What goes around eventually comes around
Friday, Mar 23, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
Illinois state Comptroller Susana Mendoza is one of three female politicians House Speaker Michael Madigan named to “take the lead on facilitating a statewide discussion about the role of women” in the Illinois Democratic Party after two Madigan operatives were forced out amid allegations of harassment and other inappropriate behavior.
Mendoza and the others — U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos and state Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana — have vowed their work will be done independently of Madigan and the state Democratic Party. But records show Mendoza has ties to the ousted operatives, Kevin Quinn and Shaw Decremer, who both have worked on her political campaigns.
Kevin Quinn notarized Mendoza’s 2016 nominating petitions, which he did for everybody running with the 13th Ward’s support. Kinda tenuous, but Madigan has used less tenuous ties to whack the stuffing outta people on the other side more times than anyone here can count. And one can only wonder if this issue will come up in other campaigns.
The same goes for the less than $100 that Madigan paid Decremer for political work on Mendoza’s behalf years ago. And the $500 Decremer’s firm gave to Rep. Ammons last year, and the $250 Decremer’s firm gave Mendoza. It may all seem unfair, but MJM has made larger mountains out of smaller mole hills than these.
Ammons got $10K from Friends of MJM, Mendoza received $650,000 from DPI. That’s a bigger dealio, but not unusual. It’s the state party. That’s what the party is supposed to do. But, again… Karma.
* Back to the story…
Ammons said that won’t sway her, that she’ll pursue the issue independently even if the panel finds fault on the part of Madigan or others in the party hierarchy. […]
Also regarding her independence, Mendoza said: “Under this story’s standard, any woman who has worked with the party to get elected would not be able to serve on this panel. That’s ridiculous.”
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 10:16 am:
I understand the political underpinnings of this story. When you work in public policy and political worlds, you work with a lot of people and are bound to run into sleaze. The thing that drives me nuts is that the sleaze gets reported. The good people (majority) rarely get the recognition they deserve. Won’t ever forget Esther Golar for her courage to return to Springfiled in 2015 for votes.
- Robert the Bruce - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 10:16 am:
Mendoza is right. And the $350 from Decremer could still be seen as dirty money; I bet she is smart enough to donate $350 to charity.
- Not It - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 10:19 am:
To suggest that Mendoza is independent of Madigan is ridicukous. If not for Madigan muscling through special legislation she wouldn’t be Comptroller, she was a member of his caucus for years, which also means she must know and have a relationship with Shaw, whom everyone in that caucus worked with every day.
Madigan chose her specifically because she could be relied upon not to embarrass the Speaker too much.
I nominate Susan Garrett to lead this effort.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 10:21 am:
===I nominate Susan Garrett to lead this effort. ===
OK, but you can find plenty of campaign assistance from Madigan to Garrett when she was in the House.
- wordslinger - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 10:25 am:
–Kevin Quinn notarized Mendoza’s 2016 nominating petitions, which he did for everybody running with the 13th Ward’s support. –
Those are some “ties,” lol.
–It may all seem unfair, but MJM has made larger mountains out of smaller mole hills than these.–
Indeed. But journalists aren’t required to sink to ridiculous campaign hackery. The politicians will do that for them.
The story’s kind of embarrassing for the Sun-Times. Not much sizzle, no steak.
- Not It - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 10:26 am:
But she isn’t a current pol that needs Madigan and the party, and unlike Mendoza that assistance wasn’t just last year.
- Almost the Weekend - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 10:33 am:
I’m surprised Mendoza was asked to be a part of this and surprised Bustos accepted the offer. It’s only a lose lose situation for her.
- Rutro - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 10:38 am:
I disagree with mendoza that it’s ridiculous to ask for indenpendence in a panel, which is basically what she said.
- wordslinger - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 10:39 am:
–I’m surprised Mendoza was asked to be a part of this and surprised Bustos accepted the offer.–
I think anyone expecting them to conduct a whitewash operation for Madigan will be sorely disappointed.
Why would they? They’re going to be around a lot longer than he will be.
