Prairie State Wire

Jeanne Ives, a former legislator and founder of Breakthrough Ideas, commented on alleged campaign finance violations by Democrats, describing it as a "tale as old as time." She made this statement in an X post on April 9.

"A Democrat breaking campaign finance rules in Illinois," said Ives. "Tale as old of time. Harmon is also the complete idiot who asked the federal government for $42B at the start of COVID. How embarrassing."

Ives shared a Chicago Tribune article reporting that Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, a Democrat, accepted $4 million in political contributions exceeding the state's campaign donation limits. According to a spokesman for Harmon, they are reviewing a letter from state election officials regarding the excess donations. By April 18, Harmon must return the contributions, donate an equal amount to charity or the state's general fund, or face a potential $6.1 million penalty outlined in state law. Harmon's campaign fund received $1.23 million from the Chicagoland Operators Joint Labor Management Political Action Committee (PAC), $600,000 from the Illinois Federation of Teachers PAC, among other donations.

Screenshot of Jeanne Ives' April 9 post on X | X

The Chicago Tribune reported on April 9 that Senate President Harmon is taking the issue seriously but disagrees with election officials who say he accepted more campaign contributions in 2024 than allowed. The dispute centers on a loophole that lifts contribution limits when a candidate donates more than $250,000 for statewide races or $100,000 for state and local races—and whether that exemption applied between March and December 2024. Harmon notified the State Board of Elections that he donated $168,152 to his campaign fund on January 17, 2023, and believed the limits would be lifted through the November 2024 elections.

A spokesman for Senate President Harmon issued a statement to CBS News saying the campaign is reviewing the allegations with its attorneys. "Senate President Harmon has supported every campaign finance reform measure that has passed the Illinois General Assembly and has always prioritized the highest ethical standards. We look forward to resolving this matter," said Tom Bowen.

Jeanne Ives is known for her previous role as an Illinois State Representative where she served six years representing House District 42. She ran for governor in 2018 and later sought election to represent Illinois' 6th Congressional District in 2020.