Talk Show Host Backed LTHS Conservatives

LA GRANGE, IL – Radio talk show host Dan Proft had $1.5 million in his political action committee's account to support Illinois conservative candidates in the last quarter.

He spent just $3,725, or two-thousandths of a percent of the total. That was for independent expenditures for three school board hopefuls.

The candidates were Tim Vlcek, Frank Evans and David Herndon, all Lyons Township High School board candidates who lost in the April 4 election.

According to a campaign finance report, the PAC spent the money on a mailer, though it was unclear which one. In March, an anonymous mailer supported Vlcek, Evans and Herndon and criticized the three union-backed winners, incumbents Kari Dillon and Jill Beda Daniels and newcomer Tim Albores.

Proft appeals to conservatives with his "Chicago's Morning Answer" radio program. His PAC receives donations from conservatives such as billionaire Richard Uihlein.

Proft's PAC, People Who Play by the Rules, is based at his house in Naples, Florida. He moved from Chicago in recent years.

Springfield-based political blogger Rich Miller was the first to report on the PAC's quarterly filing.

According to the report, the PAC paid $75,000 over the last three months to Proft's firm, Starfish Consulting. It paid another $67,000 to a couple of Illinois political consultants.

As Miller pointed out, the total consultant spending was 38 times more than what Proft spent on conservative candidates in the last quarter.

In an interview, Darien resident Terry Newsome, a precinct committeeman for the DuPage County Republican Party, questioned why so much money for a conservative cause needs to be spent on consultants. He said it's easy to figure out what needs to be done to support candidates. More money, he said, should have been invested in like-minded candidates in school board races.

"People Who Play By the Rules, it's kind of a joke," Newsome said. "They have created a cottage industry of raising funds. When they endorse someone, it's the kiss of death."

He said conservatives will not get in a better position until they get rid of the state's GOP leadership.

"Make sure those PACs and other organizations we donate to are flushed," Newsome said. "Our politicians are content with the scraps they can get for themselves. They don't want to rock the boat on the Democratic side. Our organizations are not aggressively getting in their face."

About Proft, he said, "What's funnier is that he lives in Florida."

Proft did not return a message for comment Wednesday.