* The Republicans want to intensely vet the folks who want to be appointed to the ballot in the 13th Congressional District in the wake of Congressman Tim Johnson’s retirement. They’ve devised a questionnaire and some of the questions are pretty basic…
Have you ever been delinquent with personal, business or property taxes?
Is your voter registration current with your current election authority?
Have you ever voted in the primary of any political party other than the Republican Party?
* But some are fare more personal…
Have you ever been denied car insurance or had car insurance cancelled?
Has any member of your immediate family filed for bankruptcy?
Has the IRS audited you or your business or family business?
An IRS audit doesn’t mean anything unless the IRS found something bad. Even then, it’s usually no big deal.
* And this set of questions appears to be directly aimed at Jerry Clarke, who once worked for the House Republican operation, which was the subject of a federal probe years ago…
Have you ever been questioned by state or federal authorities in connection with the alleged commission of a crime? If so, when? If applicable, did you provide testimony or material evidence (testimony or documents) in the case? What was the ultimate disposition of that case?
Have you ever testified or been served with a subpoena to testify before a grand jury, trial court, administrative or regulatory agency? If so, provide all details.
Have you ever been served with a subpoena to produce records to a grand jury, trial court, administrative or regulatory agency? If so, provide all details.
That’s one more possible nail in the coffin.
* They also want a “one-page outline demonstrating how you will win the 13th Congressional District.” But as Jon Zahm points out, not a single policy question was asked.
* Meanwhile, Common Cause wants Attorney General Lisa Madigan to investigate the American Legislative Exchange Council to check to see if it’s in compliance with state tax and lobbying laws. From a press release…
On the heels of filing a whistleblower complaint with the IRS charging abuse of federal tax laws, Common Cause Illinois today asked Attorney General Lisa Madigan to look into the tax status of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in Illinois.
ALEC is registered in Illinois with the Attorney General’s Office as a charitable organization, and at the federal level, where it enjoys tax-exempt status under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. A letter delivered to Attorney General Lisa Madigan on Tuesday, May 1st, charges that ALEC is primarily a lobbying organization and may therefore be in violation of its tax exempt status. Common Cause Illinois is calling on the Attorney General to review ALEC’s 990 form and investigate their activities to ensure that they are in compliance with state tax and lobbying laws.
“ALEC is a corporate lobby front group masquerading as a public charity on the taxpayers’ dime. Illinoisans shouldn’t have to subsidize ALEC’s agenda to limit voting rights, undermine our public schools, spread Stand Your Ground gun laws, and weaken laws protecting our environment. Tax fraud is illegal, which is why Common Cause Illinois is calling on the Attorney General to review ALEC’s registration as a charity and whether its lobbying activities in Illinois are being properly disclosed,” said Rey López-Calderón, Executive Director of Common Cause Illinois.
Common Cause Illinois’ letter comes just days after the national organization of Common Cause filed a whistleblower complaint with the IRS on the grounds that ALEC is flouting federal tax laws by posing as a tax-exempt charity while spending millions of dollars to lobby for hundreds of bills each year in state legislatures across the country. The complaint was filed on Common Cause’s behalf, pro bono, by the prominent whistleblower law firm Phillips & Cohen LLP, under the Tax Whistleblower Act of 2006.
The full complaint is here.
* Related…
* Watchdog groups file FEC complaint against U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock: “Rep. Schock and Leader Cantor’s campaign spokesman Ray Allen told Roll Call in no uncertain terms that a solicitation was made for $25,000, which amounts to a public confession to a clear violation of the law,” said Paul S. Ryan, Campaign Legal Center senior counsel, in a statement. “The FEC must pursue this violation by Rep. Schock or the agency would in effect be green-lighting candidates soliciting multimillion-dollar contributions to the ostensibly ‘independent’ super PACs that have been doing the dirty work of presidential candidates in the primaries — an activity expressly banned by the agency.”
* Aaron Schock hit with FEC complaint
* Campaign Finance Watchdogs File Complaint Against Illinois Congressman
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* How ALEC became a political liability
* American Legislative Exchange Council to abandon gun rights, other social causes
* Legislative group turns focus amid Martin backlash
* Did the American Legislative Exchange Council Give Me the Full Story?
* ALEC’s ‘ghostwriting’ legislation an excellent practice
* ALEC valuable resource for good public policy in Idaho
* American Legislative Exchange Council has a hand in S.C. politics
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 12:09 pm:
I was told long ago, from a CMS HR person no less …
“One job, that we don’t talk about too much, is also to reduce the number of applicants by adding qualifications that may reduce the number of people that can qualify…”
Those “questions” that appear to be geared toward Jerry Clarke are a message - “Are you sure you want to apply?”
