The innocuous-looking mailer began arriving last Wednesday.
Whoever sent it used plain manila envelopes with first class postage. Usually campaigns use bulk mail, but those have permit numbers, making them traceable. First class mail isn’t so easily tracked.
There was no return address on the envelopes. Whoever sent it used preprinted address labels. The letters were addressed to a generic “Registered Voter” recipient.
Inside was a picture printed on somewhat expensive photo stock paper.
“Got Avery?” was the headline above a poorly Photoshopped picture of state Rep. Avery Bourne’s (R-Raymond) head on someone else’s nude body.
It was probably the vilest thing to happen during a legislative campaign that I’ve seen in all the years I’ve been doing this. And that’s a lot of years writing about a lot of vile muck.
Stamped on the back of the photo was a date of Oct. 7—which likely shows that this mailer had been planned for quite some time, and could provide investigators with a clue about where it was produced and maybe even who did it.
-
As I write this before the election, the mailer hadn’t been widely sent, perhaps because of the cost of both the postage and the paper. But its distribution wasn’t confined to Bourne’s downstate district. The first to report receiving it last Wednesday was an official at the Sangamon County Farm Bureau, which is north of Bourne’s district. The Farm Bureau quickly notified Bourne, and she went over there to pick it up.
But others saw it in their mailboxes that day, too. Bourne’s Democratic opponent, Mike Mathis, was called by a high-level House Democratic staff after somebody forwarded it to them. Mathis called Bourne to express his shock and to deny all involvement.
Bourne told me last week that many of her campaign contributors got the piece, suggesting that the culprit or culprits used publicly available information. The Illinois State Police told her that her endorsement list could have been used as well. But the Sangamon County Farm Bureau and some others who received the mailer aren’t involved in her race.
Bourne’s grandmother and great-grandmother both received the mailer. They were, of course, appalled.
A friend of her opponent also received the mailer, even though the guy, I’m told, isn’t at all involved in politics.
The immediate, private reaction from the top on both sides was to blame the other side. Was it a “false flag” operation or an incredibly dirty Democratic trick?
But that speculation was probably ludicrous, and eventually everybody calmed down enough to admit it. The Republicans wouldn’t ever do something as disgusting as publicly humiliate the youngest woman in the House like that (or any of their female candidates, for that matter). And the Democrats aren’t stupidly insane enough to put their own candidate at risk by doing something that despicable to Bourne.
So, both sides’ initial reactions seemed to be more about self-preservation during the inevitable finger-pointing than sober judgment.
If I had to guess, I’d say the culprit (or culprits) is likely some local weirdo (or weirdos) with an ax to grind who has just enough political knowledge and experience to make him or her dangerous.
Unfortunately, there are more than a few of those types out there in our current age of weaponized misogyny. You don’t have to spend much time on Twitter or Facebook to see this type of behavior. But posting a Photoshopped picture on Twitter takes very little effort. These envelopes were likely stuffed, labeled and stamped by hand. That takes time and, to me, makes this even creepier.
Whether that person simply wanted to hurt Bourne or damage Mathis’ campaign—or possibly do both at once—is something we might never know. But I have got to figure that anyone who is this loathsome to go to all this trouble will want to brag about it and/or was stupid enough to leave a clue here and there. The fact that the letter was apparently sent to one of Mathis’ nonpolitical friends means whoever did this has some local knowledge.
Mathis, for his part, did all he could to strenuously deny his involvement and denounce the mailer. He even showed up for Bourne’s press conference last Thursday to show his solidarity. He did the right thing by a woman who was horribly wronged.
But right or wrong, the opponent usually gets the blame for this stuff in voters’ minds.
What a truly awful way to end one of the foulest campaign seasons ever.
- wordslinger - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 9:06 am:
I’m guessing lone-wolf pervert. The downside in getting caught for GOP or Dem party types is just too steep.
It’s not like throwing a rock through a campaign office window.
- Mal - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 9:09 am:
Whoever did it obviously wanted to hurt Mathis campaign. Some unaware voter would think it came from someone connected to his camp. This only draws sympathy for Bourne. That was the goal of whoever is behind this.
- Amalia - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 9:17 am:
YUP!!!! it is psychological assault. and tomorrow, we have a chance to fight back at misogyny with elections. not all women running for office are right about things. but many are. and a female president will be a powerful statement, not just to our country but to the world, in which many, many men of all colors punish and enslave women. Peace to Rep. Bourne.
- Big Muddy - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 9:17 am:
Plenty of speculation on who did this and why. In the end it is THE WORST form of politicking I have ever seen. I hope they catch the perp/perv and give he/she/them the biggest sentence possible. Just sick.
