Consistent with its policy, the FEC declined to indicate what, if anything, it will do with the complaint or if it has merit.

The complaint was filed by a former district resident, Kerri Barber.

Barber now lives in New Mexico, but said in a phone interview that she’s always believed Casten should be held accountable for the spending, which she said occurred when Casten’s then-campaign manager, Michael Garton, shared a Hinsdale residence with Casten’s father, Tom Casten.

“With the election coming up, I’m really concerned that people don’t trust our government,” said Barber. “Casten looked me in the eye and lied.”

Asked if the Newman campaign prompted the complaint, Barber replied, “not directly.”

Newman is involved in her own damaging ethics probe, with the House Ethics Committee last month saying it found “substantial reason” to believe she improperly offered a job to a potential primary rival to get him out of the race.

Casten at the time strongly denied there was any coordination between his campaign and the super PAC funded by his father. When asked today, a Casten campaign spokesman said "this is a baseless claim that has no merit."