* Mary Ann Ahern…
An Illinois lawmaker said Monday she was forced out of her job with the Cook County Sheriff’s office, given no choice other than to resign from her part-time position after speaking publicly against powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan.
State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago’s North Side, was the lead voice calling for an independent investigation after allegations of sexual harassment first surfaced within Madigan’s political staff. […]
Days after she publicly called for a review of harassment policies and past responses to complaints, Cassidy said she was told by Sheriff Tom Dart’s spokeswoman Cara Smith that Madigan’s chief of staff Tim Mapes had called “to confirm that I was still employed,” adding, “that call from Mapes felt like a warning, it was a little chilling.” […]
Last week, Cassidy said state Rep. Bob Rita “summoned” her over to discuss Dart’s bill and said, “I really just can’t get over the fact that you’re opposed to your boss’ bill.” […]
That conversation with Rita led Cassidy to speak to Smith once again. Cassidy said Smith told her that Rita had reached out to tell her, “when I worked for a politician, when I opposed him, I expect to be fired.”
“My blood ran cold at that,” Cassidy said. “It was very, very clear at that point, the combination of the call in February and this action by Rep. Rita, that this job was their point of leverage to use against me.” […]
Cassidy said she did not link Dart to the retaliation and chose to resign from her position. […]
“This is retribution, there is zero doubt in my mind,” she added. “This is about me having the gall to speak out.”
…Adding… Sun-Times…
“It was clear to me that this would be the first of an unlimited number of shots at me, and I respect the sheriff [Tom Dart] too much and the work they do. But I felt like the only way that I could bring an end to this is to come out,” Cassidy said.
Cassidy said she resigned, but believes what happened is a clear form of “retaliation.”
“My speaking out is about wanting to be safe from retaliation in this workplace, and I believe that the only way to do it is to take this public,” Cassidy said. “What kind of an example am I setting for my kids if I allow myself to be silenced in this way?”
“You don’t get to get to sit on the executive committee without being loyal,” Cassidy said of Rita’s allegiance to the speaker.
- hfkddh - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 3:32 pm:
This quote from Dart’s office at the end of the article seems to counter any claim this has anything to do with Madigan:
“Rep. Kelly Cassidy, who worked part-time for our office and who co-chairs the committee the bill was assigned to, opposed the bill and the legislative solution our office was seeking to protect the over 1000 female staff that work in the Cook County jail,” the statement continued. “Based on this philosophical difference, she submitted her resignation which we accepted.”
- Angela Davis - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 3:40 pm:
Yeah, man. She worked there for three years, then suddenly, after she speaks up, the Speaker’s office is making calls to Dart. Must be a coincidence.
- Texas Red - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 3:44 pm:
Not surprised by this story. You don’t build up a 30 year machine by having folks over for tea and cookie. It is unusable to see Mapes directly connected as a enforcer for his boss.
- Been There - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 3:45 pm:
Dart was a much bigger pain in the behind to Madigan while he was a rep. I doubt he would care if Madigsn wanted her gone. But her being against her bosses legislation is another thing. Not sure what her duties were but I’m sure she wasn’t exempt. She should have sited a conflict of interest from the beginning if she wasn’t for the bill.
- SSL - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 3:46 pm:
I never thought that the Madigan family would stoop to intimidation. I sure hope this isn’t true.
- Colin O'Scopy - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 3:53 pm:
=opposing your boss’s legislative agenda is a legit basis to get you fired=
Not THAT’S absurd. Rep. Cassidy is not a state representative for the benefit of the Sheriff’s office and i would argue as an employee of said office, she should (or should have) abstained from any legislation dealing with the office.
Sadly, this reinforces that state legislators shouldn’t be allowed to hold other public-funded positions simultaneously, especially a position she was apparently was appointed to for the mere fact she was a state rep.
- Montrose - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 3:55 pm:
What I can agree with 100% is Rep. Cassidy’s statement that her job with the Cook County Sheriff was a point of leverage against her. As long as she held a gig like that, she could have pressure put on her.
- SaulGoodman - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 4:00 pm:
**Not for nothing, but Rep. Cassidy had a perfect opportunity to run against Madigan for party chair not too log ago and declined.**
Cassidy isn’t a committeewoman. So no, she didn’t have such an opportunity.
- jim - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 4:02 pm:
Mike Madigan would never punish someone over political differences. what are you people thinking?
