1 Front
Single Copy Cost 50¢ Volume 148 No. 42
“PRSRT STD.” US Postage Paid No. 486 SHAW MEDIA POSTAL PATRON LOCAL R.R. BOXHOLDER CARRIER ROUTE PRESORT
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Federal investigation is ongoing Illinois Auditor General Frank Mautino cooperating with federal authorities By Terri Simon
tsimon@putnamcountyrecord.com
SPRINGFIELD — The U.S. Attorney’s Office is investigating the campaign spending of Frank Mautino, formerly an Illinois Representative from Spring Valley who was appointed Illinois’ auditor general in 2015. Media, some public officials and at least one private citizen around the state are calling into question money Mautino spent, primarily from his campaign committee dubbed, “Committee for Frank J. Mautino.” Also in question are campaign donations Mautino allegedly received
and spent during his transition from Illinois Representative to Illinois Auditor General. The investigation focuses on campaign spending of more than $200,000 to a service station in Spring Valley throughout a period of more than 10 years. Most of the expenses to this service station were listed as gasoline/camp. (campaign) vehicle repair and were drawn on the Committee for Frank J. Mautino account. The federal investigation is coupled with another inquiry on the same issue by the Illinois State Board of Elections. The Illinois State Board of Elections’ initial inquiry has now been narrowed to
include just the $200,000 to the Spring Valley service station and other expenses paid to a Spring Valley bank. “They were initially looking at a number of issues, but now they have narrowed it to two,” said Ryan Keith, a spokesperson for Mautino. “They’ve asked for more clarity, and Frank has until July 1 to produce that verification, which he is working on now.” The Illinois State Board of Elections does not outline what campaign donations can be used for, however, it does list a variety of items that can’t be paid for by campaign funds. Primarily, the issue in question is: Did
Mautino appropriately spend campaign contributions, and were those contributions reported in a correct manner? Keith confirmed the federal investigation and said Mautino is cooperating fully, however since it is an ongoing investigation, he was unable to comment further. The Illinois Times newspaper, Springfield, reported a federal grand jury issued subpoenas to some of Mautino’s former campaign workers. Calls for verification from the Bureau County Republican to the U.S. Attorney’s office were not returned.
Investigation Page 2
Rolling toward Granville Village will soon take possession of a new truck B y D ave C ook
news@putnamcountyrecord.com
PCR photo/Lori Boekeloo
Zach LeQuia, 7, set up a lemonade stand to raise money at the Marshall-Putnam Relay for Life on Saturday, June 11, in Henry. LeQuia’s grandmother, Diane Russell, lost her battle with cancer last year.
Crushing cancer
M-P Relay for Life exceeds fundraising goal By Lori Boekeloo
news@putnamcountyrecord.com
HENRY — It was hot and muggy at the Marshall-Putnam Relay for Life on Saturday, June 11, at the Henry-Senachwine High School track, but the cause was worth the sweat. Hundreds gathered to celebrate, remember and raise money for Relay for Life, an American Cancer Society event. Those participating in the relay raised far more than the $90,000 goal set for Vol. 148 No. 42 One Section - 16 Pages
© The Putnam County Record
the event — the preliminary total has the amount raised at $108,536. More than a dozen teams had decorated campsites to unify their mission and to uniquely express their purpose. Team Zebra, which was formed to honor the memory of Diane Russell, was one of the largest groups for the second year running. Russell lost her battle shortly after the relay event last year, on Aug. 7, but her team was still strong. They sported zebra striped apparel. Team Kid was represented with a face
painter and handmade bracelets to make their portion of the event fun. The Super Savers from Henry State Bank were new to the event this year and wore Superman T-shirts to signify their theme. The Bernardi team has participated in this event since its inception, and throughout the years has raised more than $322,000 according to Cathy Rossman. “We are pretty proud of that number,” she said.
Relay for Life Page 3
GRANVILLE — The announcement made near the end of the Granville Village Board meeting Tuesday, June 7, was one the board had been waiting a long time to make; the village will soon be receiving its new plow truck. The village’s current truck, a 1994 model, will be replaced by a 2007 International 4300 series. The truck was formerly used by Knoxville Township in Iowa and has only 18,000 miles on the odometer and is reported to be in excellent condition. Knoxville Township’s fleet of nine trucks is what helped keep the mileage low and the replacement of the turbo recently is related to its low use and time spent idle in the garage. The truck has also had some axle work, but it’s largely been trouble free. Granville Village will be making the purchase from O’Halloran International for $60,000. Granville was able to negotiate the price down from $66,000. The village will be using $10,000 from its general fund and borrowing the remainder. The money received from selling the old truck and the older plow/spreader on the newer truck will be returned to the general fund. The newer plow/spreader on Granville’s current truck will be removed and installed on the new truck. The new truck will be receiving a full service before delivery, and the village is expecting to take delivery within a week. Mike Richetta of Chamlin and Associates reported the sidewalk work near the railroad tracks would be done between Tuesday and Thursday of the following week. Richetta also reported meters have been installed to monitor the water flow in the village’s storm system.
For Ad Information Call Ashley at 815-875-4461 ext. 6345 or e-mail: advertising@putnamcountyrecord.com