Mike Mahon
Keith Nygren
The following press release has been received from the campaign of Democratic Party candidate for McHenry County Sheriff Mike Mahon.
In it, the number and amounts of contributions from county Sheriff’s Department vendors and providers of services, plus members of the Sheriff’s Merit Commission are listed.
The money paid to the various suppliers of goods and services to the Sheriff’s Department are not included.
“PAY TO PLAY” AT HOME IN McHENRY COUNTY SHERIFF’S
OFFICE, CANDIDATE MAHON OBSERVES
Contributions from firms doing business or having personal ties with the Sheriff’s Office or the County of McHenry make up a large percentage of the campaign warchest Sheriff Keith Nygren has piled up over the years, an analysis by the Mike Mahon for Sheriff Campaign shows.
In fact, taken as a lump sum the business contributions coincidentally are about what Nygren has on hand for this year’s campaign.
“This is a perfect example of the ‘pay to play’ syndrome Illinoisans are all too familiar with,” said candidate Mike Mahon. “The same vendors who line up at the door for taxpayer-funded contracts stop by the campaign fund pay window on the way in.
“In Illinois, unfortunately, incumbency is the gift that keeps on giving.”
Mahon pledged that if elected, he would not accept campaign contributions from any firms doing business with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office or McHenry County in general. This comes on top of his previous pledge not to accept contributions from Sheriff’s Office employees. Nor would he accept campaign funds from individuals who serve on the Merit Commission or any other boards or commissions whose members are nominated or appointed by the Sheriff.
Mahon further noted that many major officeholders in Illinois have already moved away from accepting contributions from firms doing businesses with their offices, including Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
A mere 20 firms doing business with the Sheriff’s Office have contributed some $133,172.00 to Sheriff Keith Nygren over his years in office, either from the firms themselves or from high-ranking individuals within those firms. This is slightly more than the $122,944.44 Nygren reported as having on hand in his last report to the State Board of Elections.
The Mike Mahon for Sheriff Campaign compiled public election records to conduct the analysis, which shows a troubling reliance on publicly paid vendors who fuel Nygren’s political campaign engine.
The vendors ranged from attorneys handling labor and Merit Commission issues, to a psychologist working in the McHenry County Jail, to companies that supply automotive services; badges and uniforms; and even decals and striping for marked Sheriff’s vehicles.
The largest single contributor was the R.I.T.A. Corporation, which while not doing business with the County, has as its President Brian Goode, a member of the Sheriff’s Merit Commission. R.I.T.A. has dumped $57,540 into Nygren’s campaign coffers since 1997.
The next highest total was contributed by Cabay & Company of McHenry, which provides toiletries and sundries to the County Courthouse. The firm, combined with Jason, Scott and Kenneth Cabay personally, has contributed $17,895 to the Nygren campaign fund since 1998.
Below is a list of the firms included, the number of contributions over the years and their cumulative total. The list is by no means exhaustive, but represents the highest dollar contributors who could be identified.
Below you see the names of contributors and (in parentheses) the number of contributions, then, the cumulative dollar amount contributed:
- R.I.T.A. Corporation (15) $57,540
- Cabay & Company, plus Jason Cabay (21) $17,895
- Radicom (18) $9,485
- Remke Grp., plus Tony & Amy Remke (23) $8,880
- Lang Chevrolet, plus Gary Lang (15) $8,460
- Ottosen, Britt, Kelly, Trooper & Gilbert law firm of Wheaton (11) $6,590
- Stan’s Office (12) $6,130
- Pettibone (18) $3,540
- Dr. Robert Meyer (6) $3,360
- Fechheimer, aka Flying Cross, (9) $2,800
- Jake the Striper (8) $1,777
- Claudon, Kost, Barnhart, Beal, Ltd. law firm, Canton, IL (5) $1,270
- Worldwide Traveler (4) $1,180
- Susan Connor (4) $835
- Zukowski, Rodgers, Flood & McArdle law firm of Crystal Lake (5) $820
- Harrison law offices of Woodstock (2) $770
- Mineola Marine (3) $630
- Legat Architects (2) $510
- Smitty Auto Body (2) $400
- R&D auto (1) $300
Given that this covers a thirteen year period I don’t find this at all unusual. Run the numbers and the big dollars seem to shrink some how and bespeak of loyalty rather more than anything else. OTOH, take a look a Mahon’s campaign finances. I did after reading this latest from him. Why is it that the ONLY contributions are from the south and western suburbs of Cook County and in the City of Chicago? Strange, I think. Your readers can decide for themselves.
