The Madison County Republican Party demanded an immediate investigation into alleged election interference by the Madison County Conservative Cause (MCCC), who responded by saying they were simply participating in the political process and advocating for conservative candidates.
“Participating in democracy is not election interference,” stated MCCC Chairman Lee Wathan. “Political insiders are always upset when regular citizens are involved and take part in the political process.”
Ray Wesley, Chairman of the Madison County Republican Party, called for an investigation on Monday. He stated MCCC spent thousands of dollars on political mailers sent throughout Madison County, “meddling in nearly every primary election race.”
Wesley stated they discovered “what appears to be significant and potentially illegal interference ongoing in our local Republican primary elections,” which he said “undermines true election integrity.”
He cited the Illinois State Board of Elections, stating MCCC dissolved in 2022 and was ordered to pay penalties for failing to follow requirements as outlined for political action committees.
“Upon further investigation, it appears an out-of-state political action committee operating under a separate name, but with multiple overlapping board members as the MCCC has been still funneling money to candidates, all in apparent disregard for Illinois electoral law,” Wesley wrote.
Wathan responded on behalf of MCCC on Tuesday, countering that the group’s critics are being funded by Chicago money.
“The real story is that the individuals who are opposing our Conservative Caucus candidates, take money from Chicago,” he said. “This Chicago money is being laundered through a local candidate to fund the opponents of Kurt Prenzler and Steve Adler.”
In response to a request for comment by the Record, Wathan stated that MCCC looks forward to any investigation.
He stated they are an affiliated chapter with a national organization that advocates for conservative values. The group’s website specifies that they are a county chapter of American’s Conservative Caucus, which is “a registered political action committee dedicated to restoring constitutional republicanism by supporting and electing Conservative First candidates.”
“We file all necessary reports and work to inform voters of key issues,” Wathan wrote. “Our participation is voluntary, and we support many different candidates based upon their exhibit of conservative values.”
The group is not affiliated with any specific political party or candidate.
“We will only support a candidate who believes in restoring republicanism and identifies unequivocally as a strong, principled, constitutional conservative first, before party affiliation,” the website states.
In his call for an investigation, Wesley stated that he plans to contact both the local board of elections and the Illinois State Board of Elections regarding his allegations.
“The Madison County Republican Party remains committed to upholding the principles of fairness, transparency, and accountability in our electoral process,” he wrote. “We will continue to monitor this situation closely and will work diligently to ensure those responsible for any wrongdoing are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”