Opponents attack Olson's finances in DuPage GOP race

Debra Olson painted a giant target on her back in the shape of a dollar sign when she announced she'd hold herself to a higher campaign finance standard in her bid to win the Republican nod in the DuPage County Board Chairman's race.

The District 4 board member said she won't accept money from people or companies that do business with the county when she announced her candidacy.

Since then, two of her opponents and their supporters have attacked Olson, complaining she was "hypocritical" about campaign finance reform and that she lined her war chest with ill-gotten dollars before taking the campaign-funding high road. Olson denies any wrongdoing and blasted state Sen. Dan Cronin and state Sen. Carole Pankau for the accusations.

"They can't win on the issues so they go for a smear campaign," Olson, who is a current District 4 board member said.

Both state senators attacked Olson for accepting campaign donations from food vendor Aramark while voting in 2007 and 2008 on a $1 million contract to provide meals at the county jail for a year. The contract eventually went to Minnesota-based A'viands Food & Services Management.

"I voted consistently for A'viands and gave donations back to Aramark," Olson said.

Cronin's camp also said they tallied more than $20,000 worth of campaign donations from companies or people that do business with the county in Olson's coffers over the years, including donations as late as May, 2009.

"I have little patience for hypocrisy and I think that sentiment is shared with the public," Cronin said. "People that say one thing and do another cannot be tolerated any longer. When this county board member holds herself out as a pillar of virtue on ethics and campaign finance reform, it's ironic and hypocritical."

Both Cronin and Pankau admit they've received campaign funds from vendors, lobbyists and political action committees, but they contend they never said they wouldn't and all the donations they've accepted are properly accounted for and legal.

"I haven't put myself out there as the end-all, be-all of ethics," Pankau said. "But what I do is follow the rules."

Olson scoffed at the charges of hypocrisy.

"These two know their own credibility is in jeopardy when voters take a look at their records on taxes, gambling, political contributions, political relationships, you name it," she said. "Every person out there who has been falsely accused knows how this feels. Cronin and Pankau are hoping the voters will believe negative campaign tactics. I know the people of DuPage are smarter than that."

The state senators have their share of detractors as well.

Olson supporters say Pankau is simply running a race against Olson instead of running for the chairman's post, perhaps by dispersing the women's vote. Pankau denies that, saying she's in the race to win it. Meanwhile, Cronin's opponents complain that he has allowed the DuPage Republican Party's funds to dwindle during his tenure at county party chairman. Cronin said the reason the county party's coffers aren't as full as they used to be is due to the township GOP organizations taking more control of finances. While records show most township organization finances are at the same level as they've been in recent years, Cronin chalks that up to the poor economy and donations being down everywhere.

"This is a tough climate to raise money in," he said.

Cronin has also received flak for stumping for donations to an organization called the DuPage Business Council while the county party's funds were declining. Cronin said he supported that group because it gave the GOP an entree to a group that might not otherwise donate politically.

The four-way race - that also includes Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso - has been hotly contested from the start. Both Olson and Cronin had their nominating papers unsuccessfully challenged by Pankau loyalists.

Pankau recently called on Olson to drop out of the race because she has failed to keep an early campaign promise to list all donations on her Web site. Olson said that has proved to be more difficult than initially perceived.

Pankau doesn't buy it.

"That's fine, but she hasn't put even one up," Pankau said. "It's not that tough to update. She held herself out there."

Detractors have also targeted Olson's electrical business, contending the company is receiving money for work it does for the county and that's why she recently listed it on her statement of economic interest. Olson said that's completely false.

"We've never bid any county work, ever," she said. "We don't do government work. I listed the business because I'm basically disclosing I have a company. It's being honest beyond the rules."

Olson complained she was also targeted by an operative connected to Cronin's campaign who filed a complaint with the state's election board recently. She said the complainant didn't even show up to the hearing to defend his complaint.

"We're considering remunerative actions," Olson said.

For his part, Grasso has remained mum in this fight until asked if he wanted to weigh in.

"I don't think campaign financing is an issue in this race and thankfully not in DuPage politics generally," he said. "We don't want Springfield in DuPage County and it appears the Springfield legislators are trying to make something out of nothing to deflect the issues."

Voters will decide Feb. 2 which of the four Republicans will face Democrat Carole Cheney in the Nov. 2 election.