NW Illinois News

Illinois House GOP Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) supported a political action committee (PAC) that gave GOP gubernatorial hopeful Darren Bailey $39,577 to pay for his campaign launch late last month.

"Save Illinois PAC," run by Brett R. Corrigan and Michael Miller of Barrington, made eight different in-kind donations to vendors on behalf of Bailey's campaign committee, according to a filing with the Illinois State Board of Elections (ISBE), reported North Cook News.

They included four payments totaling $17,138 to Ace Specialties of Lafayette, La., $6,176 to Audio Visual Productions in southwest suburban Bridgeview, $4,000 to JK Guardian Security Inc. of Blue Island and $12,263 to The Drake hotel in Oak Brook, where Bailey made his campaign launch announcement on Sept. 25.

Corrigan, 20, and Miller started Save Illinois PAC on Aug. 15, 2025.

Two weeks later, on Aug. 29, they hosted a fundraising event in Barrington Hills that featured Donald Trump, Jr.

It raised $154,000, representing all of Save Illinois PAC's fundraising in the third quarter of 2025, according to ISBE records. 

The event was promoted as benefitting congressional candidates running for office in Illinois.

Other than the donations to Bailey and approximately $5,000 in event expenses, Save Illinois PAC didn't report any other spending in the quarter.

Save Illinois PAC contributors include McCombie for Illinois, Rep. McCombie’s campaign committee, and Daniel Micic of Skokie, Dr. Narendra Garg of Naperville, and Michael K. Lall of Palatine.

Bailey didn't contribute, but did attend the event with his wife, Cindy, and campaign manager Jose Durbin, later posting about it on Instagram. 

Bailey thanked Corrigan for his "loyalty, generosity, and encouragement."

"Like so many friends across our state, he’s been there every step of the way...I’m blessed to have him in my corner," Bailey wrote.

"Sexual Harrassment, Defamation Per Se, False Imprisionment, and Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress"

Corrigan's support of Bailey comes three years after he threatened to sue him, along with his wife, alleging he was sexually harrassed while working for his 2022 gubernatorial campaign.

A draft complaint sent to the campaign by Corrigan and his attorney, Scott R. Kaspar of Orland Park, demanded "in excess of" $300,000 as well as attorney's fees and punitive damages.

According to the draft complaint, Corrigan met Bailey in March 2021, when he was age 16. Bailey asked him to join his primary campaign, where he served as an "assistant" and a "personal driver."

Corrigan lived with the Bailey family in 2021 and 2022, while working for the campaign, according to the draft complaint.

Other GOP announced candidates for governor include Ted Dabrowski of Wilmette, James Mendrick of Woodridge and Joe Severino of Lake Forest.