For example, the Region 6 Office is placed in an unsafe location. The Footlocker next door was robbed twice in a week; two other stores nearby have been robbed; their office has been cased; a young woman was raped outside their back door; and a gunfight took place right outside their office. All of these crimes happened during the day.
Although an alderman offered to let them use space, for free, in a safer location, the request was denied.
* WCIA TV’s Mark Maxwell interviewed Shay Allen, one of the lawyers representing those eight current and two former campaign staffers, and asked him a simple question: What’s the name of the alderman who offered free space to the campaign? He wouldn’t answer…
Who was that Chicago alderman cited in Shay Allen's discrimination lawsuit against @JBPritzker? He wouldn't say. Will he tell us before the election? He wouldn't say that either. pic.twitter.com/CVn5jg3mqJ
Some of us would take this suit more seriously if the lawyers would offer up at least a little corroborating evidence from people who aren’t directly involved.
* Mr. Allen wouldn’t answer this question, either…
Attorney Shay Allen would not say who lived in the house that allegedly turned Kasmine Calhoun away because she was black. He argues the @JBPritzker campaign could be held liable for their alleged actions, even if they were only a volunteer. pic.twitter.com/c2MUazo12u
He claims in the above clip that the campaign can be held liable for the alleged actions of a campaign volunteer. I’m not a lawyer, but perhaps some of you who are can fill us in below.
* Allen also explained why his clients demanded so much money…
Preview of this Sunday's @CapConnectIL interview with civil rights attorney Shay Allen. 10 of his clients are suing @JBPritzker's campaign for $7.5 million. He says part of that price tag is for emotional trauma they suffered as a result of alleged discrimination. pic.twitter.com/1wp44F74zJ
Allen also tells me 5-10 plaintiffs could be added to the lawsuit against the Pritzker campaign. He says several people left the campaign because of alleged racial discrimination.
NBC 5 also spoke to several former staffers who also say they experienced racism and harassment as well. The former staffers spoke to NBC 5 anonymously out of concerns of retaliation. […]
However, four former staffers not named in the lawsuit tell NBC 5 after FBI tapes were revealed of Pritzker telling former (and now imprisoned) Gov. Rod Blagojevich that Secretary of State Jesse White was the least offensive choice to replace then Sen. Barack Obama— Pritzker and Stratton reached out directly to black campaign workers. That’s when the staffers say they first voiced discrimination complaints to them.
One ex staffer not named in the lawsuit said the working conditions were unsafe. Moldy carpet, dead bugs on the desks every morning and “we were treated very demeaning and micro-managed,” they said. That same ex-staffer said there were rats inside one Chicago office. […]
“The allegations made in the published complaint mirror the same treatment that I faced,” another former staffer tells NBC 5.
A third former campaign staffers reached out to NBC 5 to note what they referred to as the “unfair treatment, hostile and oppressive behavior” from a supervisor and that left that staffer “rebuffed, ignored and ultimately dismissed, fired for voicing my concerns over J.B.’s discriminatory practices” that are similar to what’s named in the lawsuit.
Keep in mind that the Pritzker campaign shed itself of several low-level staffers after the primary. I don’t know if any of these folks were among those folks, however. And, so far, they haven’t yet been added to the suit to my knowledge.
* J.B. Pritzker labels staff discrimination lawsuit as ‘untrue,’ ‘craziness’ at end of political campaign: “I think everybody who’s been involved in a campaign before has seen a lot of craziness in the last few weeks of a campaign. So, you know, this is just more, I guess, of what people expect to experience,” he said. “Being a first-time Democratic nominee for governor, you know, I didn’t know exactly what to expect, but here we are.”
==Some of us would take this suit more seriously if the lawyers would offer up at least a little corroborating evidence from people who aren’t directly involved.==
In general, being more specific in your Complaint is just good lawyering. If you’ve got the goods, show it up front.
==He claims in the above clip that the campaign can be held liable for the alleged actions of a campaign volunteer. I’m not a lawyer, but perhaps some of you who are can fill us in below.==
That’s very possible. It’ll be a fact-intense question, turning on the amount of “control” the campaign could exert over volunteers, and by volunteers’ very nature, you’d need some pretty good facts. But you can easily imagine what those facts are.
The suit reads like a Rauner campaign or ally hit piece. There appear to be a few very gaping holes in it: the Peoria hotels, the Pritzker south side office visits and the supervisor who says he wasn’t forced to cut his braids and didn’t get a raise.
The claims should have more meat on them, such as specific incidents and names.
All this being said, there’s no reason to disrespect people, and campaigns should strive for fair and equitable workplaces.
===…four former staffers not named in the lawsuit…===
Now it’s 14… and serious or not, credible or not, and if you’d like to question Mary Ann Ahern in her talking to these four, that’s fine too, as Rich points out… were these people shed after the primary…
It was another day of reports of Pritzker Campaign Discrimination, now with others not named in a lawsuit.
Sounds like a dysfunctional operation? Can’t say this is good press or seen as a Crew handing their business well, as not handling the grievances of 10 led to an unprecedented lawsuit, and now others piling on? How’s this all looking?
The levels of evidence required to substantiate a claim and make it plausible, much less concrete, rise concurrent with our level of political support for that person or organization, or inversely to the level of hatred we have for the opponent of the target of the allegation. Hence, the demands by so many in Illinois for this lawyer to produce all evidence minutes after the lawsuit was filed, simply out of fear it might, could, maybe help Bruce Rauner. It’s all so predictable. If this had been leveled at Rauner, it would have been believed and accepted in a blink, and you all would be screaming racism at the people demanding proof. Go ahead. Deny it.
I’ve asked about 10 different people about this since the story broke, and none of them knew what I was talking about. I’m wondering if this story is going to reach the average voter before election day.
I deny it. And while your assumption about other people would do in a hypothetical situation probably comforts you, the fact is that when you file a Complaint in federal court, you are expected to be able to prove up that Complaint. Indeed, if you can’t, you may be sanctioned by the Court. I’m sorry that you feel that that standard isn’t generous enough to Bruce Rauner, but it is what it is.
@JB13, Honestly I think you are off base here. I don’t think there are too many people here that are worried about this event swinging the election towards Rauner.
“when you file a Complaint in federal court, you are expected to be able to prove up that Complaint. Indeed, if you can’t, you may be sanctioned by the Court.”
In a sea of opinion and interpretation, this is an stone-cold fact.
Whether whatever went on or is going on there rises to the level that the lawsuit claims is highly questionable. Given the numbers, however, it seems clear something was going on that needs to be addressed and fixed. This many staffers turning on a campaign like this so late in the game is just bizarro world stuff.
5-10 more? Hard to keep a super accurate total, but that sounds like potentially 22 (?)
