SMOKED OUT: DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin's Pick Chris Hage - All Pork & No Bean Counter Fundraiser

Originally posted on CountyLeaks

PART THREE OF A COUNTYLEAKS SERIES... 

"Eliminating boards and commissions that pay generously for part-time work will both pare down the size of government and help our bottom line." - Chris Hage, Republican candidate for 42nd District Representative of Illinois, February 2012

Part Three of a CountyLeaks series on numerous ethical and public interest questions surrounding DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin's reappointment of Federation of Illinois Young Republicans Executive Director Chris Hage to the DuPage County Election Commission...

Prior to his Election Commission appointment last July, political activist and paid campaign operative Hage was a candidate in the Republican 2012 primary race for 42nd District Representative of Illinois against Jeanne Ives.

The "First Annual Winter Ribfest" in January 2012 at the DuPage County Forest Preserve-owned Danada House in Wheaton was among Hage's fundraisers promoted during the campaign. Invitations of this widely-publicized event lured contributors with Q-BBQ ribs and pulled pork. 

David Diersen, writer/editor of GOPUSA Illinois Daily Clips, wrote: Justice Joe Birkett spoke very highly of Chris Hage at his outstanding fundraiser at Danada House in Wheaton, Tuesday evening, January 31, 2012. The 100 attendees included Anderson, Cook, Fisher, Galvin, Grogan, Johnson, A. Jorgensen, Kinsella, Kmiecik, McKillip, Mouhelis, Sanguinetti, Veenstra, and Urasky.

Yet CountyLeaks cannot locate any expenditures or in-kind contributions directly related to this ribfest fundraiser reported to the Illinois State Board of Elections (ISBOE), as required by the rules and regulations for disclosure of campaign contributions and expenditures.

As an Election Commissioner, Hage routinely makes decisions on candidates' filed paperwork -- one minor mistake could bounce someone off the ballot with no opportunity to correct it.

"Hage said his past experience as a candidate helps him appreciate the importance of running elections properly. 'It's absolutely critical that people know the rules, can depend on them, and ultimately -- when disputes arise -- can trust that they are administered fairly,' Hage said," as reported by Robert Sanchez of the Daily Herald, July 10, 2012.

Other candidates -- Dewey Pierotti, Rob Bisceglie, Peter Roskam, Gwen Henry, Michael McMahon, John Kinsella, Daniel Guerin and Tim Whelan -- have shown payments of $190 to $500 to Friends of Danada for rental of the Danada House facility in recent years, according to filings at the ISBOE. No such payment from Citizens for Chris Hage had been reported at the time of this publication.

Danada House is owned by the DuPage County Forest Preserve. 

CountyLeaks could not find the Forest Preserve's policy allowing for use of a public facility for political purposes. Because Friends of Danada is a quasi-public/private organization and thereby exempt from the Freedom of Information Act, rental payments cannot be obtained from the Forest Preserve nor from Friends of Danada.

Hage's paid campaign treasurer was Forest Preserve Employee and Financial Director Jack Hogan. At the time of the fundraiser, political strategists Reverse Spin were under contract by the Forest Preserve for $48,000. Both Hage and Dan Curry of Reverse Spin worked closely together in 2006 campaign team of Citizens to Elect Joe Birkett and Citizens for Judy Baar Topinka. 

Hage's campaign chairman was wife of Joe Birkett, former DuPage County State's Attorney and now sitting on the Illinois District 2 Appellate Court.

At the time of this publication, promotions of that fundraiser still drift on-line -- here, here, and here. Citizens for Chris Hage lured contributors with pulled pork and chicken, ribs, mac and bbQ beans from Q-BBQ restaurant in Naperville.

Yet, CountyLeaks could not uncover an expenditure, contribution or in-kind contribution at the ISBOE's website associated with Q-BBQ nor its owner, Mike LaPidus, for the food and beverages served to the reported 100 guests, each charged $40. 

Q Restaurant Group's LaPidus is active in the Chicago Young Republicans. His name and face pop up in the same political and social circles with Hage and Rick Veenstra. CountyLeaks published the political ties of Hage and Veenstra this week. Veenstra is the Deputy Chief of the Civil Bureau and manager of  Governmental Affairs and Special Litigation Division at the DuPage County State's Attorney's office, and is the elected co-chairman of the Young Republican National Federation. 

The e-mail address of Barbara Skurka/Marquardt was provided for guests to RSVP to Hage's Ribfest. Skurka/Marquardt had been paid $380,000 for extensive political consulting work, including Citizens to Elect Joe Birkett with Hage, Hogan and Reverse Spin. Citizens to Elect Dan Cronin paid Marquardt Consulting $10,000 in 2010 and Hage $1,500 in 2009.

Although Skurka/Marquardt was compensated well for political consulting work on other campaigns, there are no expenditures listed for her work on Citizens to Elect Chris Hage. 

She is married to Scott Marquardt, owner of Marquardt & Co. of Wheaton, a lobbying firm for both the office of DuPage State's Attorney and the Election Commission. As an Election Commissioner, Hage approves $3,000 monthly payments to the lobbying firm and gives direction on pending bills in Springfield.

Skurka/Marquardt is also the paid political fundraiser for the campaign of current DuPage County State's Attorney Bob Berlin. Since February 2011, Skurka/Marquardt has received an estimated $44,000 from Citizens for Bob Berlin for fundraising, despite Berlin never facing opposition. Hage worked together with Veenstra and Berlin as DuPage County assistant state's attorneys.

Cronin said, “...I feel confident that the new leadership team we have installed at the election commission will work in an open, ethical manner that reflects the best interest of DuPage County voters,” according to the Daily Herald's Robert Sanchez.

Make a difference. Attend the next meetings of the DuPage County Board and the DuPage County Forest Preserve Board and voice your opinions in public comment:

Tuesday, Mar. 12th, 10 am - DuPage County Board Meeting, 421 County Farm Road, Wheaton

Tuesday, Mar. 12th, 7 pm - DuPage County Forest Preserve Meeting, 3S580 Naperville Road, Wheaton (the Forest Preserve only meets one evening each quarter)

To File a Complaint with the Illinois State Board of Elections for any violations of the Campaign Disclosure Act, click HERE.

Originally posted on CountyLeaks