Screw the Blackhawks! Anyone have tickets for Blago’s trial? That’ll be funnier than reading some of the blogs out here.
Ethics, morality, professionalism: non-existent in Keith Nygren’s regime. While hundreds of good McHenry County Officers, Deputies and employees do their jobs daily for the taxpayers, Nygren exploits his position, feathers his nest(s) and makes fools of those of us who voted for him in the past. I am sure Mike Mahon would not fire this bombshell if it were not verifiable fact- he’d be done in this important race. Let’s see what kind of blather the Nygren campaign spews in reaction to this information. I sense that, once again, Keith will respond by stating a response is beneath him, and his lapdogs will call Mahon out as a “dirty trickster”. Hey, Nygren either took the money or he didn’t. If he did, it IS pay to play. If he didn’t let’s hear his response. Ethics, morality, professionalism: non-existent in Keith Nygren’s regime.
“Mahon pledged that if elected, he would not accept campaign contributions from any firms doing business with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office or McHenry County in general. This comes on top of his previous pledge not to accept contributions from Sheriff’s Office employees. Nor would he accept campaign funds from individuals who serve on the Merit Commission or any other boards or commissions whose members are nominated or appointed by the Sheriff.” I want to see if Mike Mahon will keep this pledge. I will vote for him and hold him to it.
Hallie,
Did you see how much Nygren gets in contributions from his employees and their families?? Even that won’t fly in Cook County anymore.
I am well traveled in circles that include people from a lot of other counties. McHenry is getting a rep for being one of the MOST corrupt. Most of the Cook County infractions are aired in the press widely. In McHenry County, if you do not read the blogs, you won’t hear about them. If you want to control the people, control the press.
Whether or not these business or individuals would still be doing business with the sheriff’s office, if they did not make these contributions can never be proven. However the fact stands that the sheriff does take contributions from companies and individuals that do business with the sheriff’s department. And when you choose to put money over ethics there will always be a shadow of doubt.
Whether it is or isn’t pay to play politics at some point it can’t always be about the money. At some point you have to stand on merit and accomplishments. The days of running political offices for personal gain needs to stop.
I can only hope that at some point the voters of this fine county can shake the dust of Impropriety and unethical pratices off thier boots and make the change neccessary to bring the political offices of McHenry county above reproach.
earth mother… I saw that, thanks. Again, when you consider that the amounts cover a 13 year period it starts to get a little tedious.
But your comment prompted me to check at the State Board of Elections and learn that in a four year period Mike Mahon, a poor working stiff at the Cook County Sheriff’s Office contributed a total of $5,000 to his boss, Mike Sheehan. Is that the basis of his expertise in law enforcement and his rank of sergeant in the jail division?
It could well be, I guess, that Mahon has found Jesus and is now adamant about stomping out this stuff. Or it could be that he’s just being a hypocrite and that nothing will change. Notice the really heavy >$10,000 he got from an outfit called “Fullcrum Tatical [sic]” Could that be “Fulcrum Tactical?” What could they possibly do that would ever involve law enforcement? Training? Equipment?
People who live in glass houses…
Bottom line here is that Mahon, unlike Nygren, has continued to commit himself to issues that matter to some of us in McHenry County: ethical conduct, personal protection, and professionalism. Hallie, even you must admit there is a distinct difference between an employee donating to his boss’ campaigns – and the boss ruling out acceptance of donations, not only from employees, but from anyone doing business with the County. Mahon is a long-time citizen of this County. He is not a carpetbagger, nor is he a political operative. He is qualified, after working 20+ years in a department 10 times larger than McHenry’s, to be our sheriff. Anyone in law enforcement, including nottawannbe and the other Nygren supporters would have to admit that, in law enforcement, the sergeants run the daily operations. If that is not true in our MCSO, then the organization is truly dysfunctional. If Nygren is running the daily operation, which he is not, then we’re talking Mayberry or Boss Hog. Mahon has the qualifications to do the job here. I’ll take Mike Mahon’s pledges as commitments and vote for him just on what we’ve heard so far.
Are all you people that naive. You probably believe that B.S. about government of the people by the people for the people. lol.
Government in this country including Mchenry CO. is run by big business for business. The elected officials are their puppets. The rich must get richer! I don’t believe that will ever change.
WAKE UP!