The State Board of Elections will hold a hearing Friday to determine whether a political action committee formed to lobby for Harper College’s $124.8 million referendum proposal broke state law by publishing a flier that appeared to have been financed by taxpayer dollars.
Members of the Northwest Tax Watch group filed a complaint with the state earlier this week alleging that literature promoting the April 13 referendum proposal didn’t carry the name of Citizens for Harper, the political action committee formed to lobby for the proposal.
Citizens for Harper paid for the mailing, sent to residents throughout the northwest suburbs. But because the flier carried only the name of the college, members of the anti-tax group said it appeared as if tax dollars had financed the campaign piece.
Even if the board rules allegations against Citizens for Harper are justified, the college’s referendum measure will remain on the ballot. And any punishment against the political action committee probably would be minor, said Daniel White, a spokesman for the State Board of Elections.
“The board ruled that the complaint against Harper was filed on justifiable grounds,” White said. “Most complaints are resolved at the preliminary hearing, but it is not uncommon to add a second step with the public hearing to review what happened.”
The board will consider the case at 10 a.m. Friday at the James R. Thompson Center.
College President Robert Breuder said the complaint is directed solely at the citizens’ committee.
“The complaint has nothing to do with allegations that Harper used its funds improperly to promote the referendum,” Breuder said. “I am distressed that state tax funds must be expended to entertain what appears to be a frivolous protest over a minor technicality.”
In addition, the watchdog group also has asked the Cook County state’s attorney’s office to investigate whether Harper officials used taxpayer funds to promote the referendum proposal.
