SPRINGFIELD - State lawmakers - from both chambers and on both sides of the aisle - are calling for Auditor General Frank Mautino to temporarily step aside without pay after his office confirmed his campaign spending records are being investigated not only by the State Board of Elections but the U.S. Attorney's office.
Among other questionable expenditures, Mautino reported spending over $200,000 in campaign contributions at a local garage over a ten-year time period.
One Democrat - state Sen. Laura Murphy of Des Plaines - called for Mautino to go on leave until more is determined.
"I believe a leave of absence would be in the best interest of state government and the taxpayers of Illinois," Murphy wrote in a letter reported by the Daily Herald. "Once the probe is complete and only after the cloud over your office has lifted would it be appropriate for you to return to work as auditor general."
A group of Republicans held a press conference Thursday calling for Mautino to "step aside" pending the investigation findings.
“The Auditor General is charged with being the taxpayers’ watchdog against fraud and waste, and Frank Mautino can’t possibly fulfill those duties while he’s under numerous investigations,” state Rep. Grant Wehrli (R-Naperville) said. “Illinois taxpayers have seen enough scandal. They need government they can trust. For the integrity of the office of Auditor General, we are demanding Frank Mautino’s immediate assurance that he will step aside until the investigations are concluded.”
The letter from Rep. Wehrli's office with signatures of 21 Republicans:
After the press conference, state Senator Sue Rezin (R-Morris) added her name to the call for Mautino to "step aside":
In the short time I have been in the Illinois Senate, then State Rep. Frank Mautino and I developed a good working relationship, as we both represented the same constituents.
“With that said, the Office of Auditor General is supposed to be the state’s watchdog, responsible for making sure state government is accountable, transparent, and honest to taxpayers.
“But with this now public federal investigation, I believe Auditor General Mautino can no longer serve in this capacity. So, I am calling for him to step aside – without pay – while the investigation continues.
“The people of Illinois deserve honest government. So, until the investigation is resolved, I believe the best course of action for the people of Illinois is for Auditor General Mautino to take an unpaid leave of office while the federal investigation is under way.
Mautino's campaign finances were first brought under scrutiny by the Edgar County Watchdogs.
