North Cook News

Republican state House candidate Marilyn Smolenski calls the recent scandal involving Illinois Auditor General Frank Mautino another failure on the part of government officials to hold those in public office accountable.

"This is absolutely another example of the lack of accountability in Springfield. They think they don’t have to answer to voters," Smolenski told North Cook News.

Mautino was recently found to have violated campaign finance laws by spending more than $225,000 in payments for repairs on personal vehicles, as well as those of friends and family, to a service station in Spring Valley Illinois, while he was a state representative.

Marilyn Smolenski

Rules regarding campaign spending stipulate that campaigns can only reimburse vehicle owners on a per-mile basis for the use of their automobiles for campaign purposes. Despite the misuse of campaign funds, Mautino was still approved by the Illinois General Assembly to replace Bill Holland as Auditor.

Smolenski, who is running against state Rep. Marty Moylan (D-Des Plaines) in the 55th House District, believes that House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) is responsible for the lack of accountability and her opponent is more of the same.

"This is a symptom of the culture [Madigan] has created in Springfield, and Marty Moylan is part of that culture,” she said.

Moylan has taken $1.2 million from Madigan and has failed to respect rules in the state government. Choosing instead to break them for his own personal gain, she said.

"Here is how to keep elected officials accountable — vote out Mike Madigan and his cronies," Smolenski said. "Here’s the issue — Madigan has had a choke hold on Illinois so long, that he has been able to strip state government of the checks and balances required to rein in this type of behavior."

Smolenski is disheartened by the lack of accountability in regards to sexual harassment issues.

"Springfield needs new leadership,” she said. “I will work for the citizens of Illinois to get rules back on the books that have real consequences to illicit behavior.”