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Jul 27, 2007 11:05 am US/Central
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Oberweis Fined For Funding Campaign With Dairy Ad
FEC: Oberweis Benefited From Dairy Commercial In 2004 Senate Run
CHICAGO (AP) ―
Jim Oberweis, a wealthy dairy owner from Aurora, has been fined $21,000 by the Federal Election Commission for a commercial for his dairy that the FEC said he wrongly benefited from in his 2004 campaign for a Senate seat.
Oberweis, who was featured in the television commercial, ran an unsuccessful bid for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination that year.
The FEC said the ads constituted a corporate contribution from the dairy. Federal campaign law prohibits such contributions.
Oberweis, the dairy, and his campaign said in a signed agreement that they agreed not to contest the FEC's finding in order to avoid protracted and costly litigation.
Bill Pascoe, a spokesman for Oberweis' campaign fund, said Oberweis Dairy paid the fine.
Oberweis lost bids for the GOP nomination for a Senate seat in 2002 and 2004. He also ran an unsuccessful bid for the Republican gubernational nomination in 2006. During that campaign, he was criticized for running some spots that included newspaper headlines that never appeared in print.
Oberweis said earlier this year that he is interested in running for the congressional seat now held by former House speaker Dennis Hastert.
(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)