Can someone help me with researching a certain Congressional

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

candidate's funding?

I've tried the Illinois site, www.elections.il.gov but nothing comes up. The FEC site only uses Access for their query's and I don't have Access on my computer.

I'm stumped because I really want to find out where this particular person is getting their money from...

I don't want to name the candidate here, but if you PM me I'll tell you who I want to check out.

[Paulie]

1. Try

www.opensecrets.org

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

2. Thanks, according to opensecrets,

this particular candidate in the 3rd IL CD has no money. I'd love to know then how he has sent out two mass mailings in the last two weeks and has his yard signs all over Oak Lawn, IL and the surrounding area..

Methinks, something verry funny is going on with his campaign finances..

[tritsofme]

3. Is it possible he has vast personal wealth

and that outside funding would not be needed?

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

5. No, I know Kelly personally and I sincerely doubt that he has

"vast personal wealth". He's basically an insurance agent. There is also no data available on "Citizens for John T. Kelly" the name printed on both of his mail pieces.

I know for a fact that he's gotten contributions for this campaign from mutual friends. Don't these need to be reported??

[tritsofme]

6. IIRC all donations over $250 need to be disclosed.

Like someone else pointed out, it might just be a lag time.

[Gary Kleppe]

4. Timing is everything

The data on Open Secrets is based on FEC reports that get filed at certain prescribed dates. Most probably your candidate has received an infusion of money since his last report.

You might want to check fec.gov. Their interface isn't as good, but they tend to have data up faster than Open Secrets does. New reports were just filed, so if your man's data isn't there now it ought to be soon.

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

8. I finally found what I was looking for at fec.gov

The only 2 documents there are his Statement of Candidacy and Statement of Organization both dated 12-13-2005.

I'm assuming since he filed in December 2005, he won't have to file anything else until the end of this month. How convenient, if he loses the primary, does he still have to file???

[dogman]

7. From today's Sun Times

http://www.suntimes.com/output/sweet/cst-edt-sweet09.html

Snip>Kelly got in the race late and, because of what I consider a loophole in federal rules, will file campaign disclosures for the very first time only today. That's when we'll learn who has bankrolled Kelly's bid.<snip

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

9. Thanks for that link. I"ll be waiting with "bated breath" to see those

filings. I have a feeling, I'll recognize a majority of the names.

According to Ms. Sweet, it sounds like Lipinski might be in some trouble. It'll be very interesting here in the 3rd for the next 12 days.

Here's to John P. Sullivan, the only real Democrat in the race.

:toast: :dem:

[dogman]

10. BTW, Sweet is now blogging.

If you check the bottom of the link it appears you can link to her blog and make comments. Maybe you can keep track through her blog quicker than waiting for another article.