- S Brune - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 9:21 am:
Thanks for being an ally to women in this piece. This election has brought out everyone’s true colors…
- Honeybear - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 9:23 am:
I believe this is an omen for more to come. I don’t think campaign season will actually end. I really think we crossed some kind of threshold into total political war. I agree with Mal that Bourne benefits from this. Again it makes me thankful for this place of dialogue. Though things can get heated Rich enforces decorum. I feel the bloodletting of the political future
- Mal - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 9:23 am:
S Brune
Is a perfect example. Bourne campaigns goal was to destroy the image of Mathis.
- Honeybear - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 9:24 am:
Fear the bloodletting. Sorry
- Moe Berg - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 9:26 am:
Respectfully, Rich, I truly don’t understand why you will not even allow for the possibility of a false flag. Your own column contains this line, “But right or wrong, the opponent usually gets the blame for this stuff in voters’ minds.” So, there is motivation to do it right there in your own words. Perhaps not the party apparatus, per se, but an agent acting on behalf of it.
You know very well that we will have voter suppression attempts tomorrow, trying to confuse people about polling place locations, voter registration status, and voting hours. Will those calls or mailers be paid for by the party directly? No. They will be done by agents acting on behalf of the party. It happens EVERY election cycle in Illinois and elsewhere.
- Fairness and Fairness Only - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 9:28 am:
Rich, thank you for writing about this piece. Since it most likely did not come from either campaign, it matters less to me who sent it (creeper) than that this is still a tactic in 2016. I’m fortunate that I’m surrounded by people who don’t subscribe to “boys will be boys” regarding violence against women, “that is just locker room talk” and “It’s just a prank. Quit being sensitive.” I’m always aware that the behavior is still out there, and this election season has shown the true colors for many. I’d be appalled to open that up in my mail.
Best wishes to both candidates. May they run the race on their own merits. And my heartfelt sympathies go to Ms. Bourne for the public embarrassment. No one should be subjected to these tactics.
Thanks for speaking up, Rich.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 9:31 am:
- Mal -
I feel so sorry for you.
To the Post,
Great work, Rich. You really hit where this tried and failed and embarrassed and disappointed the whole process.
When Rich had the first Post on this I didn’t comment because what was so disappointing beyond the circumstance was this idea that two thoughtful and hard-hitting campaigns would think this is of any equality of a brick in a window, both in fake was or intimidation.
As stated in the first Post and I concurred… No campaign is going to purposely embarrass their own candidate with sickening pictures to degrade someone who is unquestionably a person of strong character, and a person whose core is beyond question too.
No opposing candidate’s campaign is ever going to send such vile in hopes of an electorate to be swayed by utter ignorance and ridiculous immaturity to the worth of a woman.
Both sides, specific to these campaigns too, would not do such a contemptible thing purposely, and to think so speaks to you and your beyond warped sense of decency and honor.
Campaigns are hard fought, they’re ugly, they can get to a line and they sometimes peer over that line, but rate is that line crossed. This vile mailing has both sides knowing who they are, and it’s not the people I see, no matter how heated this race has gotten.
To Avery Bourne, she deserves so much better. In reality, as Ms. Bourne deserves so much better, so do the voters… and her family, and her friends.
To think either side, until actually 100% proven otherwise, is willing to even think this is what campaigns are about, I don’t think that. I do think Ms. Bourne deserves our respect, our sympathy mic acknowledgement, and move forward and let the issues and the candidates speak to who they are, not pictures that never spoke to anyone but to the poisoned mind that thought this is politics.
It’s not.
- SAP - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 9:32 am:
I thought that a campaign tactic worse than Clinton-Trump or Kirk-Duckworth was an impossible hurdle.
Maybe this is too CSI, but can they learn anything about the sender from saliva on the envelope?
- SKI - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 9:36 am:
“Whoever did it obviously wanted to hurt Mathis campaign. Some unaware voter would think it came from someone connected to his camp. This only draws sympathy for Bourne. That was the goal of whoever is behind this.”
Do you really believe this? That would be some twisted goal. ‘Let’s help out Bourne by sending out photo-shopped lewd images of her to people around the area including here parents and grandparents’. In Chris Carter…Come On Man!
This was the work of some messed up individual. Mathis was not involved and was just as disgusted as everyone else. But…He was not a victim here. Let’s get that straight.
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 9:44 am:
–Respectfully, Rich, I truly don’t understand why you will not even allow for the possibility of a false flag.–
I’m sure he will, when someone presents a shred of evidence to support such a theory.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 9:49 am:
===I’m sure he will, when someone presents a shred of evidence to support such a theory.===
Ball game, - Ron Burgundy -, perfect.
