Giannoulias Falls Way Short on Fundraising

UPDATE on Alexi presser below***Bloomberg, via DC Examiner.

Whereas Kirk exceeded expectations.

P.S. As far as Alexi's presser today no knowledgeable person should pretend this financial bill represents real reform. Financial Reform's Empty Promises - Sen. Tom Coburn, RealClearPolitics:

First, the bill does not "fix the system." The bill fails to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which incentivized banks to offer loans people couldn't afford. These entities have already cost taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars in bailouts with no end in sight.

We bailed out your bank, Alexi. Presumably mobsters weren't meant to benefit from these kind of policies, but you loaned money to them recklessly, didn't you. And now you want a Senate seat.

More. Illinois GOP:

Would you write a check to a failed Mob Banker?

Background: Nobody in Illinois wants to give Alexi Giannoulias money. Just this week, we saw that Alexi had to travel to Canada and prospect on the West Coast in a desperate attempt to find people willing to make a contribution to his campaign.

• Even with high-profile visitors like Vice President Biden, people in Illinois do not trust Alexi Giannoulias – a former mob banker – with their money.

• Despite visits by Secretary Duncan, David Plouffe and Jim Messina, Mark Kirk raised more in the month of June than Alexi Giannoulias did in the entire second quarter.

• An analysis of campaign contributions as of March 31^st show that 84% of Mark Kirk’s contributions come from individuals. (Center for Responsive Politics)

• And while Giannoulias will blame his pledge not to accept “corporate PAC contributions,” a close look at the facts show this claim is a sham.

Key Questions:

• How much did Alexi receive from special interests and Political Action Committees?

• While Alexi claims to reject “corporate PAC contributions,” he openly accepts every other special interest’s PAC contribution.
• Alexi accepts contributions from union PACs.
• Alexi accepts contributions from the trial lawyers and their PACs.
• Alexi accepts contributions from Democratic Party and House/Senate campaigns and leadership PACs.

• How much did Alexi receive from state lobbyists?
  • While Alexi claims to reject federal lobbyist contributions, he openly accepts state lobbyist contributions.
  • Alexi even accepts contributions from state lobbyists with business before the State Treasure’s office.

• Did Alexi loan himself any money in the second quarter?

More questions for Alexi, Kirk campaign:

Top Questions for Alexi Giannoulias

“You have to be as transparent as possible and answer questions.”
– Alexi Giannoulias, June 18, 2010

Later today, Alexi Giannoulias will hold his first full-blown weekday press conference in Chicago since May 6th. The following are the top six suggested questions for reporters to ask Mr. Giannoulias.

1) Since Rod Blagojevich’s arrest, you have repeatedly concealed critical information regarding his role in the Blagojevich trial from the voters of Illinois. In addition, your most recent statements contradict statements you previously made in 2008. Why?

• On June 27^th, you told the Chicago Tribune that you received his subpoena to testify in the Blagojevich trial “not too long ago.” However, WLS later reported that you were subpoenaed at the end of April.

• You never disclosed that you made a phone call to Blagojevich Chief of Staff John Harris before the U.S. Attorney released a federal wiretap conversation between Harris and Rod Blagojevich referencing the phone call.

• You did not disclose that you brokered a meeting between SEIU Illinois President Tom Balanoff and Valerie Jarrett until the day before Balanoff was scheduled to take the stand in the Blagojevich trial.

• You never disclosed that you were interviewed by federal investigators until the Sunday before Balanoff took the witness stand.

• You never disclosed that you asked Mr. Balanoff to ask Rod Blagojevich to appoint you to the Senate seat before Mr. Balanoff disclosed that in his testimony.

• The lack of transparency aside, all of these events contradict your previous statements that the Blagojevich’s staff “reached out” to you as a possible Senate replacement or that you hadn’t “really thought about it” until after Blagojevich was arrested.

2) Do you think there is a pattern of concealment or non-transparency surrounding your campaign?

• You waited until just before Thanksgiving to release your first set of tax returns.

• You waited until just before Christmas to reveal that Bright Start lost nearly twice as much as previously reported

• You waited until just before the Fourth of July to release your 2009 tax return.

• You waited roughly a year and a half to disclose multiple events with regard to the Blagojevich trial.

3) Last week, your campaign defended reported loans made to organized crime figures while you were Vice President and Senior Loan Officer of Broadway Bank saying, “all of these loans were legal.” Do you think that just because loaning money to the mob is legal, it’s the right thing to do?

