Officer rejects challenge to Buffalo Grove trustee's disclosure form

A hearing officer for the Illinois Board of Elections has rejected a citizen's complaint that Buffalo Grove Trustee Lisa Stone filed a misleading financial disclosure report on her campaign for office last spring.

Hearing officer Tony Morgando Jr. recommended that the board not hold a hearing on the complaint by Adam Moodhe.

Moodhe's Aug. 4 complaint noted that the June 2009 disclosure report showed her spending $3,027.34 for campaign signs at a time when the statement only shows $400 in campaign coffers to cover the expense. It also said that time Paramark Inc., a Riverwoods firm, spent developing the campaign Web site should have been shown as an in-kind contribution of services.

Gary Stone, Lisa's husband, who said he prepared the report, said that expenditures were reported as they were incurred, when the actual payments were made after Lisa Stone loaned the campaign $5,000 two days after the election to cover the expenses. And he said that two friends did the Web site work, comparing it to volunteers who go door-to-door campaigning.

Morgando said in a report dated Sept. 22 and faxed to the Daily Herald Tuesday by Lisa Stone that after reviewing statements at an Aug. 27 hearing and other documents, he felt that expenditures reported as of the date incurred are appropriate as long as they are paid before the ending period of the report. And he wrote that work by Kurt Fliegel and Michael Finkelman, as described in their filed affidavits, does not constitute in-kind contributions. Both affidavits said in almost identical working that the work was done "strictly as a volunteer" with no compensation expected or received.

Morgando did acknowledge Moodhe's perception that the report was inaccurate or misleading and that therefore he felt justified in filing it, adding, "but it is the recommendation of the hearing examiner that NO public hearing be ordered in this matter."

The Illinois Board of Elections still has to act on the report, which it may do next week.

Moodhe said Morgando's ruling misses the point, "especially with regard to transparency."

He said the reports show the dates the bills were received. "There is no actual indication as to when the expenses were paid. - They should be indicating when the bills were paid, and it could easily be done with an amended filing of (the) campaign disclosure."

Lisa Stone said she would withhold comment until the board of elections rules, other than to say she was pleased with the findings.

Gary Stone said he presented the information as accurately as possible to the date when the bills were incurred. "He (Morgando) reviewed what we presented and understands how it was reported, and it was reported accurately."