McHenry County Blog

McHenry County Republican Party Chairman (and State Rep.) Mike Tryon formed a political action committee separate from the Central Committee.

I thought you might find the contributors and expenditures of interest. They are included in the PAC’s campaign disclosure filing this month.

The price to join the group of inside advisors seems to be $500, although more seems to be welcome.

Here are the contributors:

• Algonquin Township Highway Commisisoner Bob Miller’s PAC – $500
• State Rep. Mark Beaubien’s PAC – $500
• Alliance Contractors Inc – $1,000
• Robert Boncosky – $500
• Randy Donley – $395.20
• Blake Hobson – a $500
• Howard Green Company, Cedar Rapids, IA (John Smith’s Smith Engineering was acquired by HR Green) – $500
• Human Resource Techniques Inc, Algonquin Karla Dobbeck is its president) – $500
• Innovative Component Sales Inc, Huntley (Mike Skala is its president) – $2,500
• Kathleen Kuchta – $500
• Donald Lewis – $500
• Madsen Sugden and Gottemoller – $500
• Marc Munaretto – $500
• Gary Overbay – $500
• Tom Zanck – $500

About $3,500 of the money raised has been spent on “Roundtable Breakfast Meetings” at Crystal Lake’s 1776 restaurant and Richard Walkers Pancake House. I’ve been told candidates were “vetted” at some such meetings.

Richard Walkers Pancake House

• 8/12/2009
• 8/12/2009
• 9/15/2009
• 10/23/2009

1776

• 8/30/2009
• 9/8/2009
• 9/14/2009
• 10/12/2009
• 10/23/2009
• 12/2/2009
• 12/9/2009

In addition utilities have been paid at the campaign office and a camcorder purchased for the Young Republicans.

The fund has $11,800 in the bank.

Reported last night were four contributions for McHenry County Republican Central Committee Chairman Mike Tryon’s private Chairman’s Circle.

Here are the donors:

$2,500 – Claire & Vic Narusis, Woodstock
$500 – Emtech, Woodstock
$500 – Jean A. Rinn, Crystal Lake
$500 – Valley Aggregates, Woodstock

Tryon also reported a $1,000 contribution to his state rep. PAC from TitleMax Corporation A/P of Savannah, GA.

Reported last night were four contributions for McHenry County Republican Central Committee Chairman Mike Tryon’s private Chairman’s Circle.

Here are the donors:

$2,500 – Claire & Vic Narusis, Woodstock
$500 – Emtech, Woodstock
$500 – Jean A. Rinn, Crystal Lake
$500 – Valley Aggregates, Woodstock

Tryon also reported a $1,000 contribution to his state rep. PAC from TitleMax Corporation A/P of Savannah, GA.

Going to the McHenry County Republican Central Committee was

$550 – William Rinn of Crystal Lake
$500 – Dee Dee Wamberg, Barrington Hills
$2,100 – McHenry County Chairman’s Circle

Two other contributions went to Chairman Mike Tryon’s Chairman’s Circle:

$1,000 – Tom Zanck, Woodstock
$500 – Mark Gummerson, Woodstock

Tryon’s legislative political action committee pulled in

$1,000 – Illinois Construction Industry PAC, Springfield
$500 – Wal Mart Stores, Bentonville, AR

Going to the McHenry County Republican Central Committee was

$550 – William Rinn of Crystal Lake
$500 – Dee Dee Wamberg, Barrington Hills
$2,100 – McHenry County Chairman’s Circle

Two other contributions went to Chairman Mike Tryon’s Chairman’s Circle:

$1,000 – Tom Zanck, Woodstock
$500 – Mark Gummerson, Woodstock

Tryon’s legislative political action committee pulled in

$1,000 – Illinois Construction Industry PAC, Springfield
$500 – Wal Mart Stores, Bentonville, AR

$25,000 is the grand total raised by McHenry County Republican Central Committee Mike Tryon for his non-central committee political action committee.

There were 36 contributors.

