CHICAGO, IL — Americans for Prosperity–Illinois (AFP‑IL) today announced it has filed an ethics complaint calling for an investigation into Community Consolidated School District 15, Superintendent Dr. Laurie Heinz, and associated parties over misuse of public resources in connection with the district’s $93 million school bond referendum approved in November 2022.
AFP-IL’s ethics complaint calls on state and local authorities to investigate whether district actions complied with legal requirements governing referendum-related communications and activities.
AFP‑IL Deputy State Director Brian Costin issued the following statement:
“Illinois taxpayers deserve transparency, accountability, and fair elections, especially when it comes to government activity tied to a tax-hike referendum. Based on recently revealed information, AFP-IL urges the appropriate ethics, election, and law enforcement authorities to launch a full investigation into District 15’s November 2022 referendum.
“Illinois law is clear: taxpayer resources may be used to provide voters with neutral, factual information. They may not be used to campaign for a political outcome. District 15’s referendum effort raises serious concerns that the district crossed that line by using public resources to influence voters rather than simply inform them.
“AFP-IL calls on lawmakers, state and local authorities, relevant ethics officials, and law enforcement to investigate these actions, determine whether taxpayer-funded electioneering or official misconduct occurred, and enact strong safeguards to prevent public officials from using government power and public money to tilt future elections.”
Co-complainant and CCUSD 15 Resident Justin Hegy issued the following statement:
“Using taxpayer dollars to fund a campaign designed to raise even more taxes is unethical on its face — yet CCSD 15 poured public resources into high-powered consultants, glossy promotional videos, mailers, community meetings, and even branded “Moving 15 Forward” apparel as part of its push for a $93 million bond referendum to fund half of a proposed $186 million district improvement plan in 2022.
“It was a full‑scale advocacy campaign, and now the Superintendent herself has acknowledged exactly that. The problem is, it’s not just unethical – it’s most likely illegal.”
BACKGROUND:
The complaint raises concerns that public funds, staff time, and district resources may have been used to advocate for the passage of a ballot measure. Specifically, the complaint cites a taxpayer-funded public opinion survey, voter-facing mailers, and coordinated communications efforts of the “Moving 15 Forward” campaign.
Publicly available “Moving 15 Forward” materials and a testimonial suggest that a district-paid consulting firm played a “critical role” in helping the district “pass a successful referendum measure” and guided a “pre-referendum campaign.”
The complaint outlines numerous potential violations of Illinois law, including prohibitions on the use of public funds for political advocacy, restrictions on political activity by public employees, and statutes governing official misconduct.
The filing also calls for the disclosure of contracts, invoices, communications materials, and other records related to the referendum effort, as well as potential referrals to appropriate enforcement authorities if violations are found.
The complaint has been submitted to the District 15 Board of Education, relevant ethics authorities, and state and local enforcement agencies for review.