A hearing at the Illinois State Board of Elections on Friday entered its third hour as Kathleen Lorenz defends a campaign contribution from the McLean County Republican Party in her 2025 run for mayor of Normal.
Lorenz is accused of knowingly accepting $28,000 from a private donor who funneled the money through the McLean County GOP. Lorenz said she only later learned of a donation from Normal land owner Greg Shepard and his wife.
In her testimony Friday in Chicago, Lorenz said she was trying to distance herself from the MAGA movement after graphics of her wearing a red hat surrounded by money bags circulated on social media.
“That’s not who I am,” she said. She elaborated that she didn’t cast judgment on people who are MAGA, and was aware of factions within the McLean County Republican Party who align with the current President and his political movement.
“But that’s not me,” she said.
Lorenz cited her background in nonprofit leadership and misunderstanding differences in restricted funds for political campaigns. But she claimed Dennis Grundler, the head of the McLean County GOP, told her about Shepard after the fact.
Ben Matthews, who worked on incumbent Mayor Chris Koos’ campaign, made the complaint and questioned Lorenz for approximately an hour on Friday. Matthews cited public statements on social media and to WGLT by phone as evidence Lorenz was aware of a private donor passing money through the GOP for her campaign.
Lorenz said she didn’t recall telling WGLT that an individual donor sought to give to her campaign through the party. Matthews pointed to similarities in statements made on social media by Lorenz and members of her campaign.
Lorenz, though, sought to separate her social media statements from those previously made to WGLT, despite saying she didn’t recall which reporter she spoke to or the entirety of her statements.
Responding to questions from her attorney, Ross Secler, Lorenz agreed with his suggestion that questions from a reporter pushing back against her statements were interpreted as siding with the incumbent mayor, causing her to be defensive.
Lorenz still serves on the Normal Town Council.
This story will be updated.
