Under state law, the public is supposed to know who pays for political ads.
But a political action committee run by Frank Vala, a Leland Grove resident long active in local politics, is paying for attack ads against William McCarty in the city treasurer’s race with virtually no way of the public knowing who’s paying the bills.
The ads urge voters to support Colleen Redpath Feger instead of McCarty. Illinois State Board of Elections records show that Vala’s PAC apparently has received money from a campaign fund tied to Ward 1 Ald. Chuck Redpath, Feger’s father.
Neither Redpath nor Vala, who owns a business in Springfield, returned phone calls. But here is what records show.
In 2021, Vala established Sangamon County Victory PAC. On March 13, Vala filed paperwork with the state changing the name of his PAC to Citizens For New Leadership. Three days later, Citizens for Redpath contributed $6,000 to Citizens For New Leadership.
But the tagline on radio attack ads running as recently as March 20 states that Sangamon Victory PAC is paying for the spots. Try looking up Sangamon Victory PAC on the Illinois State Board of Elections website and you’ll find no such entity, owing to the recent name change. Furthermore, Citizens For Redpath doesn’t exist. That committee folded in 2007, when Redpath, barred by term limits, couldn’t run for a fourth consecutive term on the city council.
Friends For Redpath, the alderman’s active campaign committee that has contributed nearly $55,000 to Feger’s campaign, isn’t required to file quarterly disclosure reports until after April 4 municipal elections, and so it isn’t clear whether the $6,000 donation to Vala’s PAC attributed to Citizens For Redpath came from the alderman’s existing campaign account.
Feger, who is treasurer for Friends of Redpath, said that she isn’t familiar with Citizens For New Leadership.
“I don’t know anything about this PAC,” Feger said. “I’ve had a person tell me something about the ad. I’ve not heard it myself. … I’m running a positive campaign and focusing on myself.”
The ads cast McCarty as a tax and spender. McCarty points out that the treasurer’s office is an administrative office that can’t raise taxes or set policy, as is the city budget office that he now heads.
“It’s acting like I increased taxes,” McCarty says. “I don’t have a vote. I have never raised taxes in my 12 years with the city.”
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This article appears in Spring Guide 2023.
Bruce, Are you still a carpetbagger not living in Illinois? Maybe you should explain to the public how Political Action Committees (PAC) work. All information concerning a PAC is available to the public and is even identified in the ad
I dont know anything about this PAC, Feger said. Ive had a person tell me something about the ad. Ive not heard it myself. Im running a positive campaign and focusing on myself.
Instead of focusing on yourself why don’t focus on the voters of Springfield?
Does she really think we believe she never heard of this false attack ad done on her behalf? She like her tax and spend Alderman Chuck Redpath has zero respect for the voter.
Just a complete tool of special interest. Now Ms Fegar /Redpath you know. Now you have the chance to really do what you claim
” Im running a positive campaign “
Now you should demand the ad be pulled and issue press release apology for false narrative.
When is a Deputy Treasurer authorized to INVEST city funds without council approval??
As this person claims?? What EXACTLY are they invested in?
The city will continue its decline with compromised elected leaders that have sold the citizens out to specials interest and political blackmail starting years ago.
P.S. No bias here NOT a Langfelder supporter by any means!
Paul, just some facts they you may not understand or maybe have overlooked. I am certain that Feger did not create or approve the election ads you are talking about. I am the Chairman of that PAC and I did not ask for her advise or her approval for the ads that the Citizens For New Leadership is posting. Another point I would like to make is that the City Treasurers office is responsible for investing taxpayer money. I also understand that when Langfelder served as Treasurer a lot of Springfield taxpayer revenue received by the City was not even deposited in locally owned Banks. If so the city lost out on jobs and employee having money to spend in Springfield.
Frank
I understand fully.We are not going to agree on any Redpath in public office .
However when it comes to Langfelder he was a terrible City Treasurer even worse Mayor. He has survived on lack of check and balance from the press . Political pressure that keeps qualified non public workers from running.
People don’t vote because they feel their vote is worth nothing .
State and local elections participation are at all time lows. And that’s the way the powers that be want it .Low voter turnout = easier to keep who they want in office.
Move all elections back to the same year as Presidential election. with REAL term limits. People working in Government should not be allowed to hold elected office ,Look where that has taken the city.
It fell on deaf ears every time Langfelder ran how screwed up the City Treasurer was and how poorly The Mayor’s office is ran. Why was that ?
The overall disgust from people that live in the city either have left or will be leaving the state or city for the bedroom communities. Some are stuck here very few like living here.
A person doesn’t know to laugh or cry when you watch and witness just how dysfunction of city government Springfield has become.
When the Mayor himself says we require leadership. In Springfield. (And he is the Mayor) . Per household income has dropped like a rock A record amount of business closings.
A record increase in the poverty rate. A record amount of population decrease. A record amount of blight,
The same names continued to be recycled and we all know why ….CONTROL! Which was on display at tonight council meeting.
Thanks for reading, Mr. Vala, and for returning my call prior to publication.
I went on the State Board of Elections site and reviewed the contributions to this pac. I also looked at McCarty and Redpath-Feger contributions. I know this article looks at Vala’s donations but one thing I find disturbing is the Sangamon County Clerk Don Gray donated $5,000 to Redpath-Feger. I know it is not against the law to donate but it does not look good that the person who is in charge of the elections is donating a large amount to a candidate in a contested race. I think Bruce Rushton needs to look into this too.
I attended a forum that had all 3 treasurer candidates. Redpath-Feger spoke about the basics of the treasurers office whereas Badger and McCarty pointed to what they are going to do to move the treasurer’s office forward and protect the taxpayers money. Obviously with recent banks being in the news a taxpayer should question if the city’s money is covered under FDIC insurance should a bank go under. I have a feeling the current city’s investments with local banks, although a good idea, are not insured for the full amount invested.
Mr. Vala should focus his attention on the airport and getting more flights so residents fly from Springfield instead of residents flying from Bloomington, Peoria or St Louis. Then again he needs to take his own advice and what the pac is set up for and get new leadership for the airport.
Mr. Vala should focus his attention on the airport and getting more flights so residents fly from Springfield instead of residents flying from Bloomington, Peoria or St Louis. Then again he needs to take his own advice and what the pac is set up for and get new leadership for the airport.
Apparently you haven’t noticed the nationwide shortage of pilots due to early retirements due to the Pandemic.
Also the Biden Administration refusing to up the age of retirement by 2 years. .
The pilots that are flying want to move up and fly with major airlines that have full size jets.This perfect storm is leaving communities such as Springfield (larger and smaller) without any airline service at all.
Look for this problem to get worse before it gets better. despite the lack of flights at SPI, planes are nearly full which moves the price up .
Don’t be surprised if we lose air service completely or just down to one flight.
The airport board as whole as done good job at keeping what we have with low cost to the property tax payer
Chris, your comments concerning the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport brings me to explain your partial misunderstanding of the SAA. First all Airlines(except military) are Private for Profit companies that fly into your airport. Just like any for profit business, if volume in purchases are not made that company closes or moves out of town. Airlines need to fill their seats to make a profit and most of the seats sold going out of Springfield are for Business or Pleasure. With a poor economy and lack of major business SPI faces a large hurdle because we have a stagnant economy. Peoria and Bloomington have Caterpillar, 2 major insurance companies and 3 universities to buy their air service. With that competition Spi is facing, we are fortunate to have committed staff to always promote it.
To address your suggestion that maybe leadership at airport should be changed that is part of what my PAC is attempting. There are 7 commissioners on the airport board and FOUR(4) of those members are appointed by Langfelder. NEED I SAY MORE?