Normal mayoral candidate Kathleen Lorenz faced criticism Sunday from one of her two opponents after accepting a $28,000 campaign contribution from the McLean County Republicans that she said was really a pass-through contribution from a specific donor.
Lorenz told WGLT late Saturday that she coordinated with the donor to route the money through the McLean County Republicans, which was at the donor’s request. Lorenz said the “ridiculous amount of money” was critical to paying for three weeks of advertising during the homestretch of the campaign. She said that advertising gave her a better chance to win against a favored incumbent.
Lorenz would not identify the donor, but she confirmed that the $28,000 she received from the McLean County Republicans last week came from him. The election is Tuesday.
Typically, an individual is capped at $7,300 in contributions to a candidate campaign committee like Lorenz’s, based on state contribution limits. However, individuals can give larger sums to political party committees like the McLean County Republicans, and there is no limit to how much political party committees can give to candidate campaign committees.
Incumbent Mayor Chris Koos said he thinks the contributions have the “look and feel of a coordinated pass-through” and are a “clear violation” of Illinois campaign-finance laws.
“It’s gonna be up to the State Board of Elections to make that determination,” said Koos, who is running for a sixth term.
WGLT asked Lorenz on Sunday about accusations that the $28,000 contribution was meant to circumvent campaign-finance laws.
“I appreciate all the financial support received throughout the campaign,” said Lorenz, a town council member. “I am proud of the way the campaign has been run. Everything has been done with the highest level of integrity and transparency which is why people know about the donation!”
However, the way the donation was made partially conceals its origin, as Lorenz herself said the McLean County Republicans were just a pass-through for a contribution she was aware of in advance. A direct donation to her campaign — which would have been capped at $7,300 — would have required a timely disclosure of the donor’s name on the State Board of Elections website.
So, we’re left with clues. The McLean County Republicans on Feb. 20 received $29,200 in contributions from Greg and Heather Shepard of Lakewood Ranch, Florida, election filings show. The Shepards split that contribution into two $14,600 contributions, one in each of their names, records show. $14,600 is the maximum that an individual can give to a political party committee like the McLean County Republicans.
WGLT has not been able to independently confirm that the Shepards were the donor that Lorenz told us about. A message left for Greg Shepard was not returned Sunday. McLean County Republicans chair Dennis Grundler did not respond to a request for comment from WGLT.
Koos said it appeared the money came from Greg Shepard, who he said is his cousin. Shepard’s grandfather and Koos’ grandfather were brothers, Koos said. It’s unclear why Shepard would be funding a candidate running against his own cousin, if he’s indeed Lorenz’s donor.
Shepard’s address in state election filings is listed in Florida, though he’s also lived in Bloomington in recent years. He lists his occupation as self-employed or businessman in the insurance industry, records show. Shepard has made $1,000+ contributions to other Republican-aligned local candidates in recent years, including Bloomington mayoral candidate and former state Rep. Dan Brady, Normal Town Council member Scott Preston, and former McLean County Board member Chuck Erickson, records show.
Lorenz said her donor wanted to give her the money because they “have a shared vision, that it’s time for new leadership.”
“I am not beholden to him,” Lorenz said.
The third candidate in the race, fellow town council member Chemberly Harris, said voters want a mayor “who actually serves the people and does not feel beholden to individuals, PACs or organizations that govern my decisions.”
“What I will say is I try to be very careful in who I receive money from, the amount of money I receive, because the reality is money will guide decisions. With so much money thrown into elections nowadays, the people’s voices get lost a little bit,” Harris told WGLT.
WGLT has a message in with the State Board of Elections and other campaign-finance experts to clarify the rules in this scenario.
What is an endorsement?
Bloomington and Normal mayoral and council elections are technically nonpartisan, although both McLean County Republicans and Democrats have endorsed candidates anyway.
Lorenz spoke to WGLT on Saturday largely to make the case that the station was misrepresenting her $28,000 contribution from the McLean County Republicans as an endorsement.
Lorenz argued strongly that the $28,000 contribution – which was technically in the McLean County Republicans’ name – does not constitute an endorsement by the local GOP. Lorenz said she actually turned down the “endorsement” of the McLean County Republicans “because of the nonpartisan nature of the race. The very thing my opponent is blasting me for.”
The McLean County Republicans have publicly said Lorenz is the “best choice for mayor” and have told their supporters not to vote for Koos or second challenger Chemberly Harris. Now, they’ve given her $28,000.
“That’s an endorsement,” Koos said.
WGLT asked Harris if she believes the McLean County Republicans’ actions are synonymous with an endorsement.
“Typically, people put their money where their mouth is. I don’t know of people making an investment in something they don’t believe in,” Harris said.
In a Facebook post Sunday, the McLean County Democrats said "using the McLean County Republican Party as a 'pass through' to funnel more money to a specific candidate clearly contradicts" campaign-finance rules on contribution limits.
"This isn’t just about one instance of campaign finance violations. It’s part of a larger pattern. While local Republicans loudly claim election fraud where none exists — wasting taxpayer money on frivolous investigations — they are the ones skirting election laws. Their goal? To cast doubt on the election process, discourage voter participation, and suppress turnout," the Democrats wrote.
The Democrats endorsed a mayoral candidate in Bloomington, Cody Hendricks, but not in Normal.
Learn more about the candidates and other issues on the ballot with the WGLT Voter Guide. Early voting is open Monday. Election Day is Tuesday, with polls open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
