Illinois Republican Party

Seals must explain questionable envelope from convicted felon Rostenkowski
5/27/2008

Now that Congressional Candidate Dan Seals has reimbursed local authorities for his botched, and potentially illegal, campaign stunt, Seals must address the questions surrounding the envelope he received in front of his Northwestern University students from former Congressman and convicted felon Dan Rostenkowski.

"It's another week and we have more questions regarding Dan Seals and his ability to make sound judgments," said Illinois Republican Party spokesperson Lance Trover. "Dan Seals needs to address the troubling questions surrounding his accepting a questionable envelope from a convicted felon in front of his students."

Seals, who was hired as an instructor to facilitate ten night school classes this spring at Northwestern's School of Continuing Studies, invited Rostenkowski to teach students last Tuesday night. According to students in the class, after Rostenkowski's presentation, the convicted felon handed Seals an envelope and said he hoped the contents would help Seals' campaign.

Rostenkowski served as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee before his 1994 indictment on federal corruption charges for his key role in the House post office scandal. Charges against Rostenkowski included keeping "ghost" employees on his payroll, using Congressional funds to buy gifts such as chairs and ashtrays for friends, and trading in officially purchased stamps for cash at the House post office. In 1996, he pleaded guilty to reduced charges of mail fraud and served 15 months of a 17-month sentence

"Dan Seals, along with his political stunts and questionable fund raising practices, is more of the Rod Blagojevich style of politics that we simply do not need in this state," added Trover.

--Illinois Republican Party press release

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