Illinois auditor acknowledges inquiry into campaign spending

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Illinois' auditor general on Thursday acknowledged a federal investigation into his campaign spending when he was a state lawmaker.

A spokesman for Auditor General Frank Mautino said that the former House deputy majority leader "is cooperating with the U.S. Attorney's office in its investigation."

The statement was in response to a report by the Illinois Times newspaper in Springfield that a federal grand jury has issued subpoenas to former Mautino campaign workers. The U.S. Attorney's office declined comment.

The Illinois State Board of Elections ordered the Spring Valley Democrat on Monday to explain campaign expenditures that are the subject of a citizen complaint. The demand came after a group of Republican state lawmakers also raised questions about Mautino's campaign spending.

Mautino entered the House in 1991 to fill a vacancy created by the death of his father, Richard. He joined Speaker Michael Madigan's leadership team in 2009 as deputy majority leader and was appointed by the Democratic-controlled Legislature last year to a 10-year term as the state's fiscal watchdog.

The campaign spending under scrutiny includes more than $200,000 on gas and repairs at a single hometown service station owned by a city alderman as well as payments to local bank.