This thing is simmering and getting a little hotter each day. The real issue is not whether this will reach voters by election day.
==And then will the average voter even fully comprehend what it even all means? Political savvy CapFax readers are struggling with it.==
1) We’re not necessarily savvy, just opinionated.
2) “Voters don’t do nuance”, but little nuance is required for “Pritzker staffers sue Pritzker for discrimination”.
That being said, I take your meaning that this just may not break through to most voters (in my experience, they know shockingly less of the news, even superficially, than you think*). But we should all be a little more humble in our predictions of how certain things will “play”. Especially after 2016.
*- And lest you think I’m being elitist, I suspect I know far less about the news than I would like to claim.
- Because I said so.... - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:58 am:
=I’ve asked about 10 different people about this since the story broke, and none of them knew what I was talking about. I’m wondering if this story is going to reach the average voter before election day.=
I said this yesterday. Even the Chicago television stations didn’t give this, what I thought, a great deal of coverage.
Good or bad, Rich covers and digs deeper on stories that almost all other outlets. Those who follow CapFax are in the know. The general public, not so much.
I’m going to vote early as soon as I can. No bit of scandal will change the fact that Rauner has been horrible for Illinois. I simply want him to go away ASAP. Another 4 years of Rauner will set the state back for decades.
After watching the full interview, it still seems to me that is more about Allen getting publicity out there for himself than the quality of the suit. I would like to hear from the other attorney listed on the suit as to how this came about, and maybe even who drafted which parts of that poorly drafted pleading.
-I voted early for JB the day after this story came out. Too much at stake. If Pritzker was really racist he would want another 4 years of Rauner to set minorities way back
- A State Employee Guy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:12 am:
The plaintiffs don’t need to offer up corroborating evidence at this point, and it is undoubtedly a tactical decision to not do so. I wouldn’t dismiss the strength of the allegations on that basis alone.
“Attorney Shay Allen would not say who lived in the house that allegedly turned Kasmine Calhoun away because she was black.”
I’ve done a lot of work with Peoria Democrats and I am just DYING to know who this allegedly was. I’m running through my mental rolodex of folks who host campaign volunteers and I just don’t have any great guesses. (I mean there are def some racists in the party, but they’re not usually hosting campaign volunteers.)
@JB13, OK, I deny it. Demanding $750,000 a piece up front, for what seems to me to be complaints about their job being hard than actual discrimination, smells to me. That’s the thing that put my back up from the get go, they (or the lawyer) wanted a huge payday to keep quite before the election. Yeah they didn’t say so in their “blackmail” letter (again, not legally blackmail I know but c’mon), their lawyer isn’t that bad, but anyone with two brain cells can read in between the lines and see the threat. They have a huge self interest in exaggerating if not outright fabricating things, and several points in their stories have already fallen through. Now this dude refusing to corroborate what he put into writing in a lawsuit just adds to the smell. And these are basic questions, this is not hardball.
The plaintiffs don’t need to offer up corroborating evidence at this point, and it is undoubtedly a tactical decision to not do so.
-Big holes have already been poked through the complaint. JB visited those offices. The campaign worker was never told to cut his hair. The other worker was offered numerous hotel rooms but was too picky.
Shyster alert. Not going to answer questions in “court of public opinion” but I agreed to come on television. This is getting to be as bad as Rotheimer and Loncar. Opportunists like this make it harder for the public to take seriously all the many real cases of harrassment and discrimination.
This is why cases are tried in the courts and not the newspapers or social media. We have had inflammatory reports about lawsuits filed against gubernatorial and US Senate candidates before (as recently as 2014 and 2016). The polls closed and there was some political fallout, but as for the cases being proven to be completely meritorious in the courtroom, not so much.
Seeing as that worker had complaints on almost all the hotels/motels offered her could it be that someone just didn’t want to deal with a picky complaining person in there home?
===Big holes have already been poked through the complaint. JB visited those offices. The campaign worker was never told to cut his hair. The other worker was offered numerous hotel rooms but was too picky.===
… after all that… the takeaway in reports is Pritzker Campaign and alleged discrimination.
Seems like a campaign ignored a great many a people, until a federal lawsuit.
Is that how Pritzker’s Crew will govern?
“Well, don’t make a federal case about it… or do… then we’ll address grievances?”
Seems like a campaign ignored a great many a people, until a federal lawsuit.
-Judging by some of the tweets from those in the complaint it seems like they were having a good time. One even thanked JB for giving her a 2nd chance.
While most voters may not have caught wind of this story yet and many might still not hear about it by election day or whenever they vote.
I will guess that black community activists have been following along. This could impact their motivation in assisting turnout operations over the next couple weeks. Maybe, maybe not.
= I’m black and from Chicago. So far no one I know has been talking about this. =
I’m finding that I agree with my buddy that it is having the opposite effect. This is something that we can use to assure JB is fair and diverse as Gov or we will throw him under this bus and so fast.
Another point I have with the lawyer is he says he is a Democrat so that Rauner can use that as a talking point. But he won’t say who he is viting for saying this is not about him. If it’s not about him why even say you are a democrat? Were u told to make sure you say that?
If the takeaway the Pritzker Crew wants me to have is they aren’t too keen at looking into things, be it their own oppo, disgruntled workers, or governing policy issues until they blow up in Pritzker’s own face time after time…
… congratulations you convinced me.
We can only hope the governing is far better than what we’ve seen in personnel, policy, and politics that should be handled before a crisis.
Imagine the indignity of a campaign staffer being obliged to eat at a Downstate Denny’s franchise! I am sure that allegations of this sort ought to have been included in the complaint.
===Another point I have with the lawyer is he says he is a Democrat so that Rauner can use that as a talking point. But he won’t say who he is viting for saying this is not about him. ===
… Mueller is a Democrat, or Rosenstein is a Democtat…
Dude, you’re trying *way* too hard.
Maybe you should take a breather, or see what talking point on cable TV you can workshop next.
“Dead bugs…..”. Well at least the owner of the building paid an exterminator to spray. This was likely a leased space. Undoubtedly there would have been big penalties for breaking a lease. And you have to give the building manager time to fix the problems if you want to avoid penalties for breaking a lease. I have worked in state offices with much worse conditions.
- Maybe not a crime... - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:54 am:
…But maybe there’s a smidgen of truth about the hubris of many-a-campaign’s kitchen cabinet.
–NBC 5 also spoke to several former staffers who also say they experienced racism and harassment as well. The former staffers spoke to NBC 5 anonymously out of concerns of retaliation. –
Obviously, there are times when its appropriate to grant anonymity to sources.
But if you’re going to tag someone as racist in the final days of a temp campaign gig, put your name and face to it. Not cool, Mary Ann.
I’m flat out mocking these cookie cutter “reasons” you’d like to peddle.