4) Last week, your campaign said, “When he says Alexi wants to raise taxes, Congressman Kirk is lying.” According to Capitol Fax, your campaign “flat-out lied” citing your calls for state and federal income tax hikes. Why did your campaign lie about your past support for tax increases?

5) Will you apologize to Illinois families who lost money in Bright Start after you urged them to invest?

6) After nearly four years in office, why did you decide to open a new Metro East satellite office in the middle of an election campaign?

UPDATE:

Kirk Campaign Statement on Giannoulias’ Growing Desperation

Statement by Kirk Spokesperson Kirsten Kukowski:

“Not many people want to give their hard earned money to someone who loaned millions to the mob and lost children's college savings, so it is no wonder Alexi Giannoulias had to fly to Canada to raise money from special interest trial lawyers.

“Congressman Kirk is humbled by the outpouring of support he's received from the citizens of Illinois and will continue traveling the state talking about the issues that matter most in this election - creating jobs and turning our economy around.”

Fact Check: Giannoulias Lobbyist Contributions

Misleading Claim: Alexi Giannoulias told reporters today he does not accept campaign contributions from state lobbyists registered to lobby the Treasurer’s Office.

Get the Facts: As of March 31, 2010, Alexi for Illinois accepted $87,626.35 from registered Illinois State lobbyists – including $28,326.35 from lobbyists registered with entities that lobby the Treasurer’s office in the same year as their contribution. (Sources: Federal Election Commission; State of Illinois Lobbying Information Search) The total as of June 30th is not yet available. Lobbyists registered with entities that lobby the Treasurer’s office who contributed to Alexi for Illinois include:

Name	Amount	Date	Employer	Source
Balanoff, Tom	$250.00	1/17/2010	SEIU	source
Cassidy, Michael	$100.00	3/31/2009	Information Requested	source
Corrigan, John	$2,400.00	12/28/2009	John C Corrigan & Associates	source
Dart, Timothy	$2,400.00	6/22/2009	Nicolay & Dart	source
Dart, Timothy	$2,400.00	3/29/2010	Nicolay & Dart	source
Flynn, Neil	$1,000.00	12/12/2009	Neil F Flynn & Associates	source
Frang, Larry	$2,000.00	10/16/2009	Illinois Municipal League	source
Frang, Larry	$2,000.00	3/24/2010	Illinois Municipal League	source
Houlihan, Michael	$1,800.00	3/29/2010	All-Circo	source
Hunter, Laura	$500.00	4/27/2009	Self-Employed	source
Hunter, Laura	$250.00	6/30/2009	The Hunter Group	source
Jubeh, Hanah	$2,400.00	3/27/2009	P2 Consulting	source
Jubeh, Hanah	$2,056.00	6/26/2009	Duo Strategies	source
Jubeh, Hanah	$220.35	12/29/2009	Duo Strategies	source
Lackland, Jonathan	$100.00	11/17/2009	IL Assn of Minorities in Govt	source
Manning, David	$2,000.00	6/29/2009	Community Bankers Assoc	source
Manning, David	$400.00	12/11/2009	Consultant	source
Manning, David	$500.00	3/31/2010	Consultant	source
Patton, Mary	$500.00	9/20/2009	Retired	source
Shomon, Dan	$2,400.00	3/30/2010	Dan Shomon	source
Storino, Donald	$2,400.00	3/6/2009	Self-Employed	source
Toppert, Wesley	$250.00	3/3/2009	Dan Shomon Inc	source

Other Background:

• Kirk for Senate received contributions from 5,871 individuals in the second quarter of 2010 and 13,541 individuals this cycle.

• As of March 31, 2010, Alexi for Illinois had accepted $140,000 from union PACs. The total as of June 30^th is not yet available.

• As of March 31, 2010, four out of Alexi for Illinois’ top five contributors were trial lawyer firms – a total of $277,300. The total as of June 30^th is not yet available and will not include Giannoulias’ recent Canada fundraising trip. Giannoulias received a total of $889,964 in contributions from all lawyers as of March 31^st – the 7^th highest of any Senate candidate.

• As of March 31, 2010, the Giannoulias Campaign Chairman, Senator Dick Durbin, accepted more than $6.5 million in campaign contributions from federal PACs – $4.4 million from corporate PACs alone. (Source: Center for Responsive Politics) The total as of June 30^th is not yet available.

• As of March 31, 2010, the Giannoulias Campaign Chairman, Senator Dick Durbin, accepted $663,000 in campaign contributions from lobbyists, $1.46 million from Big Banks and Securities, and $1.45 million from the health care sector. (Source: Center for Responsive Politics) The total as of June 30^th is not yet available.