Skoien, Del Mar take aim at contributions

Gary Skoien's bid for a third term as Palatine Township Republican Committeeman received big financial boosts from both the organization he leads and a lieutenant governor hopeful.

Palatine Township's GOP group, TOPPER, and state Sen. Matt Murphy's campaign contributed $5,000 apiece to Skoien, who's being challenged by freshman Palatine Councilman Aaron Del Mar.

Murphy, an attorney from Palatine, said Skoien has a successful record of electing Republicans in the area and that the local party has more volunteers than ever.

"I think it's really important to take care of the home base and I see how far we've come in the last eight years," Murphy said. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Del Mar takes issue Skoien's other contribution, however. The small business owner said he's paid his TOPPER dues for several years and doesn't want the funds used against him.

"(Skoien) went and raided the piggy bank," Del Mar said. "It's mismanagement of funds meant for the party in general."

Though TOPPER regularly receives contributions from candidates it endorses, the group isn't in the habit of contributing to specific campaigns, according to campaign finance filings with the Illinois State Board of Elections.

Still, Skoien said he hasn't heard any complaints from TOPPER members other than Del Mar, adding that the executive board approved the move. He compared the contribution to the Democratic National Committee providing financial support to President Obama.

"I've worked to make our organization the strongest Republican organization in the state of Illinois," said Skoien, who also loaned the campaign $1,000. "This is my organization. I put it together. I was elected to do it."

With only $433 in cash, a $350 loan from himself and nearly $3,000 in donated mailings from Omnibus Advertising, Del Mar's coffers are much smaller than the incumbent's.

But Skoien thinks Del Mar's finance reports should also reflect more than $10,000 worth of mailers highlighting a March domestic dispute involving Skoien and his wife. They were paid for by Citizens to End Corruption in Palatine Township, a campaign committee created by Skoien critic Rob Brumbaugh. Skoien believes Del Mar helped orchestrate the mailers.

Del Mar dismissed the complaint as frivolous and said he's not even remotely tied to the ads.