Prosecutors say former Illinois lawmaker used campaign funds to finance lavish lifestyle

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — William “Sam” McCann says he continued to fund his lavish lifestyle with campaign contributions even after the former congressman and gubernatorial candidate admitted wrongdoing to federal investigators. , the prosecutor said Tuesday at the opening of his characterizing corruption trial. Greed, fraud, and arrogance. ”

McCann, 54, a former Republican state senator, said he was questioned four times by FBI and IRS agents about personal campaign spending while running a third-party campaign for governor in the summer of 2018. This was announced by Assistant Prosecutor Timothy Bass. He said in a recorded interview that Mr McCann admitted to improper spending in some of the cases brought by the officers and told them he would “place himself at the mercy of the courts” if prosecuted. Ta.

After his crushing loss in the 2018 gubernatorial race, Bass said he drained $340,000 in personal spending from a campaign fund he set up as standard bearer of the newly formed Illinois Conservative Party.

“This case is about three words: greed, fraud and arrogance,” Bass said in his opening statement at the court hearing before U.S. District Judge Colleen Lawless. “Greed in the sense of a lifestyle far beyond his means. Fraud in the means by which he achieved that lifestyle. Arrogance in continuing that lifestyle even after confronting law enforcement.”

McCann, who lives in Plainview, about 80 miles north of St. Louis, is facing seven counts of wire fraud, money laundering and tax evasion for allegedly funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay for delinquent loans, mortgage payments and other expenses. He is charged with one crime. , credit card bills, a family trip to Colorado, and the purchase of an SUV and large pickup truck.

In what Bass called a “terrible example,” McCann bought an RV and trailer, rented it out through an online service, and then “split himself into two people” using two different names. Mr Sam McCann provided rental cars and Mr William provided car hire. McCann leased them with political donations.

The trial finally began after repeated delays, most recently after McCann was hospitalized with chest pains and a fainting spell. A trial scheduled for November was postponed after he declared he would represent himself. After an illness last week, he ceded his defense to standby Jason Vincent.

Vincent postponed his opening statement until the defense case began.

Cynthia Miller, who was hired after Mr. McCann’s successful Senate campaign in 2010 and continued to work in his Senate district office, had a dispute with Mr. McCann after she began to see what she believed to be inappropriate spending. He testified that there was a conflict.

There was a check in McCann’s bank with an incomprehensible “rent” written on it. Mr. Miller testified that he did not know about Mr. McCann’s political account until he received a statement listing spending on jewelry and a water park in the Chicago suburb of Gurnee. Miller said when she asked McCann about mileage reimbursement for gas purchased for the same car using a promotional debit card, McCann gave her standard answers to questions about other spending. .

“He basically told me I don’t have to worry about it or it doesn’t concern me,” Miller told McCann, adding that such transactions were not included in the Illinois State Board of Elections’ campaign disclosure statement. He said he instructed them to fill it out themselves.

Earlier, Mark Poulos, executive director of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, said the union had given more than $3 million in cash and in-kind contributions to McCann’s conservative gubernatorial candidate, calling him a “Republican Luncheon.” He testified that he regarded the situation as “pale”. He supported the working class.

Mr Pross said Mr McCann had gained enough support in some parts of the state that the Conservatives could become the locally established party in the next election. But McCann said he has not used the donations to build momentum or recruit future candidates or refunded them.