* From the Sun-Times write up on yesterday’s editorial board debate with the comptroller candidates…

Mendoza’s campaign has also sought to highlight that Munger has listed Elizabeth Brandt, mayor of Lincolnshire as her campaign chairwoman. Of importance is that Lincolnshire in December adopted right-to-work rules, passing a controversial labor ordinance that gives union-covered employees the option of whether or not to pay dues.

But Munger on Thursday denied Brandt’s involvement in her campaign, calling it an “error” that she did not remove her from paperwork filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections.

Brandt’s name is still listed on her paperwork for her comptroller campaign.

* That’s not all the comptroller said. Munger claimed that she didn’t really get her comptroller campaign off the ground until this year. “I did not update my paperwork,” she said.

Um, if you check Comptroller Munger’s page at the State Board of Elections, you’ll see Munger filed an amendment to her official Statement of Organization on August 11th of this year to change her campaign treasurer from Cary McMillan to Melissa A Labrash.

So, she could’ve easily replaced the controversial Brandt on August 11th when she replaced her treasurer.

* Munger also said that Brandt has had “nothing to do with my campaign.”

OK, but Brandt did contribute to Munger’s campaign twice since Munger was appointed comptroller.

It’s only a grand, but it’s not “nothing.”

* If Brandt wasn’t such a gung-ho poster mayor for a hugely controversial attempt to impose a local “right to work” ordinance (with a big assist from the legal arm of the Illinois Policy Institute) this would be no big deal. But she is, so it’s a legit issue whether Munger or the Republicans or anybody else care to admit it. If you elevate a person like that to such a place of prominence in your official campaign, you have to answer for it.

And because the Illinois attorney general has declared ordinances like the one that Brandt engineered illegal, it’s not just a local issue. It’s a statewide issue because if Brandt and the Illinois Policy Institute succeed, other municipalities could follow. Keeping her on as campaign chair for ten months after that ordinance passed implies agreement.

And, by the way, as I write this, she’s still listed as Munger’s campaign chair.

…Adding… From the Munger campaign…

Susana Mendoza was Rahm Emmanuel’s outspoken Campaign Co-Chair. If she wants to play guilt by association, we ask her;

Does she take responsibility for Rahm Emmanuel’s record $543 million property tax hike?

Does she responsibility for Rahm Emmanuel’s $239 million water and sewer tax hike?

Does she take responsibility for Rahm Emmanuel’s $60 million garbage collection fee?

Does she take responsibility for Rahm Emmanuel $48 million taxi and ride hailing service fee hike?

Does she take responsibility for Rahm Emmanuel’s $40 million amusement tax hike on computer “cloud” services and streaming?

Emanuel is spelled with one “m,” and despite saying it was an “error” to not file paperwork changing her campaign chair, Munger still hasn’t done it.

Otherwise, what do you think?

…Adding Even More… Apparently, Ms. Brandt didn’t get the memo about not being involved…

       

18 Comments - Oswego Willy - Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 12:33 pm: If it doesn’t matter who is the campaign chair, a position of hierarchical order… then.., All committees… should have Rod for Dems, George Ryan for Republicans. It’s a fundamental blunder, it made Munger, in actual, lie, only by lazy paperwork and the fundamental truth… if the name doesn’t matter, then have Rod or George. - G'Kar - Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 12:35 pm: I am getting so, so, so tired of all of this. At every level we seem to have people running for office as partisans first and foremost. I really wish we had some statesmen running for office that could get elected. - A Jack - Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 12:48 pm: While having Brandt was a labor issue, lying about it is a trust issue which is much more damaging to a position entrusted with writing the state’s checks. I don’t see this turning out well for Munger. - truth squad - Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 12:52 pm: Is Munger running for Comptroller or is Brandt? Its ridiculous to attribute everything Brandt advocates directly to Munger. Campaign Chairman is such an influential policy making spot that Mendoza serves as her own Chairman. Stop the silliness and talk about REAL issues! - Rich Miller - Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 12:53 pm: The honesty of a candidate and “right to work” are both very real issues. - JS Mill - Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 12:57 pm: It seems as if Munger and her staff, of what appear to be amateurish folks, are doing all they can to keep this issue alive. Is it “all publicity is good publicity” or the keystone cops? I have not paid much attention to Mendoza at all. admittedly. But for Mendoza, Munger seems to be the gift that keeps on giving. - Rabid - Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 1:00 pm: It says chairman not chairwoman on the paperwork,partially true - Oswego Willy - Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 1:07 pm: What has to be one of the most disappointing aspects is that Munger put herself in harms way… by a clerical error. So, Munger has her Hometown mayor, who is pushing right to work in the lone test case… as her Chairman… and either thought it WAS changed and was blindsided that it wasn’t, or hoped that Mendoza wouldn’t call her with paper evidence as she denied it. Yikes. Fundamental errors all over the place. - Huh? - Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 1:08 pm: Madigan and the State Board of Elections he controls. - Anonymous - Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 1:11 pm: Based on this, are there high officials in the comptroller’s office chosen by Munger that “have nothing to do with” running the office? - illini97 - Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 1:12 pm: This unforced error is a real head scratcher. Why lie about it if she knows anyone can just go on the website to check? Why have the Mayor of Right-to-Workville on your team anyway? If Munger wanted help or advice, just call Brandt, no need to put her name on the paperwork. - Triple fat - Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 1:21 pm: Why have the Mayor of Right-To-Workvile on your team? I’d submit because the Governor of Right-to-Workforlessville wants her workin on the team. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 1:55 pm: Spelling… Math… If you’re gonna go after someone, spelling matters. I am, arguably, one of THE most guilty here with “the spelling errors”… but this is a statewide campaign operation for an office that allegedly can dictate the paying of a whole branch of another governing branch by “reassessing” things… Not one person thought… “Hmm, let’s attack Mendoza, make sure we spell her name right”… and neglected to check how to spell Rahm’s name? Seriously? Your retort is flawed too? Oh, by tacting to Rahm, you left yourselves open that Right to Work is a Munger want? By not addressing Right to Work, Munger supports Right to Work? Is that the takeaway here? I can’t stand politics and baseball played poorly… - Demoralized - Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 2:18 pm: Why in the world does Munger continue to lie about this stuff? It’s just weird, especially since the lie is so easily caught. - illini - Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 2:55 pm: Based on experience, it takes no more than two minutes on line to change any campaign official. So what is the excuse - or does no one else want to take the heat? - Norseman - Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 3:19 pm: === Why in the world does Munger continue to lie about this stuff? It’s just weird, especially since the lie is so easily caught. === Seems to be an infectious condition among politicians of late. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 3:42 pm: I guess you can’t say they’re not… Friends? (Like, “thumbs up”, emoji, emoji, “hashtag”irony, emoji) - Oswego Willy - Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 3:50 pm: I guess if you have time to respond on “The Facebook”, removing your own name from the BoE website by sending docs after being the lone town to push Right to Work… … you should make that “The Facebook” response “Fire Madigan” (Like, “Thumbs Up”, emoji, “Hashtag”DontPressSend, emoji, emoji “el” “oh” “el”) Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.