Tough sledding.
Further, if this becomes an “Open and Honest” process, will the committee of County Chairmen release the answers given?
This is a possible nail in that coffin - either way Jerry Clarke proceeds.
- just sayin' - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 12:14 pm:
That IL GOP questionnaire is ridiculous. All about trying to dig up dirt on anyone who might stop Rodney Davis the old guard’s real choice. It’s not Clarke.
And anyone dumb enough to give their social security number to Pat Brady and those clowns is unfit for any office.
- Cincinnatus - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 12:14 pm:
Don’t ALEC and Common Cause have the same status and perform the same lobbying function?
- mark walker - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 12:18 pm:
I didn’t know ALEC did anything but lobbying, especially if you count providing bill language for legislators as lobbying.
A common question asked informally between members when a GOP member offered a bill that spoke to national political positions, was “Is this an ALEC bill?”
- John Ruskin - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 12:22 pm:
The filled-out ILGOP questionnaires will not be released.
- just sayin' - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 12:36 pm:
“The filled-out ILGOP questionnaires will not be released.”
No, they will just be delivered directly to Rodney Davis, who is not only a federal staffer for Shimkus and being pushed by Shimkus, but the guy is also acting executive director for the state gop working for Pat Brady who inserted himself as the chairman of the county chairmen committee that will pick the replacement.
So what Pat Brady is requiring is that all the challengers hand deliver their dirt to their main opponent. Ridiculous.
- John Ruskin - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 12:38 pm:
So you’d rather have the guy that’s spent some time in front of a federal grand jury? Or are you supporting the headline candidate?
- Paul - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 12:40 pm:
Cincinnatus: I just checked. Common Cause is a 501(c)4, Lobbying Organization, so contributions to them are not tax deductible. ALEC is formed as a 501(c)3, Charitable Organization (contributions are tax deductible)and could be in violation of the rules governing charities by doing lobbying.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 12:40 pm:
===- John Ruskin - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 12:22 pm:
The filled-out ILGOP questionnaires will not be released.===
If they are not going to be released, how do we all know they are “open and honest” evaluations?
Redact the SS#s, redact court case #, heck, redact any specific items that can be traced to specific docs … but a “yes” or “no” would be expected …
Since we are all calling on EVERYONE to be “open and honest” … right?
If this committee wants to open Pandora’s Box and sit in the Towers of Judgement … shouldn’t we know what the “judgement is based upon?
At that rate … Why would ANY candidate submit to this ridiculous questionaire?
“We want it open and honest … but we will judge that”
They have a bankruptcy … shouldn’t we know that?
You want to know about “Car insurance” … we can’t know if they were denied?
They should ALL tell you to go “scratch” …
“Open and Honest” …. to whom???
- Cincinnatus - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 12:46 pm:
Thanks, Paul!
- colt45 - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 1:36 pm:
i hope that the actions of pat brady and john shimkus and their acolytes come full circle. inevitably, they will. that’s just politics. their deplorable actions are a complete disservice and, in my opinion, are all in attempts to tarnish the reputation of a man who has dedicated his entire career to his country and his party. remembering reagan’s 11th commandment, i refuse to speak ill of them but i despise what they’re attempting to do, to one of our own, no less. nonetheless, they better have their stuff together. never count clarke out.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 1:47 pm:
===never count clarke out.===
He’s out …If Jerry didn’t “know” it yet, the questionaire is a pretty clear sign.
I just wanted to call out this “questionaire” fiasco.
- Team Sleep - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 1:48 pm:
Yeah, policy and ideology needn’t matter here.
The Obama wave of 2008 and the TEA Party wave of 2010 showed us that less-than-perfect candidates can win tight elections. Any private person or small business can have tax concerns. Granted, a federal grand jury investigation is more serious than an IRS audit, but why are the other issues relevant?!
- Anonymous - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 2:00 pm:
If Common Cause is going to look at ALEC’s tax status, they should also support calls to investigate the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) for the same thing. Here’s betting they don’t.
- frustrated GOP - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 2:18 pm:
“The filled-out ILGOP questionnaires will not be released.”
I think it’s a safe assumption that if you send it in, someone is going to release it at some point. The only thing I know of like that is a vote for the Pope in conclave, and The Louisiana Bar exam; both are burned after the results are known.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 2:22 pm:
===The only thing I know of like that is a vote for the Pope in conclave, and The Louisiana Bar exam; both are burned after the results are known.===
Coffee is all over my screen! Hilarious, and true!
