McLate: Suburban McCook Mayor Tobolski facing $200-a-day fine for missing campaign report deadline

Already under the federal microscope, McCook Mayor Jeffrey Tobolski is now facing a $200 fine for failing to file a legally required campaign disclosure report.

That number could grow by $200 every day that the report is late, with a maximum fine amount of $5,000.

The quarterly report, covering money raised and spent from July 1 through Sept. 30, was due by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, and fines started to be assessed at midnight the next day, said Matt Dietrich, spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Elections.

This isn’t Tobolski’s first time missing a disclosure deadline, which is why the fine is that high. For a committee’s first violation, it’s $50 a day, $100 for the second, and $200 for the third.

In March 2016, Tobolski, who is also a Cook County commissioner, filed a report one day late. Later that year, in December, Tobolski was four days late, incurring a fine of $400, Dietrich said.

The election board sent letters to committees missing reports Thursday. The one sent to his Friends of Jeffrey Tobolski fund was one of 300 letters sent to committees for delinquent quarterly filings, Dietrich said.

Neither Tobolski, nor his wife, Cathleen, who serves as the treasurer of his committee, responded to the Sun-Times’ requests for comment.

Tobolski’s offices at McCook’s village hall were raided Sept. 26, two days after federal agents executed a search warrant at the home and offices of state Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago).

Unredacted search warrants released Tuesday revealed federal investigators showed interest in the heating and air conditioning of Tobolski’s home.

Tobolski has not been charged with any wrongdoing.