* Tribune…

As she tries to score an upset over seven-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski in the March 20 primary, challenger Marie Newman is selling herself to voters as a onetime ad agency partner, marketing executive, author and anti-bullying advocate.

Absent from her resume: Less than four years ago, Newman and husband James went into business with a convicted felon who spent time in federal prison for his role in a large-scale mortgage fraud scheme.

The Newmans joined with James Garofalo to invest in and run three suburban breakfast cafes and Luigi’s House, a popular Aurora restaurant once owned by restaurant magnate Dick Portillo. The venture began in September 2014. By April 2015, the two sides had parted ways, documents show.

Marie Newman said she and her husband didn’t know about Garofalo’s criminal conviction, and started taking steps to end their involvement after they found out. Asked this week what voters should make of her failure to adequately vet Garofalo’s background, Newman said that “things will go wrong” in business or any organization.

“What speaks to your character is when you immediately fix it. And my husband and I immediately fixed our error,” she said. “I think it speaks very clearly that I’m very transparent, and that when I see that I’ve made a mistake or an error I’m very accountable and I own it, and then I fix it immediately and I move on, and I don’t make that mistake again.”

* Coincidentally or not, this anti-Newman mailer ostensibly from “Illinois Restaurant Enforcement” started hitting the boxes today. Click the pics for larger images…

* Notice the United for Progress website at the bottom? Go to the website and this is all you’ll find…

United for Progress, Inc. supports bold progressive leadership in government. We fight for a more just, equal and inclusive America and believe our country needs more leaders willing to take on powerful interests that prevent working families from getting their fair shot at the American dream.

* Lynn Sweet last month…

United for Progress, Inc., created in 2017 — with mega donations from three Chicago area contributors — reported last week spending $37,767 on direct mail designed to re-elect Lipinski.

According to FEC records, that was $20,237 to oppose Newman and $17,530 to support Lipinski.

FEC records show the 2017 mega donors to “United for Progress” include $200,000 from White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf; $100,000 from Craig Duchossois, the chairman and chief executive officer of The Duchossois Group, and $100,000 from Jim Frank, the CEO and president of Wheels.

       

20 Comments - BucknIrish - Thursday, Mar 8, 18 @ 2:59 pm: The privacy policy had more substance than anything on that website. I’ve also seen online ads with the line “Marie Newman’s restaurant failed a food inspection. Marie Newman can’t be trusted with your kid’s health.” Is food safety really supposed to move people for Lipinski. - Old Hard R - Thursday, Mar 8, 18 @ 2:59 pm: That piece is going to hurt ouch - PJ - Thursday, Mar 8, 18 @ 3:29 pm: Nothing says “progress” like a dark money group of old white corporate million/billionaires. - Precinct Captain - Thursday, Mar 8, 18 @ 3:33 pm: ==- PJ - Thursday, Mar 8, 18 @ 3:29 pm:== Who are Republicans - Amalia - Thursday, Mar 8, 18 @ 3:38 pm: google the guy’s name. you will find a Patch article about a battery charge, an article that appears with the money fraud info and when she should have been able to find the info about the guy. I like Newman’s positions, but she clearly does not know due diligence. or she let her husband do everything. not good either way. - I live in Lipinski's District - Thursday, Mar 8, 18 @ 3:45 pm: Look, Marie Newman should have had a big boost today with the Bernie endorcement. And this piece of news competes with that? Did she do anything illegal by partnering with this guy? No. Bad judgement? Probably yes, but her husband seems to be the leader in the restaurant investments. She’s getting way closer than I would have thought. Gonna be interesting… - Arsenal - Thursday, Mar 8, 18 @ 3:59 pm: What mistake did she make? Aren’t guys out of prison allowed to work again? - VanillaMan - Thursday, Mar 8, 18 @ 4:00 pm: I saw the skull and thought she was endorsed by pirates. Too bad - DuPage - Thursday, Mar 8, 18 @ 4:04 pm: Newman campaign office: “Incoming!” - Joe Bidenopolous - Thursday, Mar 8, 18 @ 4:08 pm: I’m confused. Convicted felons who’ve paid the price aren’t allowed to work in society any more? Or just not in the restaurant business? This is pretty weak sauce. The business relationship lasted all of 7 months. That sounds like her explanation is plausible. Also, I simply don’t see the crime in going into business with a convicted felon. There’s quite a few convicted felons roaming the halls of the Capitol on any given session day - Veil of Ignorance - Thursday, Mar 8, 18 @ 4:22 pm: Hmmm…2005 got me over Reinsdorf’s white flag trades, but this is starting to remind me how annoying he can be. Not yet Ricketts territory, but not great. Still haven’t made a decision on my Sox season tickets…not looking to fund an effort to re-elect Lipinski. - Responsa - Thursday, Mar 8, 18 @ 4:22 pm: ==What mistake did she make?== fruit flies. - Amalia - Thursday, Mar 8, 18 @ 4:25 pm: I think the bigger problem is his battery charge. - Amalia - Thursday, Mar 8, 18 @ 4:26 pm: https://patch.com/illinois/homewood-flossmoor/homewood-restaurateur-former-trustee-charged-with-domestic-battery_676660f0 - ChrisB - Thursday, Mar 8, 18 @ 4:48 pm: When Google exists, there is literally no reason not to search someone before entering in a business partnership with them. Hell, I do that for interns I hire. It’s the most basic thing you can do. “I didn’t know,” isn’t an excuse anymore. - wordslinger - Thursday, Mar 8, 18 @ 5:38 pm: –I saw the skull and thought she was endorsed by pirates.– Isn’t that hilarious? They sure do enjoy their double-ought spy subterfuge down on the southwest side. For what it’s worth, Mancini’s was and is a pizza-by-the-slice joint across from the Lake Theater in Oak Park. The kids hang out before and after movies. All good clean fun, it’s nice that there’s a safe place that will put up with that racket. I remember when they had some minor issues after an Oak Park Health Department inspection. No biggie. I mean, it’s a slice and a coke, not Quincy. - plainfield liberal - Thursday, Mar 8, 18 @ 10:15 pm: Food safety, really? Just desperate. Structure and Reorganization of the U.S. Food Safety System — what has Lipinski done? - anono - Thursday, Mar 8, 18 @ 10:56 pm: Looks like junk mail - especially with that window envelope. Nobody opens those. Even so, it was sent so early it adds fodder to Newman’s theme that Little Lip is a Republican in donkey clothing. - Frodo, the lesser known - Friday, Mar 9, 18 @ 7:46 am: Ah yes, the maligned and greatly feared IRE. Lipinski’s secretly Madigan’s secret police. - 44th - Friday, Mar 9, 18 @ 8:45 am: Ill politics seems a lot dirtier than the mortgage fraudster…. just sayin Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.