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 2:29 pm:
“Dear 14 County Chairmen,
Your “Questionaire” is a fiasco. A candidate should be able to look all of you in the eye and tell you everything you need to know, and you should believe him/her. This vetting business… gets into some deep issues that some possible canidates may not even consider running for office at all because something may be interpreted wrong about them. Asking questions can only lead to trouble.
I also think all the questionaires, if you HAVE to do them, should be destroyed, burned, shredded and made into edible “ash”.
What is private, should “stay” private, especially if it has no bearing on how a canidate can run in the future. No one needs to know what you know, heck, let someone TRY to dig into those questionaires!
Thanks for taking time to read my letter and I hope you think twice about doing it.
Sincerely,
Jack! Ryan.
Private Citizen”
- Colossus - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 3:04 pm:
{Pours one out for poor railroaded Jack Ryan.}
No snark, that guy got me excited about the Republican party for the first time ever. Didn’t think I’d ever get to express that sentiment, so I’m enjoying the moment. No need to get sidetracked.
Thanks, Willy.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 3:59 pm:
In the spirit of the questionaire, I’d add:
–When did you stop beating your spouse?
–Are you a practicing homo sapien?
– Have you ever been a thespian?
– Does this questionnaire make our heads look fat?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 4:02 pm:
- wordslinger -
lol - too funny!
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 4:23 pm:
“A train leaves Chicago to Urban at 7:15 pm on a Thursday with 3/8th of the diesel tank full, and 2/7th of the seats filled. Another train leaves Urbana, headed to Chicago with 4/5th of the diesel tank full, and 1/9th of the seats filled.
What is the name of the conductor on the train from Bloomington headed to Quincy.
Show your work.”
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 4:28 pm:
13CD APPLICANTS CRY FOUL - MATH QUESTION IN QUESTIONNAIRE
- 10th Indy - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 4:33 pm:
How dare those county chairmen vet their candidate! The DCCC would never dream of using IRS audits, or grand jury probes, or bankruptcy against a republican candidate for congress. This all should have come out in the primary! - oh wait…
- wordslinger - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 4:44 pm:
–Boxers or briefs?
–To-MAY-toe or To-MAH-toe?
–If you could be a tree, what kind of tree would you?
–What’s for lunch?
–Would you like fries with that?
–Do you have naked pictures of your spouse? Would you like to see some?
–What time is it?
–Are we there yet?
–Is Goofy a dog? If so, why does he have a dog as a pet?
–Why do the birds go on singing?
–How did Darth Vader know that Luke was his son, but didn’t know that Leia was his daughter?
–Who opened the drapes to Michael Corleone’s Tahoe bedroom?
–Who ordered Frank Pentangelli killed? I know I didn’t.
- too obvious - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 4:54 pm:
Pat Brady and the IL GOP try to promise the info will be kept confidential, but of course after they collect any dirt they’ll be free to leak it to the press anytime they want. It’s beyond sleazy.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 5:07 pm:
- wordslinger -
You are on a roll!!
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 5:10 pm:
- Have you met Johnny Ola? -
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 5:16 pm:
- If you gave an order that Santiago wasn’t supposed to be touched, and you’re orders are always followed … than why was Santiago in danger? Why would it be necessary to transfer him off the base? Why the two orders? -
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 6:45 pm:
- Does your name being with ‘J’ and end with ‘erry Clarke’? Explain fully. -
- Cheswick - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 7:01 pm:
- Is your refrigerator running?
- Do you have Prince Albert in a can?
- Where is the map room?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 7:49 pm:
Q: Have you ever been questioned by state or federal authorities in connection with the alleged commission of a crime? If so, when? If applicable, did you provide testimony or material evidence (testimony or documents) in the case? What was the ultimate disposition of that case?
A: Yeah, I answered some questions, they said Michael Corleone did this and Michael Corleone did that and I said sure, yeah, whatever. But it was lies, all lies. I was in the olive oil business with his father years ago
- too obvious - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 7:57 pm:
Oswego Willy, A Few Good Men. Excellent. Adding: “Did you order a Code Red!”
Or how about:
Q: Are you currently a member of an organized party?
A: No, I’m a member of the Republican Party in Illinois.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 8:09 pm:
- too obvious -
Thanks, and way to finish my quote off.
- Colossus - Wednesday, May 2, 12 @ 9:23 am:
Q: Do you have both a dog and cat living together? Please explain.
Q: Are you the Keymaster?