This conspiracy could be 10 staffers felt that after trying to be heard and dismissed, they went and used an option that the term “nuclear” (to their own careers mostly) and it paints the Pritzker Crew in a tough light, that, had they maybe had better outreach to the “mammoth” 200 workers, none of this may have occurred.
If you’d like to look up primary voting records, please, be my guest.
The interview demonstrated that Mark Maxwell knows more about the plaintiffs and the allegations in the complaint than Shayster does. That’s odd.
- Chicago_Downstater - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:58 am:
Can’t the logic of demanding plaintiffs reveal their evidence before court be used to flip the argument on it’s head? If there was no discrimination, then why not just green-light and support an investigation? And no, I don’t think the Campaign’s releasing cherry-picked “evidence” not examined by a third party as equal to an investigation.
It does seem like this wasn’t the greatest lawyer for the job, but these are serious allegations. They deserve an investigation. I’d want this from JB the Governor, so why not expect it from JB the Candidate?
At any rate, all this has reminded me that unions aren’t just there to protect employees. If there had been a more accessible and formal compliant system, then who knows if this would have gotten this far.
You know, right now, this minute, today, old Jim Crow is alive and well and working overtime employing the power of government to deny people of color the right to vote in Georgia, Indiana, Missouri and more.
And these grifters are beefing that “moldy carpet” is racism?
==The interview demonstrated that Mark Maxwell knows more about the plaintiffs and the allegations in the complaint than Shayster does. That’s odd.==
Well, the Complaint was undoubtedly written in a hurry. I’ve been there. It takes you a while to get your swing back. Doesn’t necessarily indicate anything.
==Can’t the logic of demanding plaintiffs reveal their evidence before court be used to flip the argument on it’s head?==
I don’t think so; it’s pretty standard to believe that the person making the assertion has to provide the evidence for it.
- Name/Nickname/Anon - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:14 am:
Frivolous allegations of discrimination do not advance the cause of equality.
Many, many years ago I was on the streets in Germany as a military intelligence operative. Lots of sources, lots of stories. We used a two-part rating system to evaluate them — A (high) thru F on the likely reliability of a source, 1 (high) thru 6 on the likely truth of the info. You learned to be very, very cautious in assigning these ratings. Apparently good sources gave bad information, apparently bad ones gave good info. You always worried about “painting yourself a picture” or someone doing it for you. Our most frequent combination was F-6: Don’t know, don’t know. Seems appropriate here.
There are obviously a ton of holes in this case. But as a JB supporter, it bothers me. Not because there’s racially motivated discrimination occurring — I see zero evidence of that in the complaint. It’s the simple fact that 10 campaign workers came forward and filed a suit, regardless of what it alleges. That raises a red flag.
Where’s the usual esprit de corps of a campaign? Why are so many campaign workers so disloyal to the candidate that they’re willing to file suit against him three weeks before Election Day? Not sure of the answers, but the fact that those questions are out there is not good.
If you going to rush to file a lawsuit weeks before an election you need to provide evidence. Don’t be using Rauner talking points then saying you will provide evidence only in court when big holes have already been poked through that complaint.
- Name/Nickname/Anon - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:39 am:
Like I said yesterday, if this suit settles for ANY amount of money, you can say goodbye to massive paid canvassing efforts. They’re a relic anyway, and more serve the purpose of making the campaign appear grassroots. Which, clearly, if any campaign is the opposite of grassroots, it’s this campaign.
- Name/Nickname/Anon - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:41 am:
Yes, Willy, frivolous allegations actually encourage the behavior they allege. Which is why they’re so counter-productive.
===If you going to rush to file a lawsuit weeks before an election you need to provide evidence.===
In non-election times, it’s optional to provide evidence? That how this works?
===Don’t be using Rauner talking points then saying you will provide evidence only in court when big holes have already been poked through that complaint.===
I’ve questioned this filing, be it frivolous or but, but I keep looking, and I can’t find double digit campaign workers filing suit against their own campaign 3 weeks out to compare what it does mean, other than 10 campaign workers felt they weren’t heard, and they went “nuclear” on themselves.
We *already* see tons of state workers who are disloyal to the Governor (regardless of party), and yes, take him to court
-Governors can be replaced. There is only 1 JB for Governor. Big difference.
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:57 am:
One of the biggest holes is the Peoria worker, whose story is a big part of the suit. Judging from the reported many hotel receipts, the Pritzker campaign tried hard to accommodate the worker.
The lawyer said that the campaigm staff in the complaint still work for JB because they are hard working… Who works to advance someone they are accusing of discrimination to governor?
This is different from staying at a company where people can be fired and replaced. Working at a campaign you are advancing this person to office. Why continue on the campaign?
I don’t know for “takes”, I’m just saying every other Governor has faced disloyalty from the sprawling pool of state workers and I don’t know why JB Pritzker would be any different.
listed in the complaint are staffers, they are named.
-Some of those supervisors are people of color.. In which case one has already poked a big hole in the complaint. He says he was never promoted in exchange for cutting his hair.
OW- respectfully. Super respectfully
I’m not understanding why you’re hitting the Pritzker crew on how they will govern when the Rauner crew is and was anything but transparent. I know they haven’t been following your suggestions but I also know they ,by personal experience ,read and consider everything you post. I’m experiencing you as being passive aggressive now. It’s like a line got crossed and you’re drawing blood. I honestly believe this was an operation by Rauners people. Of course I am biased and blinded by rage against Rauner but I really don’t think Pritzkers campaign is guilty of anything here. I certainly haven’t experienced that working with the Pritzker folks who cover East St Louis, or anywhere else. So what am I not understanding? I get that they’ve made unforced errors in your opinion but projecting that upon future governing strikes me as unlike the well reasoned OW that I read every day. I ask this not in challenge but because you’re pounding away at something and I’m not getting it obviously.
===But they claim JB personally did nothing about there complaints. So again why stay on?===
Because their lawyer is a Republican?
“But they claim JB personally did nothing about there complaints. So again why stay on?”
They weren’t heard, that seems to be the thread. So, after being so frustrated they sued, with what can be easily argued a case with serious issues, but here’s the rub…
It’s a pattern of a Crew that waits until things blow up that could be addressed internally with some care. These unforced errors go to “Nth” degrees. Why is that? Different prints, personnel, policy, research… more that a single fundamental…
Over the years, I have seen people try their darnedest to separate a wealthy, self-funding candidate from their money (think Al Hofeld, Blair Hull).
That may be happening here, except it’s being taken to new heights. The idea of getting “free money” for doing little or no work in a campaign is as old as our democracy. I just never thought I would see someone with enough “chutzpah” actually try to get the courts to make this happen.