That’s the issue. Something this incredibly vile, and personally vile against a candidate, you need to show how, against conventional wisdom, this was planned by either, and I mean either, side.
- Mal -
Your soulless way of seeing this, maybe you should look where your lines are. Belief and proof, on both sides, is what’s at stake here, not emotional “gut” feelings or “beliefs”. That’s where you fail.
- Mal - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 9:52 am:
OW
The facts is this act benefits nobody connected with the Mathis campaign. Thats commen sense. Anyone with a soul and a brain would know that this could not be the act of someone wanting Bourne to lose.
- He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 9:54 am:
We wonder why we cannot get better people to run for public office……
- Anon - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 9:55 am:
Has there been an actual crime committed? Can someone answer that question?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 9:57 am:
- Mal -
No one connected to Ms. Bourne would think this would help a strong, capable, professional who can handle anything a race can dish out and then some.
It’s personally vile, at any level you want to measure.
Neither side, until proven 100% otherwise, would make this line vanish, thinking it would help.
Nope. Sorry. Until proven otherwise.
- Team Sleep - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 9:59 am:
I’m too close to this race to be objective - and I’ll readily admit this - but what bothered me as much as the action were those who both condoned it and acted as though Avery deserved it. I have friends back in that district who kinda shrugged their shoulders and seemed to think that the anti-Mathis mailers/ads somehow made this not such a big deal. I don’t know how to logically, clearly or peacefully respond to such awful rhetoric.
This race has been nasty - perhaps too nasty. Too many mailers have been throw around and people are numb. But no one deserves this. HMRLLAS (Saint) said it best: this is why it’s hard to recruit good candidates.
- Team Sleep - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 9:59 am:
Willy - along those same lines I was VERY happy when Rich put the (almost) immediate kibosh on that kind of speculation. There is no reason for it.
- Mal - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 10:00 am:
OW
Answer this 1 question.. Would this be the act of someone wanting Bourne to lose?
Just a little critical thinking can get you somewhere.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 10:05 am:
- Team Sleep -
Completely concur. The initial Post that put this discussion here, Rich’s thoughts and the kabosh on talk made me silent to the realities of what had happened, and the personally malicious way, good on Rich. Perspective.
- Honeybear - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 10:12 am:
But what do we do with it if the race were thrown by this despicable act. I believe neither campaign was involved but I can easily fit the act into the new reality of Machieavelian Real politik. “The end justifies the means “and the “strong will do as they will and the weak will suffer what they must”.
The horror, the horror
- Anonymous - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 10:16 am:
Anon@9:55- Illegal… possibly. I sure hope so. When the person(s) is/are caught, throw any and all books at them.
9.5.4 Lewd or Filthy Matter
Obscene, lewd, lascivious, or filthy publications or writings, or mail containing information on where, how, or from whom such matter may be obtained, and matter that is otherwise mailable but that has on its wrapper or envelope any indecent, lewd, lascivious, or obscene writing or printing, and any mail containing any filthy, vile, or indecent thing is nonmailable (18 USC 1461, 1463).
- Anon - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 10:23 am:
Anonymous @10:16am
I’ve yet to talk to any legal authority that says that any laws have been broken. There are no books to throw at them when they are caught. From what has been described, the code you provided wouldn’t cover what was mailed in this case.
- Anon221 - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 10:28 am:
Anonymous at 10:16 am was me.
Anon, I’m not an attorney. I’m hopeful some law or laws have been broken. If nothing else, there may be some civil case that Bourne could make.
- Tiny - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 10:30 am:
Someone highly involved in her campaign was overheard saying, “We’ll be glad to take the sympathy votes…”. She benefits.
- Simple Simon - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 10:34 am:
What was done to Bourne was vile and way over the line. However, I also think any ad that puts a face on a fake body, or distorts features (similar to tha Madigan ones featured here last week) are treading on the line. When you dehumanize your opponent, how big is the step is it from one to the other?
- A guy - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 10:35 am:
===Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 9:31 am:
- Mal -
I feel so sorry for you.===
We aren’t always in agreement, but we sure are on this.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 10:37 am:
- Tiny -
===Someone highly involved in her campaign was overheard saying…===
Really, who? Do you know? Do you know or are you making no point?
- Mal - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 10:37 am:
@Tiny
Exactly.. Its clear to see that this came from somone wanting her to win.
