DOWNER'S GROVE - DuPage County Auditor Bob Grogan made a $50,000 loan to his GOP primary campaign for state treasurer on September 30, 2013 and five days later, he paid off the loan to himself.
Writing a $50,000 check on the last day of the third campaign filing quarter allows a candidate bragging rights on the Illinois State Board of Election D-2, but paying back an obligation within five days without another sizable and comparable check coming into the Grogran campaign from elsewhere raises eyebrows.
"I wrote the check to my campaign to show I had the capacity to write a check like that," Grogan told Illinois Review. "It didn't need to just sit in that account."
When asked if he plans to write the check again before the primary, Grogan said. "I'll spend the money I need to spend to win the primary. My spendthrift opponent has spent nearly $470,000 and has nothing to show for it."
With the $50,000 donation on September 30, Grogran was able to report $70,209.41 on hand at the end of the third quarter. During the last three months, he reports raising a little under $10,000. However, with the $50,000 check he wrote back to himself on October 4th, he lists $58,870.53 in total expenditures during the last quarter.
In addition to the $50,000 Grogan loaned himself in September, he also lists $27,400 in other outstanding campaign obligations to himself that remain unpaid.