- Education First - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 10:41 am:
So based on what you have pointed out, Cheri Bustos is independent of Madigan connections? How about someone else from IWIL, perhaps Marie Newman?
- Board Watcher - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 10:48 am:
Mendoza will do what she always does when she has the chance, blame Rauner. Every thing that goes wrong or that she dosent like she blames Rauner. I bet if you brought up her pro tax voting record as a State Rep she would blame Rauner. When her coffee is cold its Rauner fault
- Almost the Weekend - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 10:54 am:
-wordslinger-
You really think they are going to find evidence, and if they do what is the punishment? If they say he should resign his party chair post will he do it? The only person I can see who doesn’t need Madigan’s help in moving up the ladder is Ammons,she has her own lane.
In regards to your last statement, I think Lisa Madigan thought the same thing.
- Chris Widger - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 10:57 am:
==“Under this story’s standard, any woman who has worked with the party to get elected would not be able to serve on this panel. That’s ridiculous.”==
She’s exactly right, except it’s not ridiculous.
- wordslinger - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 10:59 am:
ATW, I guess we’ll find out. I don’t approach things as a member of the all-powerful Madigan cult.
–In regards to your last statement, I think Lisa Madigan thought the same thing.–
And I bet you thought every move Mike Madigan made over a dozens years was to make Lisa Madigan governor.
- Flugel - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:07 am:
I must be missing something here. Why do you have to be “independent” from Madigan to do your job? It requires independence to meet with people, collect ideas, and make recommendations for systemic change? It’s not like Madigan is the perpetrator. Are they conducting a witch hunt or making policy?
- Anonymous - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:07 am:
I support Mendosa. She has intellectual integrity and is honest.
- Rutro - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:08 am:
I agree w/ wordslinger they will be independent. I also think they should have got people who wouldn’t be subject to this sort of article. J.B. can and will start to make Madigan less of an issue, it’s about time the rest of the GA/elected dem’s did the same.
- Flugel - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:09 am:
If the character and credibility of every person who signs or notarized a petition is the new standard candidates better start interviewing notaries now. Geez
- A guy - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:11 am:
==perhaps Marie Newman?==
Yeah. That’s the ticket. Can’t see any issue there, nope.
Get serious. Should he ask Leslie Munger too?
- Education First - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:17 am:
Get serious. Should he ask Leslie Munger too? That woman is not independent and has no understanding of the issues that the group would face. It would appear that your response ( and some of the above responses as well) makes a mockery of what the group was set up to do. Sounds like a little “mansplaining” going on here.
- A guy - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:37 am:
Here’s one mansplanation: Marie Newman might have an axe to grind after a close, tough race, and she might just have a person in common with Mike Madigan directly. Just maybe that could be the case. Mockery comes in different sizes, shapes and flavors.
Your suggestion of Marie is outlandishly silly.
- Fav Human - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 11:48 am:
Ok, I’ll ask. If this behavior was so prevalent, why did NONE of the FEMALE legislators go to the FEMALE attorney general and DEMAND that she do something?
We’ve been told we need more women in office to change things. Seems there were plenty of women in top job, (AG,Cook County board president) who could have done something.
But they didn’t.
- Soccermom - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 12:35 pm:
I don’t understand this story at all. I am going to assume that Herguth and Sfondeles understand how the notary process works on petitions. Somebody who is a notary public goes to a public location and petition circulators are told to show up and get the petitions notarized. The circulator stands there while the notary stamps the petitions. Frankly, I’ve had deeper relationships with the fish department staff at Whole Foods.
- Louis G Atsaves - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 12:45 pm:
Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip. Issue isn’t going away. Plenty of Democratic women to choose from who have far less ties to Madigan. The issue isn’t going away and when the current three publish their findings they will still be attacked for their ties and conflicts. Drip, drip, drip.
- Saint Helen of the Blessed Shroud - Friday, Mar 23, 18 @ 1:00 pm:
If this is the standard the Sun-Times prefers, I demand another investigation of Roeper’s twitter followers be performed by someone absolutely not connected to the Sun-Times. Demand, I say. The public must have compete confidence in its film critics!