Let’s break this down. It’s all good, but let’s look at things…
===I’m not understanding why you’re hitting the Pritzker crew on how they will govern when the Rauner crew is and was anything but transparent.===
I need to care how they may govern as I have cared how Rauner has governed, not ignore what are obvious issues because Rauner was bad, so it doesn’t matter.
===I know they haven’t been following your suggestions but I also know they ,by personal experience ,read and consider everything you post. I’m experiencing you as being passive aggressive now.===
It doesn’t matter to me if they listen, not listen, they read Rich’s blog, but that doesn’t transfer to anyone, even them, listening to me. They are bright folks, I actually like them, as I like “ck” or Goldberg, as an example.
It’s not a comedy bit or joke, or something that’s a funny line. It’s really a thing. I can’t stand watching bad baseball or bad politics. Fundamental errors, they drive me crazy. When it’s ongoing, or never fixed, or compounded, and these are fundamentals, not “new politic ideals” or “21st century campaigning”, these are bedrock fundamentals, it gets my chill hot. It also has me wonder aloud, “what will it be like” if they win.
It’s not personal. It is directly at what I’m seeing.
===I honestly believe this was an operation by Rauners people.===
I don’t. As - Wordslinger - noted, they can’t conspire for lunch.
===I get that they’ve made unforced errors in your opinion but projecting that upon future governing strikes me as unlike the well reasoned OW that I read every day. I ask this not in challenge but because you’re pounding away at something and I’m not getting it obviously.===
Like Rauner, how they go about their business now, with no track record in governing with JB, what a I suppose to base an Administration to look like? With those like Rauner, or others who become governors without experience, and the Crew going about how they do their business, what should I expect?
If I choose fundamentals, I have a record to look at.
They are good folks. These are fundamental errors, but very fixable errors, as learning from these can make them really great, as I know I learn more when I need to correct things.
But, I’m not going to, after these 4 years, be passively “they’re not Rauner so… “
No. We need a governor. We need leadership. If Pritzker wins, I’ll wish him well, as I need him to do well, so Illinois will do well. I would want him to be successful, as we need success in Illinois.
I need a governor to govern. This state does too. My hope is things learned will help, if Pritzker wins.
There possibly could of been some discrimination that someone experienced. Idk. But I think the numbers grew of those alleging discrimination when workers found out a lawsuit was being made. I believe workers had a fear of missing out on a big payout via settlement more than any discrimination.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 1:25 pm:
===Who works to advance someone they are accusing of discrimination to governor?===
It could easily be that they still like and respect the candidate and believe he will be a better governor than the current occupant, and that the bad actors here are some in middle/upper management on the staff side.
Oswego Willy,
I am so indebted to you
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond
I understand now.
I only disagree with the “can’t conspire for lunch”
From yesterday’s poster, what about Erica Kimble?
But maybe again I see conspiracies and plots
Everywhere. I will admit
The past four years have given me PTSD
Paranoia is a survival instinct.
I will only be able to start healing from this when Rauner is defeated and his enablers rooted out of state government.
I know that that sounds over dramatic
But my job, my union, my families financial future has been under threat from day one. He illegally withheld my negotiated pay for four years. 15k plus may not seem like a lot to some but living check to check that is a lot that could have gone to many things. But it’s the people that I serve that have suffered the most. Mine are privileged concerns.
But God willing we’ll get him out.
The past four years have been a political education
I am so thankful for you and Rich.
Honestly a lot of complaints simply seem to be they didnt like the working conditions or campaign facilities or being micro-managed. Which feels like they’re confusing not atypical campaign conditions with discrimination?
It could easily be that they still like and respect the candidate and believe he will be a better governor than the current occupant, and that the bad actors here are some in middle/upper management on the staff side.
-In that case I would expect them filing after the election.
Let me let my hair down and provide some context. I was a state employee dating back to Thompson and have degrees in management and personnel (big whoop). I also ran around Springpatch with others (Boone’s, Browns, Two Brothers, etc.) primarily with Republican clan(s) over the years. However, I have little experience with campaigns in general and zero with campaign staffs other than knowing people who were also already in the state employment in one fashion or another.
OW, I think I understand where you are coming at and pray if JB wins that the character of his campaign staff does not flow over into his administration as Governor. I recall with disdain how it was after Blago was elected and all of a sudden the Democrats were rewarding campaign staff and loyal others with state employment. It was extremely painful and caused great harm to the state IMHO as you were now having to work with and for people who hadn’t a clue how to do their job and it showed. In some respects, it was like a prelude to the BTIA.
OW, I have read your concerns for weeks and God help us IF a JB administration continues down the same lines as has his election team have performed. Pritzker will hopefully have a solid crew of individuals that truly care about the state first and NOT try to carve out their own fiefdoms within as I witnessed prior to Blago and somewhat continued through to this administration today. The state faces increasingly more difficult times and we cannot keep postponing addressing many issues. We have suffered greatly the past 12 and even the past 16 years due to the administrations we have elected (what were we thinking), seemingly more interested in taking instead of giving.
Naive, idealistic? Yep. However, it can be accomplished IF JB brings the right people to make it so, bringing together Democrat’s, Republicans and Independants to do so. Again, from what I have read, this state has never had an election like this with regard to such a large team of campaign staff and I have to wonder if that the campaign leadership, while supposedly good at getting their candidate elected, just aren’t use to having such a large staff over such a large and diverse state? Not an excuse for letting it get away from them organizationally but relatable given the nature of hiring people on a temporary basis with the hope that some will stay on as additional compensation/reward?
Too bad we don’t see many commentators here on Rich’s site from JB or his crew. I just hope he reads it….daily.
Doggone it OW, as I typed this I see your more detailed post expressing similar concerns and hopes Que sera
You’re far too kind to me, but I’d concur, Rich has a place we all learn, so I’d thank Rich as you have too.
Your story, your past four years here, you have had to face so many things in governing, let alone in the politics, I owe you a big thanks for reminding me the real damage that effected Illinoisans, there are those like you that see the pain every day, and that’s a terrible burden on you too.
Keep plugging. You’re head’s on straight.
We’ll all know soon where Illinois could be heading next.
Am I the only one that found the ARDC complaint discussed in the full story interesting?
And since we are talking about unhealthy working conditions, does anyone remember those DHS (union) workers that were forced to work in an office infested with bed bugs? Did that situation ever get resolved?
- Trapped in the 'burbs - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 2:24 pm:
If this complaint ever gets to trial, it will be a long time from now. The timing of the lawsuit is suspect, as is the dearth of specificity. Seems like an attempt at a game changer. Meanwhile, Rauner is still an epic failure. Dead vets, lying to the bishop, lying about Jeanne Ives, lying about school funding, his refusal to accept a budget, fund higher education and his complete inability to accomplish any thing of consequence is his true legacy. Now, he can’t decide if he’s a Trump guy or a “moderate” guy. Funny watching him cry because JB has more money. Of course, he reminds us that JB “inherited” his money. Too bad Rauner never had any plan to build up the state. Tearing down the state, bankrupting the pension funds and universities and destroying the unions doesn’t qualify as building Illinois. It’s not enough that he loses, he really needs to come in third. Can’t wait to hear his concession speech.
