CHICAGO (AP) — A published report says Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner’s campaign handed out thousands of dollars in gift cards to people who helped get supporters to the polls during the November election.
The Chicago Tribune reports (http://trib.in/1OoZgvG ) the use of Visa prepaid cards was an unusual way to reward campaign staff.
It’s also prompting questions about whether the campaign should have disclosed who got the gift cards and if those people should be considered volunteers or campaign staff.
The campaign says it bought 5,145 gift cards in denominations of $25, $50 and $75.
Sarah Clamp is a spokeswoman for Rauner’s campaign. She says: “The campaign reported the gift cards correctly.”
Kent Redfield is a retired professor and campaign finance expert. He says not disclosing the gift cards create a lack of transparency.