance of government duties.”
Some expenditures are vague. For example, Spring Valley City Bank received $1,482 in a series of four payments between April 12, 2004 and June 24, 2004 for “community relations.” Mautino also got money from his campaign account, including $600 on Sept. 24, 2003 for “travel-lodging” and $300 on Dec. 27, 2000 for travel. Campaigns do not need to identify the recipient of campaign money so long as the recipient does not get more than $150 in a single reporting period, so it is possible that Mautino may have been reimbursed for expenses that fell below that threshold. Campaign reports also show that the National Conference of State Legislatures got $1,000 for “travel-airfare-lodging” on Oct. 27, 2001, even though the organization does not operate a hotel or run an airline.
Susan Garrett, a former Democratic state senator and representative who now chairs the board of directors for the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, said that both an investigation and an explanation from Mautino is in order.
“I think there needs to be an investigation,” Garrett said. “I think that Mr. Mautino needs to explain to the public how his campaign funds have been spent. … He needs to explain this, especially because of his new position as auditor general of Illinois. The highest ethical standards are required to hold that position.”
It’s not clear who would conduct an investigation. The General Assembly is supposed to have an inspector general tasked with investigating allegations of wrongdoing by legislators, but that position has been vacant for more than a year.
“Unfortunately, there isn’t anybody who can conduct, as far as I know, right now, because of the vacancy, there’s nobody who can conduct the type of investigation that needs to be done,” Garrett said. “What can easily happen is, Mr. Mautino can come forward and answer some of these questions.”
Contact Bruce Rushton at brushton@illinoistimes.com.
Story has been clarified to show category of expenses paid to Happy’s was “gasoline camp. vehicle repair.”
This article appears in Jan 21-27, 2016.
