CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS PHOTO BY JERRY NOWICKI
Don Tracy is proven rallying GOP attendees on the 2023 Illinois State Truthful when he was serving as chair of the Illinois Republican Celebration. Lower than a 12 months later, Tracy introduced his resignation, citing get together infighting.
A six-year authorized battle not too long ago got here to an finish with longtime GOP powerbroker Don Tracy claiming victory.
In 2019, the Illinois govt inspector normal discovered the Springfield lawyer engaged in a prohibited political exercise by making a $1,000 marketing campaign contribution to a legislative candidate whereas serving as chair of the Illinois Gaming Board.
However Tracy mentioned that was nonsense as a result of the contribution made to Republican Seth McMillan, who was difficult then-Sen. Andy Manar, a Democrat, was made not by him however by his spouse, Wanda, from their joint checking account.
The inspector normal contended this was solely a ruse employed by Tracy to funnel cash to a candidate regardless of members of the gaming board being banned from doing so.
“Mainly, they have been alleging a conspiracy with none proof of a conspiracy, simply the idea {that a} girl cannot contribute on her personal,” Tracy mentioned.
He mentioned regardless of having instructed the inspector normal’s workplace that the examine was written by his spouse with none path from him, nobody from that workplace bothered to interview his spouse.
Wanda Tracy declined to debate the matter with Illinois Instances. Nonetheless, she did write a letter to the IG’s workplace saying that the donation was “of my very own free will.” She additionally detailed political actions she had been concerned with through the years.
Tracy was appointed chair of the gaming board by then-Gov. Bruce Rauner in February 2015. He resigned from the put up in 2019, a number of months after Gov. JB Pritzker took workplace. The put up paid lower than $5,000 per 12 months.
After Tracy left workplace, the inspector normal printed a discovering saying that he violated the legislation. No high-quality was levied or any disciplinary motion taken. Regardless, Tracy mentioned he sought a listening to earlier than the Govt Ethics Fee as a result of he had been publicly admonished and wished a chance to clear his title.
However the request for a listening to was initially denied, and Tracy went to courtroom searching for such a listening to.
“After two years of hard-fought litigation, the circuit choose dominated that we have been entitled to a listening to and ordered the Govt Ethics Fee to present me a listening to,” he instructed Illinois Instances.
In December, Tracy lastly had his listening to earlier than the Ethics Fee. Each he and his spouse testified.
“There have been 5 authorities legal professionals, all working at authorities expense, on this case,” he mentioned. Tracy employed one legal professional.
“We spent 1000’s and 1000’s of {dollars}. Most individuals could not have afforded to problem this,” he mentioned.
However Tracy is a scion of the founders of Mt. Sterling-based Dot Meals which, in response to Forbes, is without doubt one of the 50-largest privately held firms within the U.S.
He additionally has served as chair of the Illinois Republican Celebration and made unsuccessful runs for state senate and lieutenant governor.
Tracy, who was a political ally of Rauner, labored with him to develop the Y block simply north of the Governor’s Mansion. Tracy and Rauner sought to curtail the affect of building unions on the mission.
In obvious retaliation, Brad Schaive, then-business supervisor for Laborers Native 477, filed the criticism with the inspector normal concerning the political donation, the State Journal-Register reported in 2019.
When reached Feb. 17 by IT, Schaive declined remark.
In its January ruling, the Ethics Fee mentioned the inspector normal didn’t show by a preponderance of the proof that Tracy had violated the legislation.
Alisa Kaplan, govt director of Reform for Illinois, mentioned she is worried concerning the authorized precedent that the case might set. She famous spouses are typically used to bypass prohibitions on political exercise.
“It is a troublesome subject. Maybe not being politically energetic is the value a partner pays for being married to somebody holding such a place.”
