NW Illinois News

Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie has responded to the recent push by Democrats for campaign finance reform. In a statement, McCombie criticized what he sees as hypocrisy from Illinois Democrats regarding outside influence in politics.

McCombie stated, “It’s always entertaining when Illinois Democrats pretend to be appalled by ‘outside influence’ in politics—all while rallying national and out-of-state support for themselves. They can scream about ‘obscene’ contributions from outsiders, but the real issue isn’t where the funds come from; it’s that their opponents are leveling the playing field."

He further argued that even with reforms, Democrats would find ways to exploit loopholes. "Even with campaign finance reform—the Democratic machine will always find a loophole to line its pockets and disingenuously attack challengers," McCombie added.

The House Minority Leader also pointed out what he perceives as double standards in political funding practices. “Looks like they have a classic case of ‘do as I say, not as I do’—out-of-state dollars are fine when they’re fueling their own attacks, but suddenly it’s a problem when the checkbook opens for someone else. Just another example of ‘rules for thee, but not for me,’” he concluded.