Establishment Republican Darin LaHood is running to replace disgraced Congressman Aaron Schock in the Illinois 18th District special election and is claiming to be an “outsider” and a “conservative.” However, his donation filings show he has taken in up to $3,500 from the liberal, Clinton-linked lobbyist organization, the Podesta Group.
The Podesta Group was founded by Clinton operative John Podesta in 1988. The organization lobbies for companies such as the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, the Bank of America, National Public Radio, the Michelin tire company, as well as foreign nations such as the governments of Kenya and Azerbaijan.
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) filing shows that Darin LaHood received a long series of donations from the far-left group. According to LaHood’s FEC filings, his donations from members of the Podesta Group include the following: $500 (5/20/215); $500 (4/23/2015); $250 (4/21/15); $250 (6/16/15); $250 (4/21/15); $500 (5/15/15); $250 (4/21/15); and $1,000 (4/21/15).
La Hood is running in the special election as an “outsider” Republican, but he has a long line of very establishment groups and individuals who have endorsed him, not to mention supplying him with hundreds of thousands of dollars. LaHood counts as part of his team the amnesty-supporting U.S. Chamber of Commerce, GOP Speaker of the House John Boehner, Illinois Republican Governor Bruce Rauner, the state Republican Party, and others.
The special election was called after the resignation of establishment Republican Aaron Schock who was forced to vacate his office after a cascade of financial irregularities came to light.
LaHood’s opponent is conservative Mike Flynn, a long-time Illinois political advocate and a founding editor at Breitbart News.
The primary for the 18th District special election is set for July 7, and the general election is September 10.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston, or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.