Illinois Senate President Don Harmon is facing a new challenge over a State Board of Elections staff finding that his campaign committee owes $9.8 million in fines for accepting campaign contributions in excess of state limitations.
The libertarian-leaning Liberty Justice Center, which frequently advocates on behalf of Republican causes, last week filed a citizen-initiated complaint with the election board regarding Harmon’s committee. The move could allow the matter to go to court and sidestep the bipartisan election panel’s stalemate on the issue.
The filing of the complaint comes as the eight-member election board, made up of four Democrats and four Republicans, convenes Tuesday to again consider their 4-4 deadlock vote last month on the Oak Park Democratic lawmaker’s attempt to appeal a hearing examiner’s recommendation that the fines be imposed for violating campaign limits.
Harmon’s attorney, veteran Democratic lawyer Michael Kasper, had argued that the board needs five votes to make a final decision. Absent that, Kasper said, any fines have not officially been imposed against the state Senate president and he could not go to court to mount an appeal.
Election board staff determined that the Friends of Don Harmon for State Senate campaign fund last year accepted more than $4 million above state campaign contribution limits. The board’s action was prompted by a Chicago Tribune inquiry about the committee’s fundraising activities.
At issue is a provision of Illinois campaign finance law that Harmon championed to even the playing field in contests involving a wealthy self-funding competitor. But legislative leaders and others have triggered the provision to allow them to collect unlimited campaign contributions.
Harmon contributed $100,001 to his own campaign in January 2023 and, in his appeal, indicated he thought the move allowed him to collect unlimited cash throughout the November 2024 election cycle. But board officials informed him the loophole would only remain open through the March 2024 primary, meaning any campaign cash exceeding the contribution limits that he received after the primary through the end of the year was not allowed.
Harmon was not a 2024 candidate but is on the ballot next year and contends that an election cycle runs until his office is up for election. Unlike state House members, who are up for election every two years, state senators run in staggered two- and four-year terms.
The complaint filed through the Liberty Justice Center follows along the staff-initiated finding that Harmon violated the law. But as a citizen-initiated complaint, it could allow a court to review whether the board followed state law or to seek a judicial mandate requiring the board to act.
