Ryan Spain responds to WTVP donation being linked to him in Peoria police report

State Rep. Ryan Spain, R-Peoria, had no knowledge that money improperly donated to his campaign came from the coffers of WTVP-TV, according to a statement from his campaign.

Spain's name was mentioned in a report written by the Peoria Police Department detailing how former WTVP CEO Lesley Matuszak used money from the public television station as her own personal piggy bank, buying luxury goods, vacations, expensive dinners and even making political donations.

Spain says he had no knowledge of WTVP funds used for donations

Matuszak used roughly $7,000 of WTVP's money to make political donations to Spain's campaign fund, according to the police report. Non-profits like WTVP are not allowed to make campaign contributions to political candidates under federal tax code.

Spain said he had no knowledge that Matuszak was using WTVP funds to make donations to his campaign and upon being informed paid back the money via a check dated Oct. 10, 2023. Campaign expenditure reports confirm that Spain's campaign made a donation of $7,000 to WTVP, which was filed on Nov. 10, 2023.

More: Police reports reveal evidence of embezzlement by former WTVP CEO Lesley Matuszak

"Upon being notified of contributions to my campaign from a prohibited source, made via online credit card payment, my campaign issued repayment of contributions to the nonprofit via check dated October 10, 2023," Spain said in a statement to the Journal Star.

Matuszak has long been a financial supporter of Spain's and has been making donations to his campaign fund dating back to his time as a Peoria city councilmember in 2007.

Since 2007 Matuszak had donated a total $26,930 to Spain's campaign, with her first donation coming in February 2007 and her last donation coming on Sept. 20, 2023, just eight days before she took her own life, according to campaign finance reports.

Spain's campaign and Peoria police were able to determine which money donated from Matuszak came from WTVP funds by matching credit card numbers used for payment by Matuszak to WTVP.

Spain has had ties to WTVP for years, pre-dating Matuszak taking over as the station's CEO in 2019. Spain's wife Ashley Spain had been on the board of directors for WTVP before she became one of 11 board members to resign last year amidst the unfolding scandal surrounding Matuszak.

Spain's campaign has been making donations to WTVP since October 2018, which is legal.

Not including the $7,000 donated back to WTVP in November, Spain's campaign has donated to WTVP eight times since 2018, totaling $6,915, according to campaign finance reports.

Matuszak had long history of donations to local Republicans

Matuszak had a long history of donating money to political candidates in Peoria, most of whom have been Republicans running for local office. The Peoria police report did not document any evidence that Matuszak used WTVP money to donate to other politicians or political organizations.

Dating back to 2006, Lesley Matuszak and her husband, Mark Matuszak, made just under $90,000 in political donations.

The Matuszaks made donations to Andrew Rand, a Democrat who was previously the WTVP Board of Directors chairman and the Peoria County Board chair. The couple also contributed funds to Sid Ruckriegel, Rand's partner and a former city councilmember who also served on WTVP's board of directors.

WTVP timeline: Here's what we know so far

Both Rand and Ruckriegel stepped down from the WTVP board in January.

Matuszak had also donated money to State Sen. Win Stoller, R-Germantown Hills, who is now a member of the WTVP board of directors.

Here's a list of other local Republicans politicians and local Republican organizations to receive money from Matuszak over the years:

• Peoria County Republican Committee
• Tazewell County Republican Central Commitee
• Former Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis
• Former State Senator Dan Rutherford
• U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood
• City councilmember Zach Oyler
• Former U.S. Rep. Aaron Shock
• Former State Rep. Mike Unes
• Former Gov. Bruce Rauner
• Former Peoria County Sheriff Mike McCoy
• Peoria County Sheriff Chris Watkins
• Former Comptroller Leslie Munger
• Former State Rep. David Leitch
• Former Peoria County Sheriff Brian Asbell
• Former State Sen. Bill Brady

Outside of Rand, Matuszak donated to a small handful of other Democrats including former State's Attorney and Circuit Judge Kevin Lyons and Comptroller Susana Mendoza.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Ryan Spain responds to WTVP donation being linked to him in Peoria police report