Following Costly Misstep, Education Group Tries to Rebound
An Oregon-based education group, whose deep pockets and skillful maneuvering made it a surprising powerhouse player in Springfield earlier this year, is regrouping after an embarrassing outburst by its founder forced a leadership shuffle within the organization.
The Illinois chapter of Stand for Children raised more money than any other major lobbying interest in the capital last fall. But it has not raised a penny in the current election cycle and has spent only $2,500 on two candidates so far, according to the most recent campaign disclosure reports filed with the state Board of Elections.
At this time last year, the group had collected more than $3.4 million and had given $610,000 to favored candidates, making it one of the most generous, and clandestine, political action committees in Springfield. Chicago’s elite — including the Crown and Pritzker families, along with the Citadel Group’s founder, Kenneth