The 22 non-PAC donors are

$2,500 – Alliance Contractors Inc. owned by Chuck Ruth
$1,000 – T Manning Concrete Inc. of Huntley
$1,000 – Richard Stephenson, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
$1,000 – John & Janet Smith, Smith Engineering, McHenry
$1,000 – IHC Construction Companies LLC of Elgin
$1,000 – Elmhurst-Chicago Stone Co., Elmhurst
$1,000 – Thomas & Julie Carey, Carey Electric, McHenry
$1,000 – Kenneth Cabay of Cabay & Company, Lake in the Hills
$600 – Marlene Lantz, McHenry County Coroner
$500 – Fox Valley Internal Medicine
$500- James Hennig, Union
$500 – Human Resource Techniques Inc., Algonquin
$500 – Kathleen Kuchta, McHenry
$500 – Lee Jensen Sales Co. Inc., Crystal Lake
$500 – Don Lewis, Crystal Lake
$500 – Luke Johnsos Business Graphics, Woodstock
$500 – Madsen Sugden and Gottemoller, Crystal Lake
$500 – McHenry Savings Bank, McHenry
$500 – Jack R. Schaffer, Metra Board member using his Crystal Lake business address
$300 – Michael & Margaret Sullivan
$200 – M. J. Munaretto & Co. Inc., McHenry County Board member, Algonquin
$200 – John & Mary Breeden, Scott Breeden running for county board

That total is $15,800.

In addition, $9,200 was contributed by 14 political action committees, as follows:

$1,500 – Republican Central Committee of McHenry County
$1,100 – Citizens to Elect Phyllis K. Walters, Recorder of Deeds
$1,000 – Illinois Merchants Political Action Committee Team
$800 – Manzullo for Congress, U.S. Representative
$800 – Citizens for Beaubien, State Representative
$800 – Committee to Elect Michael Tryon, State Representative
$600 – Citizens to Elect Lou Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney
$600 – Committee to Elect Katherine Keefe, Circuit Clerk candidate
$600 – Committee to Elect Pamela Palmer, County Auditor
$500 – Citizens to Re-Elect Bob Miller, Algonquin Township Road Commissioner
$200 – Citizens for Hammerand, county board member
$200 – Committee to Elect Sue Draffkorn, county board member
$200 – Citizens for Mary L. Donner, county board member

The only ones who are on the ballot I see missing are State Senator Pam Althoff, state senate candidate Dan Duffy and a couple of judges running for retention.

When Al Jourdan was central committee chairman, the money from candidates was paid directly to the central committee. It was basically a fee to allow the committee to print literature and/or mail it.

$12,000 was transferred to the McHenry County Republican Central Committee last week.

Other articles on the Tryon-contolled political action committee that might be of interest:

Part 1 – The McHenry County Chairman’s Circle

Part 2 – The McHenry County Chairman’s Circle

$25,000 is the grand total raised by McHenry County Republican Central Committee Mike Tryon for his non-central committee political action committee.

There were 36 contributors.

The 22 non-PAC donors are

$2,500 – Alliance Contractors Inc. owned by Chuck Ruth
$1,000 – T Manning Concrete Inc. of Huntley
$1,000 – Richard Stephenson, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
$1,000 – John & Janet Smith, Smith Engineering, McHenry
$1,000 – IHC Construction Companies LLC of Elgin
$1,000 – Elmhurst-Chicago Stone Co., Elmhurst
$1,000 – Thomas & Julie Carey, Carey Electric, McHenry
$1,000 – Kenneth Cabay of Cabay & Company, Lake in the Hills
$600 – Marlene Lantz, McHenry County Coroner
$500 – Fox Valley Internal Medicine
$500- James Hennig, Union
$500 – Human Resource Techniques Inc., Algonquin
$500 – Kathleen Kuchta, McHenry
$500 – Lee Jensen Sales Co. Inc., Crystal Lake
$500 – Don Lewis, Crystal Lake
$500 – Luke Johnsos Business Graphics, Woodstock
$500 – Madsen Sugden and Gottemoller, Crystal Lake
$500 – McHenry Savings Bank, McHenry
$500 – Jack R. Schaffer, Metra Board member using his Crystal Lake business address
$300 – Michael & Margaret Sullivan
$200 – M. J. Munaretto & Co. Inc., McHenry County Board member, Algonquin
$200 – John & Mary Breeden, Scott Breeden running for county board

That total is $15,800.