- Arsenal - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:34 am:
==Some of us would take this suit more seriously if the lawyers would offer up at least a little corroborating evidence from people who aren’t directly involved.==
In general, being more specific in your Complaint is just good lawyering. If you’ve got the goods, show it up front.
==He claims in the above clip that the campaign can be held liable for the alleged actions of a campaign volunteer. I’m not a lawyer, but perhaps some of you who are can fill us in below.==
That’s very possible. It’ll be a fact-intense question, turning on the amount of “control” the campaign could exert over volunteers, and by volunteers’ very nature, you’d need some pretty good facts. But you can easily imagine what those facts are.
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:34 am:
The suit reads like a Rauner campaign or ally hit piece. There appear to be a few very gaping holes in it: the Peoria hotels, the Pritzker south side office visits and the supervisor who says he wasn’t forced to cut his braids and didn’t get a raise.
The claims should have more meat on them, such as specific incidents and names.
All this being said, there’s no reason to disrespect people, and campaigns should strive for fair and equitable workplaces.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:39 am:
===…four former staffers not named in the lawsuit…===
Now it’s 14… and serious or not, credible or not, and if you’d like to question Mary Ann Ahern in her talking to these four, that’s fine too, as Rich points out… were these people shed after the primary…
It was another day of reports of Pritzker Campaign Discrimination, now with others not named in a lawsuit.
Sounds like a dysfunctional operation? Can’t say this is good press or seen as a Crew handing their business well, as not handling the grievances of 10 led to an unprecedented lawsuit, and now others piling on? How’s this all looking?
It’s a pattern.
- JB13 - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:42 am:
The levels of evidence required to substantiate a claim and make it plausible, much less concrete, rise concurrent with our level of political support for that person or organization, or inversely to the level of hatred we have for the opponent of the target of the allegation. Hence, the demands by so many in Illinois for this lawyer to produce all evidence minutes after the lawsuit was filed, simply out of fear it might, could, maybe help Bruce Rauner. It’s all so predictable. If this had been leveled at Rauner, it would have been believed and accepted in a blink, and you all would be screaming racism at the people demanding proof. Go ahead. Deny it.
- Texas Red - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:42 am:
in the words of Bruce Springsteen..
“From small things Mama, big things one day come”
- Moby - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:45 am:
I’ve asked about 10 different people about this since the story broke, and none of them knew what I was talking about. I’m wondering if this story is going to reach the average voter before election day.
- Arsenal - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:47 am:
==Go ahead. Deny it.==
I deny it. And while your assumption about other people would do in a hypothetical situation probably comforts you, the fact is that when you file a Complaint in federal court, you are expected to be able to prove up that Complaint. Indeed, if you can’t, you may be sanctioned by the Court. I’m sorry that you feel that that standard isn’t generous enough to Bruce Rauner, but it is what it is.
- Jocko - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:47 am:
==The Footlocker was robbed twice…two other stores nearby…their office has been cased…a young woman was raped…and a gunfight took place.==
Since July? Do they have police reports to back up these claims?
- Real - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:48 am:
Problem is the evidence so far is in Pritzkers favor.
- Arsenal - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:48 am:
==I’m wondering if this story is going to reach the average voter before election day.==
Plenty of time for that to happen.
- The Dude Abides - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:48 am:
@JB13, Honestly I think you are off base here. I don’t think there are too many people here that are worried about this event swinging the election towards Rauner.
- Real - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:50 am:
There aren’t enough black people if any working on the Rauner campaign for this to happen.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:51 am:
===There aren’t enough black people if any working on the Rauner campaign for this to happen.===
That’s really not an argument to the allegations, but…
- @misterjayem - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:51 am:
“when you file a Complaint in federal court, you are expected to be able to prove up that Complaint. Indeed, if you can’t, you may be sanctioned by the Court.”
In a sea of opinion and interpretation, this is an stone-cold fact.
– MrJM
- Moby - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:52 am:
== Plenty of time for that to happen. ==
And then will the average voter even fully comprehend what it even all means? Political savvy CapFax readers are struggling with it.
- Real - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:52 am:
I’m black and from Chicago. So far no one I know has been talking about this.
- Ron Burgundy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:52 am:
Whether whatever went on or is going on there rises to the level that the lawsuit claims is highly questionable. Given the numbers, however, it seems clear something was going on that needs to be addressed and fixed. This many staffers turning on a campaign like this so late in the game is just bizarro world stuff.
- Henry Francis - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:54 am:
Nothin’ shakin’ on Shakedown Street
Used to be the heart of town
Don’t tell me this complaint ain’t got no proof
You just gotta poke around.
- A guy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:55 am:
5-10 more? Hard to keep a super accurate total, but that sounds like potentially 22 (?)
This thing is simmering and getting a little hotter each day. The real issue is not whether this will reach voters by election day.
The real question is, will that be when it peaks?
- Real - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:56 am:
Another problem I have is the lawyer using Rauner talking points. And he has lobbied in Springfield before.
- Soccermom - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:56 am:
Dead bugs and moldy carpet in a campaign office? I’m shocked, shocked…
- Arsenal - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:56 am:
==And then will the average voter even fully comprehend what it even all means? Political savvy CapFax readers are struggling with it.==
1) We’re not necessarily savvy, just opinionated.
2) “Voters don’t do nuance”, but little nuance is required for “Pritzker staffers sue Pritzker for discrimination”.
That being said, I take your meaning that this just may not break through to most voters (in my experience, they know shockingly less of the news, even superficially, than you think*). But we should all be a little more humble in our predictions of how certain things will “play”. Especially after 2016.
*- And lest you think I’m being elitist, I suspect I know far less about the news than I would like to claim.
- Because I said so.... - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:58 am:
=I’ve asked about 10 different people about this since the story broke, and none of them knew what I was talking about. I’m wondering if this story is going to reach the average voter before election day.=
I said this yesterday. Even the Chicago television stations didn’t give this, what I thought, a great deal of coverage.
Good or bad, Rich covers and digs deeper on stories that almost all other outlets. Those who follow CapFax are in the know. The general public, not so much.
- Big Joe - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 9:58 am:
I’m going to vote early as soon as I can. No bit of scandal will change the fact that Rauner has been horrible for Illinois. I simply want him to go away ASAP. Another 4 years of Rauner will set the state back for decades.
