Thursday, August 31, 2006
Origianl Version of "Dan Proft Dan Proft’s Company Does Well in Political Game"
McHenry County Blog decided to take a look at what Dan Proft has received from Illinois politicians and guess what?
If you look up his name, you find not one dollar reported expended on his services.
Proft, you may remember is the one who helped recruit Alan Keyes to replace Jack Ryan, both of whose campaigns he worked on in 2004.
He started Illinois Leader, along with Brian Timpone, and allowed editor Fran Eaton to build it up to 500,000 hits a week and, then, killed it.
But, look up his company, Urquhart Media, and you’ll find it has been paid $316,585.65 since mid-March of 2005.
And, if you add in Starfish Consulting, Proft’s former company, there’s another $188,692.11, going back to a 1999 re-election campaign for Alderman Joe Moore. (You know, the anti-Wal-Mart guy.)
Since that’s a healthy sum, I decided to look at the details for Urquhart.
Proft is, of course, orchestrating the Tony Peraica for Cook County Board President campaign.
The first payment for Urquhart (of $12,000) shows up on March 18, 2005, from Citizens for Peraica. In all, Peraica has paid the firm $86,172.95.
Since then through the end of June, Peraica has spent $256,012.25. That means Proft’s firm managed to garner fully one-third of every dollar Peraica has spent on his campaign.
Proft also worked for Steve Rauschenberger’s gubernatorial campaign. For that, his firm received $158,057.63.
Calculating what percentage was spent on his firm’s services and including only the time since Urguhart first got paid, all expenditures amount to $1,046,583.6, while Urquhart’s percentage is over 15% of the total.
GOP gubernatorial candidate Ron Gidwitz also paid Urguhart $35,667.94 after Rauschenberger became his running mate. $29,667.94 was paid through Ron Gidwitz for Governor, while $6,000 came through The Illinois Turnaround Team. Gidwitz paid Starfish Consulting $12,000, as well.
Urquhart also provided $20,973.50 worth of brochures for the Aurora Township Republican Team in 2005.
The Cicero committee was the final one, and the one for which Proft got the most publicity, but got paid least. Just $5,695 is listed as paid to Urquhart.
Proft was also active in Blue Island’s 2005 municipal elections. He received $4,084 through Starfish from The Coalition Party, a.k.a,, The Progressive Party.
Of course, Proft is making almost $100,000 for the job of being its spokesman now.
The Downers Grove Information Network, an anti-Home Rule group, paid him $10,018.63 this past spring, but lost its referendum.
And the income enumerated does not include any fees from placing advertising nor does it include anything earned for the Jack Ryan and Alan Keyes for U.S. Senate campaigns in Illinois.
= = = = =
For the slightly revised version, click here.
If you look up his name, you find not one dollar reported expended on his services.
Proft, you may remember is the one who helped recruit Alan Keyes to replace Jack Ryan, both of whose campaigns he worked on in 2004.
He started Illinois Leader, along with Brian Timpone, and allowed editor Fran Eaton to build it up to 500,000 hits a week and, then, killed it. But, look up his company, Urquhart Media, and you’ll find it has been paid $316,585.65 since mid-March of 2005.
And, if you add in Starfish Consulting, Proft’s former company, there’s another $188,692.11, going back to a 1999 re-election campaign for Alderman Joe Moore. (You know, the anti-Wal-Mart guy.)
Since that’s a healthy sum, I decided to look at the details for Urquhart.
Proft is, of course, orchestrating the Tony Peraica for Cook County Board President campaign.
The first payment for Urquhart (of $12,000) shows up on March 18, 2005, from Citizens for Peraica. In all, Peraica has paid the firm $86,172.95.
Since then through the end of June, Peraica has spent $256,012.25. That means Proft’s firm managed to garner fully one-third of every dollar Peraica has spent on his campaign.
Proft also worked for Steve Rauschenberger’s gubernatorial campaign. For that, his firm received $158,057.63.
Calculating what percentage was spent on his firm’s services and including only the time since Urguhart first got paid, all expenditures amount to $1,046,583.6, while Urquhart’s percentage is over 15% of the total.
GOP gubernatorial candidate Ron Gidwitz also paid Urguhart $35,667.94 after Rauschenberger became his running mate. $29,667.94 was paid through Ron Gidwitz for Governor, while $6,000 came through The Illinois Turnaround Team. Gidwitz paid Starfish Consulting $12,000, as well.
Urquhart also provided $20,973.50 worth of brochures for the Aurora Township Republican Team in 2005.
The Cicero committee was the final one, and the one for which Proft got the most publicity, but got paid least. Just $5,695 is listed as paid to Urquhart.
Proft was also active in Blue Island’s 2005 municipal elections. He received $4,084 through Starfish from The Coalition Party, a.k.a,, The Progressive Party.
Of course, Proft is making almost $100,000 for the job of being its spokesman now.
The Downers Grove Information Network, an anti-Home Rule group, paid him $10,018.63 this past spring, but lost its referendum.
And the income enumerated does not include any fees from placing advertising nor does it include anything earned for the Jack Ryan and Alan Keyes for U.S. Senate campaigns in Illinois.
= = = = =
For the slightly revised version, click here.
# posted by Cal Skinner : 12:17 PM
