“Wogen for 3rd Ward”
Posted by yinnApr 27
Will the Illinois State Board of Elections investigate Victor Wogen’s political action group(s)? Hope so.
In one of the Chronicle articles, Wogen mentioned “Wogen for Third” as his group, while the ephemeral “Citizens for a Better 3rd Ward” ostensibly sent out a mailer independently of Wogen and his Maple Park consultant, Jon Zahm of Goliath Slayer Communications (motto: “Your one stop shop for winning election campaigns”).
One answer that should be teased out of this mess is, how come the two groups seem to be so interchangeable? “Citizens for 3rd” sends out a smear mailer, but Wogen himself pays up when it’s short postage–and brings in more bins of the stuff himself. “Citizens for 3rd” is an anonymous political support group, but uses opposition research obtained by Zahm’s wife (who submitted the request under a name that she doesn’t normally use).
One might suspect that there is in fact only one political action committee, but that two are claimed so that a) Wogen could be seen as above the fray; b) Wogen could spend more than $3000 in the campaign without filing with the Board of Elections; and c) Wogen could also, in bypassing the filing requirement, keep his campaign contributors secret.
To call or write the Illinois State Board of Elections:
1020 S. Spring Street
P.O. Box 4187
Springfield, Illinois 62708
Telephone: 217/782-4141
Fax: 217/782-5959
or
James R. Thompson Center
100 West Randolph
Suite 14-100
Chicago, Illinois 60601
Telephone: 312/814-6440
Fax: 312/814-6485
7 comments
Comment by Follow the Money on April 27, 2007 at 9:27 pm
Postage on 1,800 postcards x $.52 per piece = $936
Postcards (can be estimated) 1,800 x $1.25 = $2,250
Labels for Postcards (done through computer mail merge) $350
Yard signs (estimated) 150 x $7 = $1,050
Web site design (estimated) $200
Political consulting by Zahm (estimated) $50 per hour x 2 hours (for getting FOIA) $120
$4,906 so far.
Design of mailing?
I understand there were two other mailers? On what kind of paper? That would put the total at over $6,000.
Comment by Forgot the Chronicle ads on April 27, 2007 at 9:39 pm
There were at least two Chronicle ads, one large one and one small one.
Large one on a Sunday $400 (estimated)
Small one on a Monday $120
The Chronicle would know the exact prices for a three-column inch ad on a Sunday and a one-column ad on a Monday.
I did not include the family portrait photgorphy because the picture of Wogen’s could be from long before the election.
Comment by yinn on April 28, 2007 at 8:21 am
Aren’t you a fount of information! I knew the Chronicle article info was probably the tip of the iceberg.
I’ve only heard of one other mailer, but some are disputing the 1800 number, saying there are a couple hundred more households in the 3rd than that.
Did not realize that yard signs are so costly. That’s weird that the anti-water-authority people did not pick up the two signs they put in my yard. Seems like the metal stake part could (and should) be recycled.
Comment by John Q DeKalb on April 30, 2007 at 9:35 am
Go to http://www.cafepress.com/barbedliar to get a shirt “supporting” DeKalb’s barbed liar. Wear it to his swearing in, council meetings, etc.
Pingback by City Barbs » Barbed Liar on April 30, 2007 at 11:44 am
[...] Get your shirt here. (Hat tip to “John Q. DeKalb.”) [...]
Pingback by City Barbs » Wogen on the Radio Friday on May 2, 2007 at 3:26 pm
[...] (If the Wogen scandal is new to you, previous posts here and here can help get you up to speed.) [...]
Pingback by City Barbs » Campaign Wizard of Maple Park on September 9, 2007 at 5:21 pm
[...] You will recall that Jon Zahm of Maple Park did some work for Victor Wogen’s campaign to become 3rd Ward alderman so he’s a person of interest to me. Zahm is a very busy consultant and it is difficult to keep up with his projects. Fortunately, I am an insomniac. Goliath Slayer Communications 302 Willow St P O Box 21 Maple Park, IL 60151 $280.40 3/11/2006 In-Kind Contribution Friends of Mike Fortner [...]
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