- Anon221 - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:01 am:
After watching the full interview, it still seems to me that is more about Allen getting publicity out there for himself than the quality of the suit. I would like to hear from the other attorney listed on the suit as to how this came about, and maybe even who drafted which parts of that poorly drafted pleading.
- Anonymous - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:02 am:
#BestTeamInAmerica
- Real - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:04 am:
I’m going to vote early as soon as I can.
-I voted early for JB the day after this story came out. Too much at stake. If Pritzker was really racist he would want another 4 years of Rauner to set minorities way back
- A State Employee Guy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:12 am:
The plaintiffs don’t need to offer up corroborating evidence at this point, and it is undoubtedly a tactical decision to not do so. I wouldn’t dismiss the strength of the allegations on that basis alone.
- Amalia - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:13 am:
I’m ready for him to say, but I’m wearing a bow tie, you have to believe me.
- Arsenal - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:14 am:
==and it is undoubtedly a tactical decision to not do so==
Well…maybe. But not a good one.
The more you can show you’re for real up front, the more likely the other side is to cave.
- Suburban Mom - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:14 am:
“Attorney Shay Allen would not say who lived in the house that allegedly turned Kasmine Calhoun away because she was black.”
I’ve done a lot of work with Peoria Democrats and I am just DYING to know who this allegedly was. I’m running through my mental rolodex of folks who host campaign volunteers and I just don’t have any great guesses. (I mean there are def some racists in the party, but they’re not usually hosting campaign volunteers.)
- Perrid - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:15 am:
@JB13, OK, I deny it. Demanding $750,000 a piece up front, for what seems to me to be complaints about their job being hard than actual discrimination, smells to me. That’s the thing that put my back up from the get go, they (or the lawyer) wanted a huge payday to keep quite before the election. Yeah they didn’t say so in their “blackmail” letter (again, not legally blackmail I know but c’mon), their lawyer isn’t that bad, but anyone with two brain cells can read in between the lines and see the threat. They have a huge self interest in exaggerating if not outright fabricating things, and several points in their stories have already fallen through. Now this dude refusing to corroborate what he put into writing in a lawsuit just adds to the smell. And these are basic questions, this is not hardball.
- Arsenal - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:16 am:
==In a sea of opinion and interpretation, this is an stone-cold fact.==
Thanks. But let’s add in a caveat now: while I’m speaking of the legal standard, the standard for a political hit to be effective is far lower.
- Real - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:16 am:
The plaintiffs don’t need to offer up corroborating evidence at this point, and it is undoubtedly a tactical decision to not do so.
-Big holes have already been poked through the complaint. JB visited those offices. The campaign worker was never told to cut his hair. The other worker was offered numerous hotel rooms but was too picky.
- Molly Maguire - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:19 am:
Shyster alert. Not going to answer questions in “court of public opinion” but I agreed to come on television. This is getting to be as bad as Rotheimer and Loncar. Opportunists like this make it harder for the public to take seriously all the many real cases of harrassment and discrimination.
- Practical Politics - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:20 am:
This is why cases are tried in the courts and not the newspapers or social media. We have had inflammatory reports about lawsuits filed against gubernatorial and US Senate candidates before (as recently as 2014 and 2016). The polls closed and there was some political fallout, but as for the cases being proven to be completely meritorious in the courtroom, not so much.
- Real - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:21 am:
Seeing as that worker had complaints on almost all the hotels/motels offered her could it be that someone just didn’t want to deal with a picky complaining person in there home?
- Anonymous - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:22 am:
If they think those are bad working conditions, they really wouldn’t like working in the Thompson Center.
- Soothsayer - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:22 am:
I have to wonder how these campaign workers would have felt if Shaw Decremer or his ilk had been their supervisor. Campaigns are brutally difficult.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:24 am:
===Big holes have already been poked through the complaint. JB visited those offices. The campaign worker was never told to cut his hair. The other worker was offered numerous hotel rooms but was too picky.===
… after all that… the takeaway in reports is Pritzker Campaign and alleged discrimination.
Seems like a campaign ignored a great many a people, until a federal lawsuit.
Is that how Pritzker’s Crew will govern?
“Well, don’t make a federal case about it… or do… then we’ll address grievances?”
- Real - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:29 am:
Seems like a campaign ignored a great many a people, until a federal lawsuit.
-Judging by some of the tweets from those in the complaint it seems like they were having a good time. One even thanked JB for giving her a 2nd chance.
- Anonish - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:36 am:
While most voters may not have caught wind of this story yet and many might still not hear about it by election day or whenever they vote.
I will guess that black community activists have been following along. This could impact their motivation in assisting turnout operations over the next couple weeks. Maybe, maybe not.
- I Miss Bentohs - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:37 am:
= I’m black and from Chicago. So far no one I know has been talking about this. =
I’m finding that I agree with my buddy that it is having the opposite effect. This is something that we can use to assure JB is fair and diverse as Gov or we will throw him under this bus and so fast.
- Real - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:42 am:
Another point I have with the lawyer is he says he is a Democrat so that Rauner can use that as a talking point. But he won’t say who he is viting for saying this is not about him. If it’s not about him why even say you are a democrat? Were u told to make sure you say that?
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:43 am:
If the takeaway the Pritzker Crew wants me to have is they aren’t too keen at looking into things, be it their own oppo, disgruntled workers, or governing policy issues until they blow up in Pritzker’s own face time after time…
… congratulations you convinced me.
We can only hope the governing is far better than what we’ve seen in personnel, policy, and politics that should be handled before a crisis.
We can only hope.
- Practical Politics - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:44 am:
Imagine the indignity of a campaign staffer being obliged to eat at a Downstate Denny’s franchise! I am sure that allegations of this sort ought to have been included in the complaint.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:46 am:
===Another point I have with the lawyer is he says he is a Democrat so that Rauner can use that as a talking point. But he won’t say who he is viting for saying this is not about him. ===
… Mueller is a Democrat, or Rosenstein is a Democtat…
Dude, you’re trying *way* too hard.
Maybe you should take a breather, or see what talking point on cable TV you can workshop next.
- Real - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:50 am:
OW aka comment warden-
You don’t have to read my comments to this case. Have a good day tho
- A Jack” - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:52 am:
“Dead bugs…..”. Well at least the owner of the building paid an exterminator to spray. This was likely a leased space. Undoubtedly there would have been big penalties for breaking a lease. And you have to give the building manager time to fix the problems if you want to avoid penalties for breaking a lease. I have worked in state offices with much worse conditions.
- Maybe not a crime... - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:54 am:
…But maybe there’s a smidgen of truth about the hubris of many-a-campaign’s kitchen cabinet.
- wordslinger - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:56 am:
Moldy carpet?
We shall overcome.
–NBC 5 also spoke to several former staffers who also say they experienced racism and harassment as well. The former staffers spoke to NBC 5 anonymously out of concerns of retaliation. –
Obviously, there are times when its appropriate to grant anonymity to sources.
