Prairie State Wire

Irvin for Illinois, the campaign committee supporting Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin in his bid to win the Republican nomination for Illinois governor, spent $11,904,491 in the first quarter of 2022, ending March 31.

That's according to the campaign's filing with the Illinois State Board of Elections (ISBE), dated May 15.

Of the total, $9.495 million, or approximately 80 percent of the total was spent buying television commercial time with Strategic Media Services, Inc. of Arlington, Virginia.

Richard Irvin | Facebook / Richard Irvin

The campaign spent $285,616 on payroll, including 22 staffers and $260,859 on eleven consultants.

It spent $102,765 on rent for offices in Chicago, Springfield and Aurora, $19,986 to reimburse a company owned by Citadel, the company of its primary backer Ken Griffin, for use of its private jet, and $500 for a subscription to Rich Miller's Capitol Fax newsletter.

Employees include:

-- Kayleen Carlson, 35, of Chicago; ($34,384) formerly worked as an executive assistant and scheduler for U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) as well as campaign manager and aide for U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL); also worked for former Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner’s “Illinois Rebuild Project;" has been a consultant with XPS, Inc., an Oak Brook political consultancy, since Sept. 2017.

--Elaine “Eleni” Demertzis, 36, of Chicago; ($32,467) has worked as spokesman for Illinois House GOP Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) since 2017; Previously worked as press secretary for Rauner and Kirk; Spent two years as deputy press secretary for Democrat Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart and two years as a reporter for Suburban Life Publications.

--Nicholas "Anthony" Sarros, 31; ($26,222), a Decatur native working as Irvin's deputy campaign manager; formerly a top aide to Rauner and ran the Illinois GOP.

-- James Zenn, 33, of Park Ridge; ($25,263) currently an executive at Irvin for Illinois vendor Targeted Victory LLC of Arlington, Virginia since Jan. 2021; formerly campaign manager for U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), field director for Rauner and a special assistant to Kirk and Davis.

--Jared Dubnow, 32, of Glencoe; ($24,509) he's worked as a VP at Washington, D.C. lobbying firm The Hawthorn Group since 2019; Formerly a staffer for Rauner.

--Anthony Esposito, 37, of Arlington Heights; ($21,032); he worked for the  Illinois Dept. of Commerce and Illinois Dept. of Financial and Professional Regulation under Rauner before becoming Director of Business Development for Camelot Lottery Solutions, a state vendor. Previously worked as an aide to Kirk and U.S. Rep John Shimkus (R-IL).

--Kyle Haevers, 35 of Gurnee; ($18,575); was a former "body man" for Rauner.

--Daile Schuberth, 28, of Bolingbrook;  ($14,659) was a volunteer for Rauner.

--Derek Murphy, 31, of Downers Grove; ($13,817) was suburban political director for Rauner before joining the political consultant Cor Strategies; he previously worked with Kasich for America, the Illinois Opportunity Project, Citizens for Seth Lewis, Economic Freedom Alliance PAC, and the Illinois Rebuild Project.

--Jon Nelson, 30, of Willowbrook; ($2,885), left the staff of Illinois Senate GOP Leader Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) in March to join the Irvin campaign as its field director. He previously worked for Durkin and for McConchie's predecessor, State Sen. Christine Radogno (R-La Grange).

--Tyniya Thompson, 21, of Belvidere; ($827) is graduating from Howard University in Washington D.C. She is a member of the Howard University "Democrat Society" and is "passionate about politics and advocacy for the social and political advancement of women in the United States," according to her Linkedin page.

Other top Irvin for Illinois vendors include:

--$682,651 to Targeted Victory, for buying digital media. The company's CEO is Zac Moffat, one-time digital director for Mitt Romney for President.

--$395,465 to Storytellers Group LLC of Gallatin, Tennessee for "voter contact." The company doesn't have a web site. Gallatin is the current hometown of Irvin campaign manager Michael C. Zolnierowicz, 45, formerly of Chicago's St. Ben's neighborhood and Downers Grove.

--$254,000 to Victory Phones LLC of Grand Rapids, Michigan for "voter contact." 

--$76,500 to Stampede America of Key Largo, Florida for "voter contact." The company runs GOTV ("Get out the vote") efforts.

--$45,214 to K2 and Co. of Stillwater, Minnesota for "communications consulting"; the firm is run by Kirsten Kukowski, former press secretary to U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) and communications director for John McCain's presidential campaign in 2008.

--$45,000 to the law office of John Fogarty, Jr. of Chicago for legal services; Fogarty, 52, is a former aide to then-Illinois House Speaker Lee A. Daniels (R-Elmhurst) and long-time general counsel to the Illinois Republican Party. He's a 1991 graduate of Northwestern University Law School.

--$43,068 to LT Strategies LLC of Washington, D.C. for "communications consulting"

--$30,000 to Z Strategies of Gallatin, Tennessee; the firm is run by campaign manager Zolnierowicz, who formerly worked as Rauner's Chief of Staff and as an aide to Kirk.

