$500,000 in campaign contributions go undisclosed in Illinois

Network partner Illinois Campaign for Political Reform released a report today entitled “Piece by Piece, Check by Check,” which takes a look at campaign contributions in Illinois during the beginning of 2011, specifically at a loophole in new legislation that allows some donations to go unreported.

The report exposes a new loophole that allows campaign contributions under $1,000 to go unreported, even if donors give multiple checks equalling more than $1,000. ICPR executive director Cynthia Canary says “The problem simply is the absence of aggregation in counting contributions ... By requiring early disclosure of large contributions in the days leading up to an election, the law recognizes it is important for voters to know the big money donors to candidates.  But the loophole requires early reporting only of single donations of $1,000 or more, and hides smaller amounts that – aggregated – hit or exceed that $1,000 level.”

Canary goes on to say “The General Assembly should close this loophole and stop candidates and contributors from making a mockery of the state’s campaign finance disclosure system.”

Read the report at ICPR’s website: Contributors drive $500,000 through loophole in Illinois campaign finance law