But if you’re going to tag someone as racist in the final days of a temp campaign gig, put your name and face to it. Not cool, Mary Ann.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:56 am:
===comment warden===
No.
I’m flat out mocking these cookie cutter “reasons” you’d like to peddle.
This conspiracy could be 10 staffers felt that after trying to be heard and dismissed, they went and used an option that the term “nuclear” (to their own careers mostly) and it paints the Pritzker Crew in a tough light, that, had they maybe had better outreach to the “mammoth” 200 workers, none of this may have occurred.
If you’d like to look up primary voting records, please, be my guest.
- Henry Francis - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:56 am:
The interview demonstrated that Mark Maxwell knows more about the plaintiffs and the allegations in the complaint than Shayster does. That’s odd.
- Chicago_Downstater - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 10:58 am:
Can’t the logic of demanding plaintiffs reveal their evidence before court be used to flip the argument on it’s head? If there was no discrimination, then why not just green-light and support an investigation? And no, I don’t think the Campaign’s releasing cherry-picked “evidence” not examined by a third party as equal to an investigation.
It does seem like this wasn’t the greatest lawyer for the job, but these are serious allegations. They deserve an investigation. I’d want this from JB the Governor, so why not expect it from JB the Candidate?
At any rate, all this has reminded me that unions aren’t just there to protect employees. If there had been a more accessible and formal compliant system, then who knows if this would have gotten this far.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:05 am:
===not examined by a third party===
Yes, they were.
- Name/Nickname/Anon - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:08 am:
His allegations are so broad and sweeping that essentially any person of color not in a management position could be added to the lawsuit.
Why the heck wouldn’t they put their hat in. They can keep their job for the next 2 weeks, too.
It’s suits like these that deter small business owners from hiring minorities.
- wordslinger - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:09 am:
You know, right now, this minute, today, old Jim Crow is alive and well and working overtime employing the power of government to deny people of color the right to vote in Georgia, Indiana, Missouri and more.
And these grifters are beefing that “moldy carpet” is racism?
Shame on you.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:10 am:
===It’s suits like these that deter small business owners from hiring minorities.===
Your takeaway now is not that management should treat everyone well, but “this is why”… dog whistle?
Yikes.
- Arsenal - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:11 am:
==The interview demonstrated that Mark Maxwell knows more about the plaintiffs and the allegations in the complaint than Shayster does. That’s odd.==
Well, the Complaint was undoubtedly written in a hurry. I’ve been there. It takes you a while to get your swing back. Doesn’t necessarily indicate anything.
==Can’t the logic of demanding plaintiffs reveal their evidence before court be used to flip the argument on it’s head?==
I don’t think so; it’s pretty standard to believe that the person making the assertion has to provide the evidence for it.
- Name/Nickname/Anon - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:14 am:
Frivolous allegations of discrimination do not advance the cause of equality.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:18 am:
This…
===Frivolous allegations of discrimination do not advance the cause of equality.===
Begats this…
===It’s suits like these that deter small business owners from hiring minorities.===
Hmm.
- Name/Nickname/Anon - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:25 am:
I’m not sure how those statements are contradictory.
- Flapdoodle - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:25 am:
Many, many years ago I was on the streets in Germany as a military intelligence operative. Lots of sources, lots of stories. We used a two-part rating system to evaluate them — A (high) thru F on the likely reliability of a source, 1 (high) thru 6 on the likely truth of the info. You learned to be very, very cautious in assigning these ratings. Apparently good sources gave bad information, apparently bad ones gave good info. You always worried about “painting yourself a picture” or someone doing it for you. Our most frequent combination was F-6: Don’t know, don’t know. Seems appropriate here.
- Real - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:25 am:
It’s frivolous in my opinion as no evidence has been produced yet to support the plantiffs. Only evidence to poke big holes in it.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:28 am:
===I’m not sure how those statements are contradictory.===
Only minorities sue for discrimination so small businesses should discriminate in hiring minorities… as they may be sued for discrimination.
Is that your take?
- Name/Nickname/Anon - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:29 am:
No, the take is - Frivolous lawsuits deter small business owners from hiring minorities.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:32 am:
===Frivolous lawsuits deter small business owners from hiring minorities.===
… because minorities will sue for discrimination.
Otherwise, your observation not only makes no sense, it doesn’t allow everyone to hear the dog whistle equally.
- Name/Nickname/Anon - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:35 am:
Frivolous lawsuits alleging unfounded racial discrimination deter owners from hiring minorities.
- Roman - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:35 am:
There are obviously a ton of holes in this case. But as a JB supporter, it bothers me. Not because there’s racially motivated discrimination occurring — I see zero evidence of that in the complaint. It’s the simple fact that 10 campaign workers came forward and filed a suit, regardless of what it alleges. That raises a red flag.
Where’s the usual esprit de corps of a campaign? Why are so many campaign workers so disloyal to the candidate that they’re willing to file suit against him three weeks before Election Day? Not sure of the answers, but the fact that those questions are out there is not good.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:37 am:
===Frivolous lawsuits alleging unfounded racial discrimination deter owners from hiring minorities.===
… so they discriminate before they’re accused of discrimination?
Hmm.
- Real - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:38 am:
If you going to rush to file a lawsuit weeks before an election you need to provide evidence. Don’t be using Rauner talking points then saying you will provide evidence only in court when big holes have already been poked through that complaint.
- Name/Nickname/Anon - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:39 am:
Like I said yesterday, if this suit settles for ANY amount of money, you can say goodbye to massive paid canvassing efforts. They’re a relic anyway, and more serve the purpose of making the campaign appear grassroots. Which, clearly, if any campaign is the opposite of grassroots, it’s this campaign.
- Name/Nickname/Anon - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:41 am:
Yes, Willy, frivolous allegations actually encourage the behavior they allege. Which is why they’re so counter-productive.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:42 am:
===If you going to rush to file a lawsuit weeks before an election you need to provide evidence.===
In non-election times, it’s optional to provide evidence? That how this works?
===Don’t be using Rauner talking points then saying you will provide evidence only in court when big holes have already been poked through that complaint.===
I’ve questioned this filing, be it frivolous or but, but I keep looking, and I can’t find double digit campaign workers filing suit against their own campaign 3 weeks out to compare what it does mean, other than 10 campaign workers felt they weren’t heard, and they went “nuclear” on themselves.
- SaulGoodman - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:45 am:
**Why are so many campaign workers so disloyal to the candidate that they’re willing to file suit against him three weeks before Election Day? **
Well, one thing you have to remember is that JB’s campaign team is vastly larger than any other campaign team we’ve ever seen in IL.
