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* 5:41 pm - A Republican associate judge gave a statement to the O’Fallon Police Department today claiming that Democratic congressional candidate Bill Enyart pushed her during a parade. The judge, an African-American woman who was passed over by the Democrats in last year’s slating process, wants Enyart charged with misdemeanor battery.
The local cops haven’t arrested Enyart, and they’re expected to send the matter to the St. Clair County state’s attorney. For whatever reason, the Plummer campaign didn’t have a video tracker on Enyart during the parade. As of now, there are no photos of the incident or of the two people together.
Stay tuned.
* Enyart’s campaign completely denies the charge…
The Enyart campaign responded that he accidentally bumped into Cason and immediately apologized to her. […]
“Bill accidentally bumped into a Plummer supporter and immediately apologized, but somehow, between laughing, joking and now, this has become political,” Bresler said. “This is the type of ugly politics that people in southern Illinois are sick of, where something as simple as a parade could become grounds for political gamesmanship.”
And they have a witness who backs them up…
Annie Dauber, a 16-year-old Belleville West High School junior, who said she was passing out political stickers at the parade, said she saw the incident but thought Enyart and Cason “just bumped into each other.” Dauber, whose name and telephone number were supplied to the BND by the Enyart campaign, said she couldn’t recall whether both were walking, or whether Enyart came up behind Cason.
* The judge’s story…
During an interview outside the police department after her videotaped statement, Cason, who said she was wearing a blue and yellow Plummer for Congress sweatshirt in the parade — Jason Plummer is Enyart’s Republican opponent — said Enyart came up behind her and said, “I got a T-shirt for you.” Cason said she took this to mean that Enyart was remarking about her Plummer sweatshirt.
Cason said she turned to look back and, at the same time, attempted to hand her campaign flyer to a woman bystander when “he (Enyart) shoved me aggressively in the upper left shoulder.” Cason said she was pushed aside and, as Enyart stepped by her, with one of his own political flyers in hand, he said, “Hi, I’m Bill Enyart. I’m running for Congress.”
* And the judge also has a witness…
Carlous Huston, a Republican precinct committeeman in Belleville, said he was with Cason and saw the same thing as she alleged. Huston said he, too, gave a videotaped statement to the O’Fallon Police, as well as a written report that he had prepared and signed.
Huston said that after Enyart allegedly shoved Cason, Enyart’s son “harassed her by dancing around her as she walked in the parade while holding one of his father’s campaign signs.” Cason also alleged that Enyart’s son harassed her in that manner.
posted by Rich Miller
Saturday, Oct 6, 12 @ 5:43 pm
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