Dupage Policy Journal

A video doorbell caught a campaign worker for Terra Costa Howard taking literature supportive of incumbent State. Rep. Peter Breen (R-Lombard) from a homeowner’s front door handle. The worker in the video, identified only as Kerry, hides the Breen literature in a folder she’s carrying before knocking on the front door.

Breen posted the video on his “votebreen” Facebook page and included this comment:

“On top of Terra Costa Howard's repeated lies, her team of 6+ paid ‘Madigoons’ [reference to Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan] regularly steal yard signs,” he wrote.  “Now, this video from yesterday proves they're stealing literature off your front door. Say NO to Terra Costa Howard and her Dirty Politics (paid for by Madigan's Dirty Money)!”

In an email, Breen wrote that the video appears to have been taken at a home in south Lombard.

“The TCH [Terra Cost Howard] staffer was out walking on a Wednesday afternoon and is regularly in TCH photos, so she's definitely staff, not a volunteer. No one's yet put a full name to Kerry. Her technique in removing the literature from the door and concealing it was clearly professional, not that of a volunteer who may occasionally grab a piece of literature.”

Breen added that there have been numerous reports of Howard’s people stealing his yard signs.

“People are calling and emailing in to our office reporting their signs were stolen,” he wrote. “We're getting new ones out as fast as our volunteers can.”

Speaker Michael Madigan is driving Howard’s campaign in the 48th. As of October 20, the Breen people estimate that through numerous channels Madigan has funneled $726,069.36 to the Howard campaign – the bulk of her donations. Breen said that in their calculations, they included all large transfers from other Democratic representatives, what he refers to as the "the ATMs set up by Madigan."

Besides stealing Breen campaign literature and yard signs, Howard has sent "disgusting" and false mailes attacking Breen, according to an earlier DuPage Policy Journal story.  One even tried to tie him to “accused sex predators.”

Back in September, the State Board of Elections found that Howard, and one of her contributors, an abortion rights group out of Chicago, repeatedly violated campaign disclosure laws.

In an Aug. 28 final order, the board admonished Friends to Elect Terra Costa Howard and Personal PAC, which supports legalizing abortion at any point during pregnancy, for flawed reporting of numerous campaign contributions totaling thousands of dollars. In some instances, the Howard campaign was late in reporting the contributions to the board. In other instances, the campaign and Personal PAC did not report the contributions at all.

The 48th includes parts of Lombard, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton and Lisle.