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Sam McCann

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Sam McCann
Member of the Illinois Senate
In office
January 11, 2011 – January 9, 2019
Preceded byDeanna Demuzio
Succeeded bySteve McClure
Constituency50th district (2013-2019)
49th district (2011–2013)
Personal details
Born (1969-11-04) November 4, 1969 (age 55)
West Hamlin, West Virginia, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Conservative (2018)
SpouseVicki
ResidencePlainview, Illinois
Alma materBlackburn College
OccupationBusiness Owner

William "Sam" McCann Jr. (born November 4, 1969) is an American politician who was a member of the Illinois Senate from 2011 to 2019. He was first elected in 2010 as a Republican in the 49th district, defeating incumbent Democrat Deanna Demuzio, and was later elected to the redrawn 50th district in central Illinois.

In 2018, McCann left the Republican Party and ran for Governor of Illinois as the nominee of the newly-founded Conservative Party. He ran as a more socially conservative alternative to incumbent Republican governor Bruce Rauner.[1] On July 10, 2024, he was sentenced in federal court to 3 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty to fraudulent use of campaign funds, money laundering and tax evasion.[2]

Early life and education

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Sam McCann attended Lewis & Clark Community College and Blackburn College, although he never earned a bachelor's degree.[3]

Work

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Starting in 1993, McCann was the president of his own construction company.[4] Records from the Illinois Secretary of State's Office show that "the agency dissolved the corporate status of McCann Construction Services Inc. as of December 2013 for failure to file an annual report and pay an annual franchise tax. McCann Construction Co. was also dissolved as a corporation by the secretary of state on Nov. 14 for the same reasons."[5] As of May 20, 2015, McCann's two companies: McCann Construction and McCann Construction Services faced tax liens from the Internal Revenue Services totaling $185,000.[5]

Elections

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State senate

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McCann was first elected in 2010, narrowly defeating incumbent Democrat Deanna Demuzio. It was one of the most expensive and competitive legislative races in Illinois that year.[6] In 2012, he was re-elected after a primary race against Gray Noll, and without Democratic opposition in the redrawn 50th district.[7]

During McCann’s 2016 run for re-election, he faced a primary challenger, Bryce Benton, a state trooper who was backed by Illinois governor Bruce Rauner; Rauner reportedly spent more than $3 million on Benton’s behalf, after McCann voted with Democrats in the legislature to override Rauner’s veto of a union arbitration bill.[8][9] McCann ultimately won re-nomination with 52.67 percent of the vote to Benton’s 47.33 percent.[10] McCann then ran unopposed in the general election.[10]

2018 gubernatorial election

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Main article: 2018 Illinois gubernatorial election

McCann did not run for re-election in 2018, instead forming the Conservative Party of Illinois in order to run[11][12] in the 2018 Illinois gubernatorial election as a third party candidate nominee.[1] In an interview with Politico, McCann described himself as an "independent conservative" and stated that he was motivated to run to prevent "two billionaires from Chicago" from being the only general-election candidates.[13] McCann’s campaign platform was perceived as being rooted in social issues such as abortion; McCann argued that economic issues, such as the state’s levels of debt, were equally important to his campaign.[13][14] McCann also argued that he was more closely aligned with then-President Donald Trump than was Rauner.[14]

In order to qualify to appear on the ballot, McCann needed to collect at least 25,000 signatures; he ultimately received more than 65,000.[15] McCann ultimately placed third in the election, with four percent of the vote, behind J.B. Pritzker and Bruce Rauner.[10]

Indictment on federal charges

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In early 2016, a complaint was filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections alleging that McCann had given himself too much money from his campaign fund for mileage reimbursements that were in excess of the amount that McCann actually traveled, and that McCann had also given himself money from the same fund for "grouped expenditures" which were not properly documented.[16] The "grouped expenditures" totaled $46,719.[17] The total amount for the challenged mileage reimbursements and "grouped expenditures" that McCann personally received from his campaign fund was $85,019.65.[18] After hearing from the complainant and McCann, the board voted unanimously to hold a public hearing.[19] A day before the public hearing was to take place in September 2016, the complaint was dropped, but the complainant, through his attorney, pledged to refile it and include more allegations.[20] In September 2017, McCann came under fire again when he used campaign funds to purchase an SUV for over $60,000 and a new engine on a personally owned vehicle.[21]

