Daily Herald withdraws endorsement of Burt Minor
Wednesday, Feb 28, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Daily Herald yesterday…
Legislative candidate Burt Minor strongly denies uttering a homosexual slur in front of Republican attorney general candidate Erika Harold and says he used a racial epithet during their October conversation only after she asked him to explain the meaning of the term “N-word.”
Minor, 58, a candidate March 20 in the GOP primary for the 42nd Illinois House, says he’s willing to take a lie-detector test to support his version of what happened. […]
But Harold on Monday said Minor has given “multiple versions” of the story.
“My story has never changed,” said Harold, 37, of Urbana. […]
Harold is calling Minor’s description of what happened “preposterous.”
* The Daily Herald also has a story with this passage…
Suzanne Heffner Hackenbruch, who has been a GOP committeeman for roughly 20 years, said she was “shocked and offended” when Minor told a group of fellow Republicans about his conversation with Harold.
She said Minor recounted how he asked Harold a series of questions that culminated with asking whether she was a lesbian.
“I couldn’t believe what I heard,” she said. “At no time did he indicate that Erika had invited him to ask her any tough questions … I don’t see how her personal life has anything to do with (issues in DuPage).”
Uh-oh.
* The Daily Herald has withdrawn its endorsement of Minor. Here is its list of the most “troublesome” aspects to the story…
• In his lengthy statement last week, he failed to specifically deny the slurs attributed to him. That did not come until he spoke to our Editorial Board days later. If the claims were untrue, wouldn’t those be the first things you’d deny?
• In our conversation with him, he referred to reports he’d heard in December that his meeting with Harold may create problems. But as much as we asked him about where he’d heard those reports, the more he danced around the subject. It left us with the impression that something is missing in his story of what happened.
• Under what circumstances would anyone, much less an African American like Harold, ask what the N-word means?
• Minor’s answer to that question was that he thinks Harold may have been setting him up. But he hadn’t announced his candidacy for the House yet; what was there to set up?
Not only had he not yet announced his candidacy for Rep. Ives’ seat at the time of that meeting, Ives hadn’t even begun circulating petitions to run for governor.
- Honeybadger - Wednesday, Feb 28, 18 @ 10:11 am:
After reading the endorsement and what they had to say about the other candidates, I can see why the Daily Herald endorsed him. That being said, maybe they are better off not endorsing anyone at this point.
- Rhetorical Question - Wednesday, Feb 28, 18 @ 10:26 am:
Someone explain why Erika Harold posed for a photograph with Burt Minor weeks AFTER this offensive episode? Harold and Minor appeared together in a photo taken in December.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Feb 28, 18 @ 10:29 am:
===weeks AFTER this offensive episode===
At the time, she didn’t want to make a big deal of it. She’s the alleged victim here. Stop using Roy Moore talking points.
- A guy - Wednesday, Feb 28, 18 @ 10:37 am:
==Someone explain why Erika Harold posed for a photograph with Burt Minor weeks AFTER this offensive episode?==
Maybe Erika can explain the 2000 or so photos she took with people during that time too.
Maybe explain why this kook continually boasted about his great interview worth of a 60 Minutes segment..you know, because he’s so good at this.
Dude buried himself. He’s still digging.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 28, 18 @ 10:53 am:
Chances of being elected to ANYthing: Minor
Chances of being respected: Minor
Chances of being trusted: Minor
Chances of being liked (👍): Minor
Chances of being avoided: Major
- Right Field - Wednesday, Feb 28, 18 @ 12:01 pm:
Trouble always finds Burt Minor…
From the Daily Herald January 26, 2000:
Candidate says battery complaint is wrongly becoming political issue feud seeps into
BY CHRISTY Gurowsra Daily Herald Legal Affairs Writer
It’s a feud between neighbors that hardly will make anyone forget the Hatfields and McCoys. Still, Burt Minor is scheduled in court today to answer a battery complaint filed by a neighbor. Minor says the scuffle is minor, but claims his two opponents for a seat on the DuPage County Board are making a big political deal with it. Minor, a Warrenville alderman, was arrested on a misdemeanor charge June 16 after Kevin Carlisle complained Minor “grabbed him by the shirt” during a spat weeks earlier. Minor is in a three-way battle for the county board in the March Republican primary against incumbents James Zay and Linda Kurzawa. Minor says his District 6 opponents are trumping up the arrest in an attempt to smear him. “It’s already a really nasty campaign,” Minor said. “They’re going rampant (with rumors) because that’s about the only questionable thing I’ve ever Burt Minor done in my life. “I’m about the most squeaky clean guy you’re ever going to meet,” he added. The June 1 altercation began when Minor accused Carlisle of trying to get Minor’s teenage daughter fired from her job at a local theater. That stemmed, Minor says, from something Carlisle accused the girl of saying. Carlisle and Minor, who are former business partners, argued and the disagreement soon turned physical, a police report said. Police, who first consulted with prosecutors, found enough .evidence to charge Minor with battery. Minor, 40, said he only was trying to defend his family. Though Zay denies making his opponent’s arrest a campaign issue, he added, “It is a judge of someone’s character.” : “There’s a better way to deal with a neighbor than to take the law into your own hands,” he said. Kurzawa and Carlisle were not available for comment Tuesday.
- OneMan - Wednesday, Feb 28, 18 @ 1:49 pm:
None, what is none.. There are no circumstances where anyone under the age of 70 (or 80) would ask what the N-word means.
Dear GOP thanks for reminding me why I not longer identify with you…