| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
| ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, Section 3 of Article VIII of the Constitution of | ||||||
| 3 | the State of Illinois provides that the General Assembly, by a | ||||||
| 4 | vote of three-fifths of the members elected to each house, | ||||||
| 5 | shall appoint an Auditor General; and
| ||||||
| 6 | WHEREAS, Section 3 of Article VIII of the Constitution of | ||||||
| 7 | the State of Illinois provides that the General Assembly, by a | ||||||
| 8 | vote of three-fifths of the members elected to each house, may | ||||||
| 9 | remove the Auditor General for cause; and
| ||||||
| 10 | WHEREAS, The Senate and the House of Representatives | ||||||
| 11 | adopted Senate Joint Resolution 35 on October 20, 2015 to | ||||||
| 12 | appoint Frank J. Mautino as Auditor General; and
| ||||||
| 13 | WHEREAS, Auditor General Frank J. Mautino's term commenced | ||||||
| 14 | on January 1, 2016 for a term of 10 years; and
| ||||||
| 15 | WHEREAS, Frank J. Mautino served as chairman of the | ||||||
| 16 | political committee referred to as the Committee for Frank J. | ||||||
| 17 | Mautino that was established on September 16, 1991 and closed | ||||||
| 18 | on December 30, 2015; and
| ||||||
| 19 | WHEREAS, The State Board of Elections has ordered the | ||||||
| 20 | Committee for Frank J. Mautino to provide clarification of | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | spending by the political campaign committee; and | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The Illinois Times newspaper in Springfield has | ||||||
| 3 | reported that a federal grand jury has issued subpoenas to | ||||||
| 4 | former campaign workers of Auditor General Frank J. Mautino; | ||||||
| 5 | and | ||||||
| 6 | WHEREAS, Auditor General Frank J. Mautino has acknowledged | ||||||
| 7 | that there is an on-going investigation by the United States | ||||||
| 8 | Attorney's Office into spending of campaign funds by the | ||||||
| 9 | Committee for Frank J. Mautino; and | ||||||
| 10 | WHEREAS, Auditor General Frank J. Mautino has acknowledged | ||||||
| 11 | that he is cooperating with the United States Attorney's Office | ||||||
| 12 | investigation into alleged improprieties involving the | ||||||
| 13 | Committee for Frank J. Mautino; and | ||||||
| 14 | WHEREAS, Auditor General Frank J. Mautino has repeatedly | ||||||
| 15 | refused to respond to requests for information submitted by | ||||||
| 16 | members of the General Assembly regarding allegations of | ||||||
| 17 | misappropriation of campaign funds, ethical concerns, and | ||||||
| 18 | potential conflicts of interest; and | ||||||
| 19 | WHEREAS, Auditor General Frank J. Mautino has sought to | ||||||
| 20 | avoid answering questions from the State Board of Elections by | ||||||
| 21 | seeking a stay of the State Board of Elections' investigation | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | while the pending federal criminal investigation proceeds; and | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The investigation by the United States Attorney | ||||||
| 3 | General may not be concluded for months or years; and | ||||||
| 4 | WHEREAS, Taxpayers deserve an Auditor General beyond | ||||||
| 5 | reproach who is not the subject of an ongoing federal | ||||||
| 6 | investigation; and | ||||||
| 7 | WHEREAS, The ongoing investigations into the Committee for | ||||||
| 8 | Frank J. Mautino and serious allegations leveled against Frank | ||||||
| 9 | J. Mautino demonstrate his inability to conduct the Office of | ||||||
| 10 | Auditor General in an impartial and professional manner; | ||||||
| 11 | therefore, be it | ||||||
| 12 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 13 | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE | ||||||
| 14 | CONCURRING HEREIN, that, pursuant to Section 3 of Article VIII | ||||||
| 15 | of the Illinois Constitution, Frank J. Mautino is to be removed | ||||||
| 16 | for cause and shall be removed from office as the Auditor | ||||||
| 17 | General of the State of Illinois; and be it further
| ||||||
| 18 | RESOLVED, That Frank J. Mautino has neglected his duty to | ||||||
| 19 | the General Assembly by refusing to respond to legislative | ||||||
| 20 | inquiries regarding specific allegations involving | ||||||
| 21 | misappropriation of campaign funds, ethical concerns and | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | potential conflicts of interest; and be it further | ||||||
| 2 | RESOLVED, That, pursuant to Section 3 of Article VIII of | ||||||
| 3 | the Illinois Constitution, Auditor General Frank J. Mautino | ||||||
| 4 | shall have been afforded due process and the opportunity to | ||||||
| 5 | appear before each house, prior to any vote on removal, to | ||||||
| 6 | respond to the charges contained in this Resolution; and be it | ||||||
| 7 | further | ||||||
| 8 | RESOLVED, That, by the vote of three-fifths of the members | ||||||
| 9 | elected to each house of the General Assembly pursuant to | ||||||
| 10 | Section 3 of Article VIII of the Constitution of the State of | ||||||
| 11 | Illinois, Frank J. Mautino of Spring Valley, Illinois is | ||||||
| 12 | removed as Auditor General for the State of Illinois | ||||||
| 13 | immediately.
| ||||||