Candidate's campaign finance called into question

[YBR31]

Source: WGN News

FEC looking into Republican Bob Dold's campaign funds Mary Stowell is a lawyer whose old job at the U.S. Attorney's office kept her out of politics. But now in private practice, she's making up for lost time. "I felt it was my duty to file this complaint," the Winnetka resident said after noting irregularities in Republican Bob Dold's July report to the Federal Election Commission.

Dold is running for U.S Representative of Illinois 10th Congressional District, a seat vacated by Rep. Mark Kirk.

"I noticed he made very careful filings of expenditures under two dollars and I couldn't imagine why an expenditure of this size was not listed," Stowell explains of a motor coach that was used in Dold's ads as part of a bus tour he touted post-primary and through the summer. In April, the cost was disclosed as about $15,000, but in July's report, it wasn't there.Stowell wrote the FEC and she got a letter back. The Dold campaign got one too, threatening audit or enforcement action if he failed to provide more information. The FEC said Dold's numbers don't add up.In Dold's amended report, we found around $22,000 in debts that had gone unreported, as well as about $24,000 in expenditures. His cash on hand is listed as $22,000 more than it was the first time. But he did add the debt for the bus- it cost around $17,000.

"It would be really hard to say that a $17,000 miss was just sloppy bookkeeping. It looks a little funny," said Burt Odelson, an election attorney who represented President Bush in the 2004 recount.Now that the FEC has Dold's corrections, they can take 120 days to determine if they are adequate. Dold, his campaign and his treasurer could face fines up to twice what he failed to disclose. It becomes a criminal matter if the FEC determines willful omission. "They will file a complaint, that gets litigated, and it could be referred to the Attorney General," Odelson said.

Read more: http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-bob-dold-fed-investigation-sept30,0,4572973.story