--$21,284 to Strive Strategies of Wilmette for "political consulting;" the firm is run by Irvin's former mayoral campaign manager, Dennis Cook, 44. Cook formerly served as school board president of Consolidated District 230 in Orland Park, ran for lieutenant governor in 2010 and worked as executive director of the Cook County GOP.

--$20,000 to Nicholas Klitzing, 36, of Winnetka for "political consulting; Klitzing is a VP with K2 & Co. and previously served as political aide to Rauner.

--$20,000 to ARW Strategies of Wilmette for "data consulting;' the firm run by former Kirk aide, Illinois Republican Party staff member and Citizens for Bruce Rauner Data Director Andrew Weissert, 37, a 2003 graduate of Loyola Academy in Wilmette.

--$15,000 to Prospect Strategic Communications of El Segundo, California for opposition research. The firm is run by former Romney campaign aide Kris Anderson.

--$15,043 to Strategic Victory Solutions LLC of Houston for "compliance consulting;" the company is run by former RNC staff member Sara Diehr, according to corporate filings.

--$5,000 to PKL Consulting, Inc. of Winnetka for "finance consulting;' the company is run by Pam Kinsey Lungmus, 64, of Northfield, formerly finance director for Rauner and national finance consultant for John Kasich.

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Irvin for Governor Campaign Spending, Q1 2022

Vendor/Employee	Total	Purpose	Location
Strategic Media Services, Inc.	$9,495,924	Media Placement	Arlington, VA
Targeted Victory LLC	$682,651	Media Placement/Digital Services	Arlington, VA
Storytellers Group LLC	$395,465	Voter Contact	Gallatin, TN
Victory Phones LLC	$254,000	Voter Contact	Grand Rapids, MI
Stampede America	$76,500	Voter Contact	Key Largo, FL
J & J Arnaco LLC	$73,140	Rent, Chicago Office
K2 and Co.	$45,214	Communications Consulting	Stillwater, MN
Law Office of John Fogarty, Jr.	$45,000	Legal Consulting	Chicago
LT Strategies LLC	$43,068	Communications Consulting	Washington, D.C.
Kayleen Carlson	$34,384	Payroll	Chicago, IL
Elaine Demertzis	$32,467	Payroll	Chicago, IL
Z Strategies	$30,000	Strategic Consulting	Gallatin, TN
Nicholas Sarros	$26,622	Payroll	Chicago, IL
James Zenn	$25,263	Payroll	Chicago, IL
Jared Dubnow	$24,509	Payroll	Chicago, IL
Strive Strategies	$21,284	Political Consulting	Wilmette, IL
Anthony Esposito	$21,032	Payroll	Chicago, IL
ARW Strategies	$20,000	Data Consulting	Wilmette, IL
Nicholas Klitzing	$20,000	Political Consulting	Winnetka, IL
KP Holdings LLC	$19,986	Airfare	Chicago
Kyle Haevers	$18,575	Payroll	Chicago, IL
Elizabeth Salamon	$17,192	Payroll	Chicago, IL
Strategic Victory Solutions LLC	$15,043	Compliance Consulting	Houston, TX
Prospect Strategic Communications	$15,000	Research Consulting	El Segundo, CA
The Support Companies	$15,000	Rent, Aurora Office	Aurora, IL
Daile Schuberth	$14,659	Payroll	Chicago, IL
1999 Partners	$14,625	Rent, Springfield Office	Springfield, IL
Derek Murphy	$13,817	Payroll	Chicago, IL
Colleen King	$13,178	Payroll	Chicago, IL
ADP	$12,782	Payroll Taxes
Noah Evans	$9,053	Payroll	Chicago, IL
Clayton Jenkins Studio, LLC	$7,500	Production	Fort Collins, CO
Eric Anderson	$5,221	Payroll
PKL Consulting, Inc,	$5,000	Finance Consulting	Northfield, IL
Matt Janes	$3,249	Payroll	Chicago, IL
Jonathan Nelson	$2,885	Payroll	Chicago, IL
Hannah Stover	$2,840	Payroll	Chicago, IL
Elgin Toyota	$2,400	Vehicle Lease	Chicago, IL
Jake Ford	$2,377	Payroll	Chicago, IL
William Schanno	$2,000	Intern	Chicago IL
Colin Pruiett	$1,865	Payroll	Chicago, IL
Alexandra Moyer	$1,351	Mileage	Chicago, IL
Will Pounder	$1,287	Payroll	Chicago, IL
Brian Alexander	$1,250	Political Consulting	Chicago, IL
Patrick Opalacz	$1,230	Payroll	Chicago, IL
Tyniya Thompson	$827	Payroll	Chicago, IL
Michael Robert Enterprises	$800	Vehicle Lease	Streamwood
Capitol Fax	$500	News subscription	Springfield, IL
Edoardo Monk	$375	Intern	Chicago, IL
Sean Lynch	$303	Payroll	Chicago
William Formea	$200	Intern	Springfield, IL

Source: Illinois State Board of Elections