Wednesday, March 14, 2018

While Dan Biss says we should have “elections not auctions,” he’s auctioning himself off to the highest bidder in his campaign. Just in the last few weeks, Biss has taken $350,000 from people doing business before state government who also gave money to Bruce Rauner. Biss’ campaign justified the donations as being ok because it’s business as usual in Springfield. Biss has also taken hundreds of thousands more from special interests and bankers and lobbyists and over a half million dollars from Springfield insiders.

REALITY CHECK

• Dan Biss says we should have “elections not auctions,” but in reality he’s auctioning himself off by taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from special interests and Springfield insiders.
• Biss took over $300,000 from Stephen Schuler, a financial trader and the executive director of PharmaCann, which is “is the largest holder of medical cannabis licenses in Illinois.”
• Biss took $75,000 from Schuler’s company, Final Finish Inc., which also donated to Bruce Rauner this cycle
• Biss also took $100,000 from Dan Tierney, Schuler’s business partner, whose firm Wicklow Capital is a primary investor of Pharmacann and is also behind a fund to invest in medical marjunana.
• Biss’ campaign defended the contributions by saying, “it makes sense that they would give money to the Governor who controls the outcome of their industry in Illinois.”
• Biss has also taken over $500,000 from Madigan, the Madigan-controlled state party, and the campaign accounts of other lawmakers; $28,000 from the pharmaceutical industry; $15,000 from lobbying firms; and allowed lobbyists to spend nearly $10,000 for food, drink, and entertainment for him.

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