Bruce Rauner
Bruce Rauner

CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago hedge fund CEO has made a $2.5 million donation to the campaign of Republican candidate for Illinois governor Bruce Rauner.

Records show 45-year-old Citadel CEO Ken Griffin has now given Rauner a total of $3.57 million.

Griffin in the past has made campaign contributions to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a Democrat, and Republican state Senator Bill Brady.
Kent Redfield, professor emeritus of political science at University of Illinois at Springfield, says the Griffin donation is the biggest in an Illinois governor’s race in the post-Watergate era.

Brooke Anderson, spokeswoman for Democratic Governor Pat Quinn’s campaign, says Rauner’s contributions to his own campaign opened the door under state law for unlimited contributions in the race. She says Rauner and his “billionaire pals” are trying to “take over Illinois.”

(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)