- Amalia - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 4:12 pm:
what this is, deft. Mapes calls to inform Dart’s shop that their employee is against her boss’ bill. the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
- Chicago Cynic - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 4:16 pm:
“*especially a position she was apparently was appointed to for the mere fact she was a state rep.**
To be clear, Cassidy worked for the State’s Attorney for more than a decade and had a ton of experience for the job at the Sheriff’s office. I get the cynic’s instinct (thus my name), but that’s not relevant here. She had a job for which she was eminently qualified.
- LoyalVirus - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 4:26 pm:
“double dipper job” Let’s talk about the fact that being an IL state rep doesn’t pay enough. Cassidy needed income & got a second job - a lot of people have to do that- she got another job with the state. ? There’s a newly elected rep who is also an Uber/Lyft driver. I guess they are also double-dipping.
- 47th Ward - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 4:27 pm:
If Mapes was trying to send a message, that was about the dumbest thing he could have done. What the heck was he thinking? I know Madigan is more detail-focused than Walt Disney and it’s his obsession, but the sexual harassment thing is as close to a near-political-death experience as he’s ever had. Time to put a foot on the brake, not the accelerator.
Cassidy might be over-reacting too, but in advance of Hampton’s hearing tomorrow, this is the last thing Team Madigan needs.
Doing the patronage polka with Kelly Cassidy? What was he thinking?
- anon2 - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 4:54 pm:
Does she think opposing the Sheriff’s bill had nothing to do with the pressure she apparently felt?
- Colin O'Scopy - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 4:54 pm:
@SaulGoodman
**especially a position she was apparently was appointed to for the mere fact she was a state rep.**
Let me try again: “Sadly, this reinforces the notion that state legislators shouldn’t be allowed to hold other publicly-funded positions simultaneously.”
‘Nuff said.
- LoyalVirus - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 4:55 pm:
I understand what ‘double-dipping’ is, thanks. I guess I just haven’t waited for the right man(splainer).
- One Time - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 4:58 pm:
-LoyalVirus
You suggested that working for a private company (like Uber) means that legislator is a double-dipper too. That’s not true. So you may understand it now, but you clearly didn’t understand when the term meant when you wrote that post. Correcting obviously false statements is not mansplaining.
- Purple Tie - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 4:58 pm:
=I’m confused. She quit. Is she saying this was in anticipation of retaliation?=
Just to be clear, the accusation of retaliation appears to be against the Speaker and his allies/operatives, not against the Sheriff’s office. If you read the whole story Rep. Cassidy clearly says she resigned to avoid dragging Sheriff Dart “into this petty nonsense.” And holding her job over her head could certainly be retaliatory/vengeful, but not in the sense of a legal claim of workplace retaliation.
- Colin O'Scopy - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 5:00 pm:
LoyalVirus:
=here’s a newly elected rep who is also an Uber/Lyft driver. I guess they are also double-dipping.=
Clearly you have no idea as to what “double-dipping” means.
Now your other point about state legislators being under paid is a valid one to debate. Many other states in the region pay their legislators substantially less than Illinois and have much shorter legislative sessions. They seem to get on just fine. We should explore the Texas model: biennial budgets with abbreviated sessions every other year.
- Colin O'Scopy - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 5:06 pm:
=why our elected officials have to supplement their jobs w/other employment=
No one is forcing any legislator to serve. If they cannot afford to run and serve, they shouldn’t run in the first place.
- Anonymous - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 5:08 pm:
This has nothing to do with #MeToo and everything to do with Cassidy auditioning for an appointment to the MWRD.
- Fundatd - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 5:30 pm:
Why is it surprising that Rep Rita would talk to Cassidy about this since he is the sponsor of the bill and Rep cassidy on the committee? I’m missing how Madigan was involved in this.
- Chicago Cynic - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 5:55 pm:
“This has nothing to do with #MeToo and everything to do with Cassidy auditioning for an appointment to the MWRD.”
HUH????
- SaulGoodman - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 5:55 pm:
Fundated - keep up. that’s not the surprise (that Rita talked to Cassidy). The issue is when Rita called the sheriffs office and said Cassidy should be fired.
- Been There - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 5:56 pm:
===“You don’t get to get to sit on the executive committee without being loyal,” Cassidy said of Rita’s allegiance to the speaker.===
While her statement is true she should worry more about the rules committee now
- A guy - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 6:00 pm:
Quite a thread here. Wow.
