A political action committee says the candidacy of state Rep. Marty Moylan (D-Des Plaines) is part of a scheme by House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) to keep suburban property taxes high.
Madigan has given Moylan's campaign $981,241 since 2012, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.
A direct mail piece sent to District 55 voters by Liberty Principles PAC describes what it calls the "Moylan-Madigan Fix," claiming Madigan requires candidates he supports oppose suburban property tax caps "so he can continue making millions as a property tax appeals attorney."
Marilyn Smolenski
"If Mike Madigan pays for it, he owns it," the mail piece says.
District 55 includes large portions of Des Plaines, Elk Grove and Park Ridge, along with smaller portions of Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Rolling Meadows and Chicago’s far Northwest side.
Madigan earns a living appealing high property taxes, for which he receives a percentage of the reduction. A 2017 analysis found that his law firm, Madigan & Getzendanner, won cuts of $70 million for its clients between 2008 and 2016.
Liberty Principles PAC, which is supporting Moylan's opponent Marilyn Smolenski, is pushing a hard 1 percent of home value property tax cap. A home valued at $250,000 would have a bill of $2,500 per year, under its plan.
Daniel K. Proft, founder and president of Liberty Principles PAC, is a principal of Local Government Information Services, which publishes the North Cook News.
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