Mayor's Campaign Contributions

It would be good to have an explanation of the contributions to Mr.  Krajewski's election campaign before we go to the polls.  If one loads   the official state campaign disclosure web site  and searches for  "Committee Name"  containing  "Krajewski"  one gets a listing of the contributions.  The total is about $500,000  for the years 2002-2006.  That's about $10 per resident.  It's like a presidential candidate raising 3 BILLION Dollars.  And 2007 dollars are not included.

At the candidates' forum on March 24  Mr. Krajewski said that the annual golf outing is his main fundraising the campaign.  Yet the contribution list shows many contributions that do not appear to be related to the golf outing.  Legal firms, management firms, insurance agencies, builders, etc., mostly from outside the Village regularly contribute several hundred to several thousand dollars per year.  He said that his annual golf outing is like the Naperville golf outing for Naperville’s Mayor Pradel.  However the state campaign disclosure web site shows no contributions to Mr. Pradel over the same period that Mr. Krajewski received half a million.  It shows about $25,000 in contributions to Pradel in 2007.  It does not have Krajweski data for 2007 but consider that he received over $100,000 in 2006,  a year he was not even running for office.

Mr.  Krajewski also said that the contributions are not just for his campaign but support village business such as his travel and entertainment expenses when he's lobbying for village interests.  It seem odd to be commingling village business expenses and election campaign expenses.  He also said that much of the money is donated to various non-profit organizations.  But a search of the campaign disclosure web site for "donations" from "Citizens for Brian J Krajewski" turn up only about $8000.

Krajewski supporters say that the campaign contributions are a non-issue.  I disagree.

Peter Turula      Downers Grove, IL

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