The Illinois Republican Party Banks your money, not your vote
With nearly $2 million dollars cash on hand, did the Illinois GOP mislead donors about a rigorous get-out-the-vote effort for this election?
This Winter, the Illinois Republican Party hosted an event called “Bank your Vote Gala” that raised $450 thousand in a single night.
The purpose was to promote “the importance of utilizing early voting, vote by mail, and other pre-election day methods to energize the Republican base entering this election year." .
To solicit donations, the Illinois Republican promised that “investing” in this event would result in “immediate benefits”.
To prove the concept to donors, the Illinois Republican Party relied on uncited statistics. Some of the statistics seemed made up or wildly exaggerated.
Most egregiously, the Illinois Republican party claimed that in 2022.... 4 out of 13 or 30.77% of Republican Voters "turned out by the ILGOP GOTV program."
As a congressional candidate in 2022, my experiences would make me think that even claiming 1% of Republicans voted due to ILGOP’s get-out-the-vote program would be a wild exaggeration. After all, the Illinois Republican Party had achieved the lowest political representation in over a century and digressed to super minority status
But alas, This marketing tactic was successful. According to Politico, Bank the Vote was "the largest Illinois GOP fundraiser in at least a decade."
However, some, including myself, have serious questions about whether the Illinois Republican Party misled donors, voters, and party members.
with early voting beginning in a week, where is the evidence of a multi-hundred thousand dollar get-out-the-vote campaign?
The Illinois republican party's latest filings show no evidence of an efficient, multi hundred thousand dollar get out the vote campaign. Their latest expenses appear to be staff expenses, routine marketing expenses or related to the state fair.
We wish we could know more about the Illinois Republican Party’s expenses, but they are vague in their filings and when asked in person. Here is a link to the Illinois Republican Party Federal PAC and here is a link to the Illinois Republican Party’s State PAC.
Despite promising “immediate benefits” for this election, the Illinois Republican Party is hoarding donor money, with nearly 2 million dollars in cash on hand.
The Illinois Record is asking The Illinois Republican Party
clarify any past or present misleading statements, statistics, or commitments.
2. Provide more description to past ,current and future expenses.
3. Take electioneering seriously over personal power/profit. If Illinois only has one viable political party that would mean we are effectively living without democracy.
“Bank your Vote” Photo Credit Facebook, Nicole La Ha Representative