In addition, $9,200 was contributed by 14 political action committees, as follows:

$1,500 – Republican Central Committee of McHenry County
$1,100 – Citizens to Elect Phyllis K. Walters, Recorder of Deeds
$1,000 – Illinois Merchants Political Action Committee Team
$800 – Manzullo for Congress, U.S. Representative
$800 – Citizens for Beaubien, State Representative
$800 – Committee to Elect Michael Tryon, State Representative
$600 – Citizens to Elect Lou Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney
$600 – Committee to Elect Katherine Keefe, Circuit Clerk candidate
$600 – Committee to Elect Pamela Palmer, County Auditor
$500 – Citizens to Re-Elect Bob Miller, Algonquin Township Road Commissioner
$200 – Citizens for Hammerand, county board member
$200 – Committee to Elect Sue Draffkorn, county board member
$200 – Citizens for Mary L. Donner, county board member

The only ones who are on the ballot I see missing are State Senator Pam Althoff, state senate candidate Dan Duffy and a couple of judges running for retention.

When Al Jourdan was central committee chairman, the money from candidates was paid directly to the central committee. It was basically a fee to allow the committee to print literature and/or mail it.

$12,000 was transferred to the McHenry County Republican Central Committee last week.

Other articles on the Tryon-contolled political action committee that might be of interest:

Part 1 – The McHenry County Chairman’s Circle

Part 2 – The McHenry County Chairman’s Circle

It’s impossible to tell from pre-election campaign finance reports how much a political action committee has in the bank because most expenditures do not have to be reported.

The unopposed Republican candidate for McHenry County Circuit Clerk, Katherine Keefe, for example, had almost $19,200 on deposit on July 1st.

She gave Mike Tryon’s Chairman’s Circle $600 on September 15th and made other miscellaneous contributions to various candidates amounting to $400.

That would bring her total assets down to about $18,000, assuming she hasn’t spent anything else.

And, without an opponent, she may not have.

She reported having collected no contributions since mid-year.

It’s impossible to tell from pre-election campaign finance reports how much a political action committee has in the bank because most expenditures do not have to be reported.

The unopposed Republican candidate for McHenry County Circuit Clerk, Katherine Keefe, for example, had almost $19,200 on deposit on July 1st.

She gave Mike Tryon’s Chairman’s Circle $600 on September 15th and made other miscellaneous contributions to various candidates amounting to $400.

That would bring her total assets down to about $18,000, assuming she hasn’t spent anything else.

And, without an opponent, she may not have.

She reported having collected no contributions since mid-year.

When McHenry County Republican Central Committee Chairman Bill LeFew decided to abandon the chairmanship after embarrassing himself and the Republican Party with his unsuccessful attempts to keep secret his efforts to oust McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi, LeFew did his best to surround consensus choice for chairman Mike Tryon with LeFew loyalists.

He pushed his Chief Deputy Treasurer Glenda Miller for party secretary to replace Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley and Brent Smith, who was active in the LeFew-backed Dan Regna for state’s attorney campaign for treasurer.

Long-time Crystal Lake precinct committeeman decided to run against Miller, pledging to open the central committee’s financial books.
Wickham won by a 2-1 margin, ushering in a new era of financial transparency.

When I was looking at State Rep. Mike Tryon’s six-month report, I noticed a $500 June 16th contribution to the McHenry County Chairman’s Circle.

I had heard rumors about it, but this was the first hard evidence that it existed.

No campaign disclosure had been filed for the committee when I looked, but a friend of McHenry County Blog found an announcement of the committee’s formation on July 23rd.

Mike Tryon is listed as chairman, Ken Koehler as treasurer and Blake Hobson as secretary. Tryon named Hobson, incidentally, as vice chairman in charge of finance for the central committee.

Tryon listed the committee’s address as Box 723 in McHenry, the same address listed for the foundation committee, the central committee and the Republican Women’s Club of McHenry County.

Interestingly, when the paperwork was filed for the Chairman’s Circle, it listed Ken Koehler’s home address, rather than the McHenry post office box.

I figure Tryon is soliciting $500 checks to be spent…well, we won’t know until sometime in January.

We will be able to find out who contributes, however, in the pre-election report before the general election.

I figure that every dollar the Chairman’s Circle gets is one less dollar the Central Committee receives.