- AlfondoGonz - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 10:39 am:
Mal-
“The facts is this act benefits nobody connected with the Mathis campaign. Thats commen sense”
The fact is this benefits no one. That is common sense.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 10:40 am:
===Its clear to see that this came from somone wanting her to win.===
Not necessarily. Somebody this twisted might think it would embarrass Bourne and cause her to lose.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 10:40 am:
So, lemme get this straight…
This is a purposeful positive?
- Mal -
You character that a campaign will villify their female candidate to also be sent to her family members…
I truly feel sorry for your soul and how you see people.
- Cheryl44 - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 10:41 am:
Tiny, can you ID the highly involved person who said that?
- northsider (the original) - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 10:45 am:
Politics brings out the crazies. Mentally disturbed people get fixated on candidates, especially women candidates or female family members of candidates, and completely believe they have a personal and mutual relationship with them. They avidly absorb any facts they hear or read and weave them into their fantasy relationship. If the nut is chased away or discouraged or ignored–even unintentionally– they can strike out like a crazy ex, because in their convoluted mind they are an ex. It happens more than you think, just usually not as widely cast as this event.
I doubt this horrible incident is politically motivated. It’s too personal, too much like revenge porn only the revenge part is a myth because there was never a relationship to be vengeful about. But that’s how the kooks think.
I’m sorry this happened to Ms. Bourne, I’m sorry it happens to anyone.
Be careful out there.
- Deft Wing - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 10:48 am:
–Not necessarily. Somebody this twisted might think it would embarrass Bourne and cause her to lose.–
Embarrassing her causes her to lose, how? If it was meant to hurt her reputation, that’s another thing, although that wouldn’t work with many of the reported recipients — including close friends and family. And, as you say, this seemingly negatively works against Mathis … fair or unfair. But all this (and more) is pure speculation. Hmm.
- Team Sleep - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 10:54 am:
Tiny - just curious but do you know Ms. Bourne or her staffers? I know all of them and they are literally sick over this. Why would any of them even say anything like that? Even in a weak moment it would be stupid.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 10:54 am:
===Embarrassing her causes her to lose, how?===
That’s why it’s utterly twisted.
Does logic fail you?… don’t answer that, lol.
Mathis’ campaign isn’t going to roll out a personally vile mailing to the people it was sent, just as Bourne’s campaign would not do that too.
Think ill of Crews all you want, but the politics of just pure logic makes both unlikely sources
- AlfondoGonz - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 10:57 am:
It seems like people are trying to apply rational thinking to the motivations of the offender. I would posit that that is misguided.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 10:57 am:
===Would this be the act of someone wanting Bourne to lose?===
Deferring to Rich…
=== Somebody this twisted might think it would embarrass Bourne and cause her to lose.===
It’s like logic and seeing things without the demented act and thought are foreign to you - Mal -
- Rich Miller - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 10:58 am:
What AlfondoGonz said.
- Deft Wing - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 11:03 am:
–What AlfondoGonz said.–
But, but, but … that’s also speculation; about others’ speculation. All of which, apparently, is verboten now, at least as to this topic.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 11:10 am:
- AlfondoGonz -
Thanks for concisely show what’s at play and what’s foolishly seen by some as politics of choice by the actors.
Restaurant-Quality.
- Tiny - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 11:22 am:
OW - Yes I am acquainted with people on her staff.
- Tommydanger - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 11:54 am:
People/campaigns will continue to send out garbage, innuendo laced accusations and worse in their appeal to the LCD because it has worked far too often. Until people vote to back up what they say they want (’I don’t like negative campaigning’, ‘tell me what’s good about you, rather than what’s bad about your opponent’, tell what I should know rather than telling me what you think I want to hear’, then such garbage will continue to be mailed.
Campaigns do what they believe will be successful based on past history. We only have ourselves to blame if we continue to reward campaigns who resort to such garbage.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 12:22 pm:
- Tiny -
That’s not what I asked, but you already knew that.
- Bleugrass Boy - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 1:00 pm:
I don’t support Ms. Bourne but I do respect her and anyone else who is willing to endure the public scrutiny and dirty tricks that come with putting yourself out there as a candidate for public office. Hopefully the idiot perpetrator will be caught, convicted of something, and appropriately publicly humiliated.
- Demoralized - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 1:34 pm:
The stink of this election season is never going to come off no matter how many showers I take.
- Mr. Smith - Monday, Nov 7, 16 @ 3:26 pm:
Perhaps I am as naive as my namesake. But I would like to think that no Illinois politician would stoop that low, either on attack or defense. Even in THIS election cycle, which has left me feeling a whole lot like Demoralized @ 1:34.
I am going to suspect a “lone gunman” until evidence surfaces to the contrary.