Q: IS IT TRUE DAN SEALS WAS A DIRECTOR OF GE COMMERCIAL FINANCE?
A: No. In his May 7, 2007 Financial Disclosure Statement to the U.S. House of Representatives, Dan Seals listed that he was a "Director" of GE Commercial Finance in 2005. The disclosure came in the filing's section on board positions and was separate from his disclosure elsewhere as having earned income from GE Commercial Finance as an employee. However, corporate filings of General Electric do not list Dan Seals as a Director in any year. It's true that he was a Marketing Director, or held a similar title, but that's much different that being a "Director" of a corporation.
Q: IS IT TRUE DAN SEALS IS A PROFESSOR AT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY?
A: No. Seals has never been a professor at Northwestern. Seals was hired earlier this year to teach 10 night school sessions at Northwestern's School of Continuing Studies. On January 30, 2008, the Chicago Daily Herald reported that Seals was an "instructor" at the university rather than a "professor." Admitting that he was not in fact a "Professor," Seals told the Daily Herald, "What it might show is I don't know what the proper terms are." On January 31, 2008, Northwestern spokesman Chuck Loebbaka told the Chicago Tribune, "Seals' official title will be lecturer." Seals was not re-hired after his 10 sessions and his 2008 Financial Disclosure with the U.S. House of Representatives shows he was paid only $3,300 for his services -- hardly a Professor's salary.
Q: IS IT TRUE DAN SEALS TAUGHT THOUSAND OF STUDENTS IN JAPAN?
A: No. During a Democratic primary debate at Stevenson High School on January 9, 2008, Seals said, "I began my career as a teacher – well I'd like to think that I had an impact on the thousands of students that I taught." But according to Seals, he spent only two years in Japan. To substantiate his claim of impacting “thousands of students,” Seals would have needed to teach more than one thousand Japanese students per year. Furthermore, if he participated in the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program – the most common for Americans teaching in Japan – Seals was actually an “assistant language teacher,” not a “teacher” as claimed.
Q: IS IT TRUE DAN SEALS TRADED FREE GAS FOR VOTES IN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW?
A: Yes, as far as TA can tell. From 12 to 1 pm on May 22, 2008, Dan Seals subsidized gasoline purchases for voters seeking to refuel their automobiles at the Marathon Gas Station in Lincolnshire, IL at 435 North Milwaukee Ave. Seals and campaign workers passed out bumper stickers to motorists. Title 18, Section 597 of U.S. Code states, "Whoever makes or offers to make an expenditure to any person, either to vote or withhold his vote, or to vote for or against any candidate shall be fined not more than $10,000 under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if the violation was willful, shall be fined not more than $10,000 under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both." Seals was later fined $2,200 by the Lincolnshire Police for the extra police needed to unsnarl the traffic jam caused by the stunt. (Watch the news report on the event)
Q: IS IT TRUE DAN SEALS WAS A PRESIDENTIAL MANAGEMENT FELLOW?
A: No. Seals' Web site includes a long-time claim of serving as a Presidential Management Fellow (PMF), including a stint as an “economics fellow” in the U.S. Senate. However, the PMF program was founded in 2003 under an Executive Order issued by President Bush. PMF replaced the Presidential Management Internship, a different program in which Seals may have participated. If Seals was a Presidential Management Intern, he could not have served as a “fellow” in a U.S. Senate office.
Q: IS IT TRUE DAN SEALS LIVED IN THE 10TH DISTRICT UNTIL HE WAS REDISTRICTED OUT?
A: No. Dan Seals’ mortgage was recorded with the Recorder of Deeds on July 30, 2002 and Seals first registered to vote at his current address on September 25, 2003. Since redistricting occurred in 2001, Seals has never lived in the 10th District. He moved to the 9th District in 2002 from Chicago.
Q: IS IT TRUE DAN SEALS IS CURRENTLY A BUSINESS CONSULTANT?
A: Not that anyone can substantiate. Since he did not return to GE Finance, Dan Seals has called himself a "business consultant" but has never been able (or willing) to name a client. On December 27, 2007, Seals' primary opponent questioned him on this during an interview with the Chicago Tribune. At that time Seals said, "So, a, I’ve consulted on two projects. I do business consulting and management strategy for mid-sized firms. I am helping a lot of new business here in Chicago." On June 9, 2008, Dan Seals was asked again to name his clients at an appearance before the City Club of Chicago. Seals replied, "My consulting obviously dropped off tremendously since I started running for office." In other words, it appears Dan Seals is unemployed and has no clients -- he just calls himself a "consultant."
Q: DID DAN SEALS REALLY PAY HIMSELF $25,000 OUT OF HIS SPECIAL INTEREST FINANCED CAMPAIGN FUND?
A: Yes. According to Dan Seals' 2007 Financial Disclosures with the U.S. House of Representatives, Seals paid himself $25,000 in salary from Dan Seals for Congress.
