Giannoulias’ Campaign: GOP smears backfire

U.S. Senate Nominee Alexi Giannoulias‘ campaign today dismissed the latest Republican smear attacks designed to distract voters from Mark Kirk‘s aversion to telling the truth, the campaign stated.              

“Congressman Kirk is bringing in the Republican brass to do his dirty work because he doesn’t have a leg to stand on when it comes to telling the truth,” said Alexi for Illinois campaign spokesman Scott Burnham. “Mark Kirk can’t get his facts straight when it comes to his own record so it’s no surprise that he and his buddies are spewing outright lies about Alexi’s past in the final weeks of the campaign.”

It has been well documented that Giannoulias left the day-to-day operations at Broadway Bank in September 2005 as he prepared to run for Illinois State Treasurer. During that time, he did not bring in any new business or take on new clients while he was finishing up his work. He left the bank entirely in May 2006 to campaign full time.

Furthermore, Giannoulias released his tax returns for the past five years nearly a year ago, which show that he worked in 2006.

Giannoulias has made it clear that he was not part of the day-to-day operations at the bank after late 2005 and left the bank entirely in 2006 as several media outlets have reported:

“To be fair, it is no secret that Giannoulias’ tenure at the bank extended through 2006. He reported income from the bank in his 2006 income taxes, which he released last November. That income and the fact that he left in May 2006 also have been reported by news outlets before last summer.” [Chicago Sun-Times editorial 9/30/10]

“….we did check the Fox Chicago archives, among the reference we found his work at the bank, including statements he made, all of them indicate he left the bank in 2006.” [Fox News Chicago 9/29/10

“He left his job at Broadway in May to focus on his campaign.”  [American Banker, 9/18/06] 

“The loan documents don’t list Rezko as an owner, and the transaction took place five months after Mr. Giannoulias says he left the bank’s day-to-day affairs so he could run for Illinois treasurer.”  [Washington Times, 8/20/10]

 ” Alexi left daily operations of the bank in September of 2005, months before this loan was made,” says Kathleen Strand of his campaign staff. “He had no knowledge of it, and his name is not on any documents related to the loan.'”  [Chicago Sun-Times, 8/2/10]

“And he claimed although he had been a senior loan officer at the bank, when he left four years ago, the bank “was one of the best-performing in Illinois.”  [Chicago Sun-Times, 4/24/10]

“Giannoulias notes that 90 percent of the underperforming loans that have helped sink the bank were made after he left four years ago.”  [Sun-Times, 4/23/10; UPI, 4/23/10]

“Giannoulias, the first-term state treasurer, left the bank in 2006. He said less than 9 percent of bank’s nonperforming loans originated during his time at Broadway.”  [Clout Street, Chicago Tribune, 1/31/10]

“Giannoulias was chief loan officer at Broadway from 2002 through 2006, when he left to run for treasurer.”  [Chicago Tribune, 1/29/10]

“Giannoulias’ bank salary was $112,000 in 2005 but dropped to $41,000 in 2006 when he left the bank to campaign. He made about $101,570 from his treasurer’s salary in 2007 and about $116,590 in 2008.”  [Chicago Tribune, 11/26/09]