This morning, Alexi Giannoulias' exploratory committee released a list of "over 60 elected officials who have pledged to support his bid for the U.S. Senate in 2010."  It includes congressmen Phil Hare and Bill Foster, 32 state lawmakers, and 10 Chicago aldermen.  Also on the list are 14 county chairmen, including those from Will and Kane -- both populous collar counties. Read the full release below (click the button in the upper righthand corner to expand):

A tipster also notified us that a complaint was filed with the Federal Election Committee last month against rumored Senate candidate and Merchandise Mart Properties CEO Chris Kennedy.  It cites a May 18 Sun-Times column from Michael Sneed which reported (using anonymous sources) that Kennedy had "already shot his first TV commercial" with media consultant AKPD and "commissioned a poll" in April from John Anzalone.  "Both actions would suggest that Mr. Kennedy incurred expenditures in excess of $5,000," the complaint states, noting that federal election law defines a candidate as a person who has "received contributions aggregating in excess of $5,000 or has made expenditures aggregating in excess of $5,000."  The law also requires such an individual to form a campaign committee with the FEC "no later than 15 days after becoming a candidate" -- a step Kennedy is yet to take. Read the full document below:

In a letter dated June 12, the FEC notified the complainant, Brian P. Daley, that they had declared it a "matter under review." (UPDATE 10:15 a.m.: The FEC tells us that the case is "still pending.") The only public information we could find on Daley is a $2,300 contribution to Barack Obama's presidential campaign, in which he identified himself as a Chicago police officer.  We've contacted a few election law experts to get their thoughts on the merits of the complaint.  We'll let you know what we hear back.

[UPDATE (11:45 pm):  One recognized election law expert tells us that, in general, spending to explore whether the electorate would be receptive is not required to be reported.  He notes that the spending detailed above appears to be “testing the waters” and not designed to influence any member of the public to vote for or against a federal candidate.  He also points to the possibility that Kennedy's commercial could be intended to show focus groups as part of the exploratory process, rather than influence the public at a later time.]

In other news, Roll Call reports that Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) ribbed Illinois' own Mark Kirk on the House floor last Thursday, referring to him as one of those "those thin-skinned Members with Senate envy." As we noted in the Early Bird, Kirk and Illinois GOP chairman Andy McKenna remain in a "staring match" over who will launch a 2010 Senate bid, with Chris Cilliza reporting that "there is not likely to be any resolution until Monday at the earliest."

And following Sen. Roland Burris' announcement on Friday that he would not be launching a 2010 campaign, one of his supporters from the south suburbs, Pastor Anthony Williams of the Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church, declared his intention to jump in the race. From WBEZ:

Williams says he'll ask his supporters to contribute just one dollar to the campaign, and volunteer time. He says he'll soon file paperwork with the Federal Election Commission, running as either a Democrat or an independent.