When You Cheat and Still Can't Win
Some of the GOP-propaganda LGIS “newspapers” published last fall.
OPINION
A Washington Post report Thursday set fires across Illinois’ political community, alleging a network of fake newspapers mailed for free around the state in the run up to the 2022 election coordinated content with numerous top Republican campaigns in the state, including that of failed GOP candidate for Governor Darren Bailey.
They’re generally referred to as “Proft” newspapers, as former GOP consultant turned candidate turned radio host turned waster of billionaire cash Dan Proft, who, for years, was listed as a co-owner of the enterprise with former journalist Brian Timpone. Proft apparently no longer has an ownership role, but sure acted like it when the Daily Herald stopped printing the publications last year.
As I read the story in the Post yesterday, a few things really stood out to me:
In one example, the campaign of Darren Bailey, the Republican running to unseat Illinois’ governor, Democrat J.B. Pritzker, used the portal to pitch a story days before last November’s election about an endorsement from Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democrat and onetime congresswoman from Hawaii, according to documents reviewed by The Post. A story soon appeared in the Dupage Policy Journal, whose website describes itself as a product of Local Government Information Services.
The Dupage Policy Journal quoted Gabbard’s effusive comments about Bailey, ticked off Bailey’s other endorsements and reported that the GOP candidate was “honored” by the vote of confidence. Other Chicago-area outlets reporting on the Gabbard endorsement, by contrast, offered additional context. They noted that Gabbard had previously called Donald Trump, who was also backing Bailey’s run, “unfit to serve” and quoted Pritzker criticizing Gabbard as a “conspiracy theorist.” Bailey, who failed to unseat Pritzker, did not respond to a request for comment.
First of all, the Bailey campaign got a metric ton of earned media on their Tulsi Gabbard endorsement and rally in the suburbs in the days leading up to the election. So, why would the campaign be begging these sites for news coverage when there was little time to even gain any traction in the mighty publications like the “DuPage Policy Journal.”
We reached out to Jose Durbin, the former campaign manager for Darren Bailey’s failed 2022 race for governor. He declined to comment.
But, a source close to the Bailey operation last year said the campaign included LGIS “papers” on standard press releases like those sent to all other media sources, including this newsletter.
“Nothing out of the ordinary,” the source said.
The source said Republican political campaigns all around the state had at least a passing knowledge of the so-called “portal,” no matter if it was used or not.
“If you asked any Republican operative, they'd tell you they were aware of the portal,” the source said.
Another operative cast doubt on statements the Bailey team didn’t utilize the resources to feed information to LGIS.
“Any [billionaire fundraiser Richard] Uihlein-backed candidate was getting information to these papers,” said another political operative, specifically pointing to Bailey, former Attorney General candidate Tom DeVore, and Senate Republicans, who were buoyed by almost $2.5 million in cash from Uihlein last fall. “Whether they used the portal or not, whether it was coordinated or not, the left hand was talking to the right hand.”
Nick McNeely, the former Senate Republican campaign chief, did not return my call Thursday.
The other thing that keeps poking at me is who was actually using the portal.
From the WaPo story:
Different people have provided campaigns with access to the portal, according to those with log-in credentials. They include someone listed as an author on at least one of Timpone’s sites.
Another person who helped set up a campaign with access to Lumen last year — in part by arranging a briefing on the technical infrastructure — was Jeanne Ives, a former state lawmaker who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for governor in 2018, according to messages reviewed by The Post. She did not respond to requests for comment.
I talked to a pile of GOP politicians and operatives yesterday and have yet to find someone who has actually used the portal.
Of course, Democrats are making a stink from the story. In a statement, Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Rep. Lisa Hernandez said the story shows “concerted efforts to mislead voters.”
“This goes far beyond news with a partisan tilt; this was a deliberate distribution of disinformation that came straight from Republican candidates and their campaigns. It is imperative that all of our public officials condemn these actions in the strongest possible terms to avoid setting an unacceptable precedent that permanently shatters the line between news and propaganda, especially as Timpone attempts to expand his deceitful operation in 2024,” she said. “The dangerous attempts to deceive voters pose a threat to our very democracy; degrading trust in our elections, media, and elected officials. Illinois voters deserve better, and Darren Bailey and all of the Illinois Republicans who engaged with LGIS owe them an apology.”
The DPI has already filed complaints with the State Board of Elections over potential illegal coordination between the Bailey campaign and Proft’s Uihlein-funded “People Who Play By the Rules” PAC. It isn’t clear if there is any violation of state campaign finance laws (or any other law.)
But, a GOP operative not affiliated with Proft scoffed at Democratic indignation.
“If the Democrats did it, it wouldn’t be called cheating, it would be called smart politics,” the operative said. “It’s only a scandal because Republicans thought of it first.”
Though, considering Proft’s win-loss record running PAC’s or supporting them through less-than-impartial newsprint, it seems like cheating may not even be the answer for Republicans to win in Illinois.
At least, not the Dan Proft way.