- walker - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 6:19 pm:
Pretty complicated logic that links these multiple characters, statements, and behaviors together. I generally believe in Cassidy.
My guess is that it was a cumulation of hints and actions over many weeks, some not mentioned here, that led Cassidy to infer payback for her February criticism of the Speaker.
Cassidy’s decision to remove a potential lever that could be used against her, makes perfect sense.
That people fear levers, seen and unseen, is a shame.
- Jones Crusher - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 6:21 pm:
This isn’t about Cassidy’s integrity- though that’s where certain folks want to steer it. It’s about a long standing culture of abusive behaviors and a system that completely failed victims of vile and predatory actions.
These are real human beings- women that had careers derailed, that were forced to make horrible choices, that in some cases were physically sickened by the culture of support and protection for sexual predators. Railing against the messenger rather than the actual problem only serves to protect those whose inaction will only result in more of the same.
- SaulGoodman - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 6:21 pm:
**No where any where has anyone said that Rita or Madigan asked to have to her fired.**
Not directly. But he clearly implied that. “If I opposed my employers bill, I’d be fired” or something like that.
**And since when did Dart do what Madigan wants?**
This isn’t Dart doing MJM a favor. It’s Dart believing that his legislative agenda was in jeopardy if Cassidy continued to be employed at the Sheriffs office.
- SaulGoodman - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 6:27 pm:
**Wait…Rita was the sponsor of Datt’s bill??**
Rita was a hostile sponsor with no intention of moving the bill.
- Joe Berrios Weekly Ethics Podcast - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 6:38 pm:
The key to the MJM machine is not needing to have any tie to the top person but filling other key positions at the agency with your own people. Clearly the person Mapes called is someone aligned with the MJM crew given how fast that moved. He would never need to call Dart. This is the setup at plenty of agencies.
- Anon - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 6:47 pm:
The true meaning behind this is getting lost.
She’s not alleging Dart fired her. Or that anyone fired her.
She’s stating that Madigan and friends are interfering with her position due to the stand she took, and she doesn’t want that to keep happening due to the effects on her and the impact on the sheriff.
True? Worth it? Up for debate. But you can’t dismiss the story with irrelevant stuff like “Dart hates Madigan!” or “She is allowed to be fired for things like this!”
Lastly- she’s a more effective legislator than many/most, and she was great at that job. Anyone that knows her can attest to either.
- SaulGoodman - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 7:11 pm:
**To think they are in cahoots is absolutely LOL laughable**
No one has claimed they’re in cahoots. Good strawman though.
- Fundatd - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 7:17 pm:
==- Etown - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 7:08 pm:
Cara Smith used to be Lisa Madigan Chief of Staff
Just saying=
Um, no. Ann Spillane has been the chief of staff for 14 years. But nice try. Kara Smith did work at the AGs office, as well as DOC.
- Lincoln Cries - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 7:25 pm:
Pretty nice little vignette about the myriad of issues with Illinois.
Person speaks up against Speaker (in the most benign way possible) and is retaliated against.
The retaliation is easy because the person is reliant on the machinery/government for a job.
The story won’t go anywhere because her fellow house members know better than to make it an issue.
Further, how many of those reps are lobbyists/connected lawyers/government employees themselves and thus reliant on the trough and unable to say or do anything?
The rot in this state is miles deep.
- LoyalVirus - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 7:34 pm:
cool cool cool - so only people who are independently wealthy should run for elected office. I get it now. #eureka
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 8:32 pm:
I think I understand what Rep. Cassidy is saying, but it makes Dart look bad. Either Dart is complicit in Rita and Madigan’s retaliation, or she thinks he can’t protect her from people who have no actual authority in his office. Maybe what Rep. Cassidy says did happen, but I don’t see how she gets from that to resigning from the Sheriff’s office.
- Play In Peoria - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 8:44 pm:
@LoyalVirus
Quite a substantial amount of daylight between “independently wealthy” and literally making money off of the system you have been elected to.
- crazybleedingheart - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 9:09 pm:
==It was a bill to protect women.==
oh, horse plop.
- AngelFire - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 10:07 pm:
Not surprising….there was retaliation against other female reps a few months ago…
- Rich Miller - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 11:19 pm:
I’m closing this post to comments and will likely ban several people. Y’all ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Goodbye and good riddance.