In February 2021, McCann was indicted by the U.S. Attorney's Office on charges of fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion related to his alleged misuse of campaign money for personal expenses. The indictment alleges that from May 2015 to June 2020, McCann engaged in a scheme to convert more than $200,000 in contributions and donations made to his campaign committees to pay himself and make personal purchases, and that he concealed his fraud from donors, the public, the Illinois State Board of Elections and law enforcement authorities.[22]

On February 15, 2024, near the end of his trial, McCann changed his plea to guilty on all the counts of corruption against him.[11][12][23] On July 10, 2024, he was sentenced to 42 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised parole and was ordered to pay $683,816.61 in restitution.[2][24]

Family

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McCann's wife is named Vicki. They have a son, Trayton, and a daughter, Katherine. He is the son of the late William S. McCann of Zephyrhills, FL who died in a house fire in January,1977. His mother, Nellie Tipton, resides in Logan County, WV. He has three half sisters and two half brothers. He is the nephew of former Lincoln County, WV, County Commissioner, Charles McCann, and Ronald Z. McCann, West Virginia Public Service Commissioner.

References

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  1. ^ a b Miller, Rich (April 19, 2018). "Sen. Sam McCann announces for governor as Conservative Party candidate". Capitol Fax. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Ex-senator, Illinois governor candidate William 'Sam' McCann gets 3½ years for fraud and money laundering". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. 2024-07-10. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  3. ^ "Illinois General Assembly – Senator Biography". Illinois General Assembly.
  4. ^ "McCann Construction Company – a general contracting and construction company". www.mccann-construction.com. Archived from the original on 1 March 2001. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  5. ^ a b Schoenburg, Bernard. "Sen. McCann continues to face tax liens, court problems". State Journal-Register.
  6. ^ Wetterich, Chris (November 3, 2010). "McCann takes state Senate seat held by Demuzios since 1975". The State Journal-Register. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
  7. ^ Finke, Doug (March 20, 2012). "McCann an easy winner in new 50th Senate District". The State Journal-Register. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
  8. ^ Schuba, Tom (21 March 2016). "Illinois Primaries Smash Campaign Spending Records". NBC Chicago. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  9. ^ Bremer, Shelby (19 September 2018). "Illinois Gubernatorial Candidate Profile: Sam McCann". NBC Chicago. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  10. ^ a b c "Profile: William McCann". Ballotpedia. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  11. ^ a b O'Connor, John "Ex-Illinois lawmaker abruptly pleads guilty to fraud and money laundering, halting federal trial" Associated Press, February 15. 2024. Retrieved February 22. 2024.
  12. ^ a b "Former Illinois State Senator, Gubernatorial Candidate Sam McCann Pleads Guilty to Fraudulent Use of Campaign Funds, Money Laundering, Tax Evasion" United States Attorney's Office, February 16. 2024. Retrieved February 22.
  13. ^ a b Korecki, Natasha (April 19, 2018). "Illinois governor's race rattled by new candidate". Politico. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  14. ^ a b Otwell, Rachel (October 4, 2018). "A Conversation With Sam McCann – Conservative Party Nominee For Illinois Gov". NPR Illinois. National Public Radio. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  15. ^ "Sen. Sam McCann files petitions for Illinois governor's race". Associated Press. June 25, 2018. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  16. ^ Yeagle, Patrick. "McCann to face public hearing on mileage allegation". Illinois Times.
  17. ^ Draper, Nick. "Complaint questions senator's $85,000 in reimbursements". Jacksonville Journal Courier.
  18. ^ IO News Staff. "Benton Presses McCann on Mileage Payments; Phelps Opposes Chicago Schools "Bailout"; More". Illinois Observer.
  19. ^ Finke, Doug. "Sen. Sam McCann's mileage payments to face election board hearing". State Journal-Register.
  20. ^ Olsen, Dean. "Campaign spending complaint against McCann dropped; lawyer says allegations will be refiled". State Journal-Register.
  21. ^ Rushton, Bruce. "McCann buys SUV with campaign money". Illinois Times.
  22. ^ Miller, Rich. "Former Sen. Sam McCann indicted on charges of fraud, money laundering and tax evasion". Capitol Fax.
  23. ^ "In last-minute reversal, former Sen. Sam McCann pleads guilty to corruption charges". Capitolnewsillinois.com. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  24. ^ "Central District of Illinois | Former Illinois State Senator, Gubernatorial Candidate Sam McCann Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Fraudulent Use of Campaign Funds, Money Laundering, and Tax Evasion | United States Department of Justice". www.justice.gov. 2024-07-10. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
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