Andy Zinke. Photo credit: Sheriff’s Department.
The law about campaign finance disclosure has an interesting quirk.
Campaign donations do not have to be reported until they are “deposited.”
So, if you hold a fundraiser on the last day of the reporting period, as McHenry County Sheriff aspirant Andy Zinke did on June 30th, you don’t have to report how much you raised until early October.
And, Zinke didn’t.
There are two strategies in reporting campaign finances.
One can be like State Rep. Jack Franks in that July a year year before the 2010 gubernatorial primary election.
You can show lots of money in an attempt to make others take your ambitions seriously.
That strategy didn’t work, at least in part, because about 90% of the $1.3 million Franks reported was from family and friends.
Zinke has taken what might be called the “keep ’em guessing” approach.
One might guess that results from a lack of serious funding.
At least so far.
Or maybe he wants a $100,000 number before he makes his finances public.
If so, he would have until the end of September to solicit the money.
Reporting $4,735 at the end of June, Zinke surely is not close to that amount now.
Indeed, from April 1st through June 30th, only $240 in contributions were reported, all $150 or under.
Of course, if Zinke has no opponent, he would need no money.
That happened GOP Coroner candidate Dr. Anne Majewski.
And with a Northwest Herald giving him prominent coverage, which does not have to be reported as a contribution in-kind, maybe Zinke doesn’t need a lot of money to win the 2012 Republican primary election.
Zinke’s D-2 follows for your perusal.
Note that the information was not reported electronically. Apparently Zinke’s campaign for Sheriff hasn’t reached the contribution threshold where electronic filing is required. Click to enlarge.
One would have thought with a fundraiser widely promoted–even though it was free for precinct committeemen and assorted others whose presence would be beneficial–that some would have paid enough in advance for the money have been deposited.
No big contribution either. They have to be reported fairly quickly.
This is one to choke on.
What a disaster he would be.
Why would a sheriff like Nygren want this guy so bad.
Not hard to figure out.
This “McHenry County Incest” practice has to end here.
Zinke seems to me to be a nice guy. I want to be fair to him.
But, if he’s supported by the thug of thugs, Keith Nygren, then I just can’t support him.
Sorry, Andy, your supporters force me to vote for whoever runs against you. I am definitely not alone in this sentiment. Your boss is a monster…and equally worse, a Democrat.
CLM – you are right on. Nygren wants him in to keep things going the same as usual.
Nygren would be pulling the strings behind the scenes and Andy would dance.
WE NEED TO GET THINGS CLEANED OUT!!
I don’t know Zinke and I don’t know Nygren other than media stories.
However, IF this is a Chicago Style situation of passing on the position and still holding the strings/reins, it would be a good time to start fresh.
If NOT, then Zinke should be considered on his own merits.
Term limits in any position are a good idea.
It keeps things cleaner and stops “dynasty jobs for life” and the feeling of entitlement.
New eyes and minds might bring improvements and clean out the cobwebs.
YES to term limits.
You will be seeing (and have been for some time now) puff pieces in the Northwest Herald about Zinke.
Nygren and Zinke will keep feeding things for them to print.
Just the way they prep “their guy”.
Will the NWH EVER endorse someone that is not a NYgren guy??
The Trib did not endorse Nygren last time around and with good reason.
People should have paid attention.
Could have saved taxpayers zillions in lawsuits.
The NW Herald is going broke, like all liberal-leaning newspapers – which includes most papers in America. Since they don’t have money, they can’t afford the staff to legitimately cover the news anymore; they simply don’t have any legitimate investigative reporters.
They therefore have to RELY on the Sheriff’s office and the local police departments for the news who feed idiot “reporters” like Sara Sucheck the news they want the paper to report. Those “reporters” just write down what they were told to report.
If the paper upsets the respective police agencies by reporting something different from what they were told to report, the Sheriff/police then will withhold future stories while giving those stories to the competiting newspapers and thereby giving the advantage to the other papers in the area. This is the reprisal for not doing what the Sheriff’s office specifically wanted reported.
Thus, the papers are actually beholden to people like Nygren or other Police media liasons and consequently report stories with the overwhelming slant toward what the police wants reported.
The police, in today’s world, ARE the “investigative reporters.” That’s the reality of today.
How come you haven’t posted that letter from Zinke yet?
The REAL question is – what should Zinke be posting???