So 10 people from JB’s campaign is like 1 or 2 from Pat Quinn’s.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:46 am:
===frivolous allegations actually encourage the behavior they allege. Which is why they’re so counter-productive.===
So small businesses discriminate purposely?
You’re saying it happens now.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:48 am:
===Well, one thing you have to remember is that JB’s campaign team is vastly larger than any other campaign team we’ve ever seen in IL.===
Illinois has dozens of state agencies, thousands of state workers.
Should I expect, since this campaign is so exceptionally large that a larger governing of a state we’ll see more of these issues?
- Name/Nickname/Anon - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:50 am:
Of course it happens. For a multitude of reasons.
One of those reasons being racism. Another reason is the potential of baseless accusations of racism.
I’m not defending giving into that fear. I’m just saying many do.
- Arsenal - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:53 am:
==Should I expect, since this campaign is so exceptionally large that a larger governing of a state we’ll see more of these issues?==
We *already* see tons of state workers who are disloyal to the Governor (regardless of party), and yes, take him to court.
- Real - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:56 am:
We *already* see tons of state workers who are disloyal to the Governor (regardless of party), and yes, take him to court
-Governors can be replaced. There is only 1 JB for Governor. Big difference.
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:57 am:
One of the biggest holes is the Peoria worker, whose story is a big part of the suit. Judging from the reported many hotel receipts, the Pritzker campaign tried hard to accommodate the worker.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:57 am:
===We *already* see tons of state workers who are disloyal to the Governor (regardless of party), and yes, take him to court.===
So “more of the same” is the take?
Ugh. Not great news.
- Fixer - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 11:59 am:
Thank God loyalty to the governor isn’t part of my job description as a state employee.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 12:01 pm:
===…loyalty to…===
This seems to be more about grievances being heard, or not heard. Loyalty only comes into play, as how many times has this happened.
- Real - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 12:02 pm:
The lawyer said that the campaigm staff in the complaint still work for JB because they are hard working… Who works to advance someone they are accusing of discrimination to governor?
This is different from staying at a company where people can be fired and replaced. Working at a campaign you are advancing this person to office. Why continue on the campaign?
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 12:05 pm:
===Who works to advance someone they are accusing of discrimination to governor?===
… listed in the complaint are staffers, they are named.
Those supervising the 10 are also the focus. Must be an oversight on your part.
- Arsenal - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 12:08 pm:
==So “more of the same” is the take?==
I don’t know for “takes”, I’m just saying every other Governor has faced disloyalty from the sprawling pool of state workers and I don’t know why JB Pritzker would be any different.
- Real - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 12:08 pm:
listed in the complaint are staffers, they are named.
-Some of those supervisors are people of color.. In which case one has already poked a big hole in the complaint. He says he was never promoted in exchange for cutting his hair.
- Real - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 12:11 pm:
listed in the complaint are staffers, they are named.
-But they claim JB personally did nothing about there complaints. So again why stay on?
- Honeybear - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 12:14 pm:
OW- respectfully. Super respectfully
I’m not understanding why you’re hitting the Pritzker crew on how they will govern when the Rauner crew is and was anything but transparent. I know they haven’t been following your suggestions but I also know they ,by personal experience ,read and consider everything you post. I’m experiencing you as being passive aggressive now. It’s like a line got crossed and you’re drawing blood. I honestly believe this was an operation by Rauners people. Of course I am biased and blinded by rage against Rauner but I really don’t think Pritzkers campaign is guilty of anything here. I certainly haven’t experienced that working with the Pritzker folks who cover East St Louis, or anywhere else. So what am I not understanding? I get that they’ve made unforced errors in your opinion but projecting that upon future governing strikes me as unlike the well reasoned OW that I read every day. I ask this not in challenge but because you’re pounding away at something and I’m not getting it obviously.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 12:15 pm:
===But they claim JB personally did nothing about there complaints. So again why stay on?===
Because their lawyer is a Republican?
“But they claim JB personally did nothing about there complaints. So again why stay on?”
They weren’t heard, that seems to be the thread. So, after being so frustrated they sued, with what can be easily argued a case with serious issues, but here’s the rub…
It’s a pattern of a Crew that waits until things blow up that could be addressed internally with some care. These unforced errors go to “Nth” degrees. Why is that? Different prints, personnel, policy, research… more that a single fundamental…
It’s concerning to what governing to expect.
- Real - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 12:24 pm:
They weren’t heard or nothing happened but they continue to advance JB to governors. Makes sense.
- Name/Nickname/Anon - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 12:26 pm:
No follow up. Hmm.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 12:29 pm:
===No follow up. Hmm.===
I just figured…
…when someone decides to call small business owners possible racist, I’d let that breathe… all on you.
- Name/Nickname/Anon - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 12:34 pm:
Unintelligible^
- Colin O'Scopy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 12:40 pm:
Over the years, I have seen people try their darnedest to separate a wealthy, self-funding candidate from their money (think Al Hofeld, Blair Hull).
That may be happening here, except it’s being taken to new heights. The idea of getting “free money” for doing little or no work in a campaign is as old as our democracy. I just never thought I would see someone with enough “chutzpah” actually try to get the courts to make this happen.
This is also why I think it reeks of politics.
- Generic Drone - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 12:42 pm:
I guess some of these staffers expected to stay at the Ritz on JBs’ dime
- A guy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 12:44 pm:
==Not cool, Mary Ann.==
Really no need for the comma…
Without it, you’ve described things right.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 12:50 pm:
- Honeybear -
Let’s break this down. It’s all good, but let’s look at things…
===I’m not understanding why you’re hitting the Pritzker crew on how they will govern when the Rauner crew is and was anything but transparent.===
I need to care how they may govern as I have cared how Rauner has governed, not ignore what are obvious issues because Rauner was bad, so it doesn’t matter.
===I know they haven’t been following your suggestions but I also know they ,by personal experience ,read and consider everything you post. I’m experiencing you as being passive aggressive now.===
It doesn’t matter to me if they listen, not listen, they read Rich’s blog, but that doesn’t transfer to anyone, even them, listening to me. They are bright folks, I actually like them, as I like “ck” or Goldberg, as an example.
It’s not a comedy bit or joke, or something that’s a funny line. It’s really a thing. I can’t stand watching bad baseball or bad politics. Fundamental errors, they drive me crazy. When it’s ongoing, or never fixed, or compounded, and these are fundamentals, not “new politic ideals” or “21st century campaigning”, these are bedrock fundamentals, it gets my chill hot. It also has me wonder aloud, “what will it be like” if they win.
It’s not personal. It is directly at what I’m seeing.
===I honestly believe this was an operation by Rauners people.===
I don’t. As - Wordslinger - noted, they can’t conspire for lunch.
===I get that they’ve made unforced errors in your opinion but projecting that upon future governing strikes me as unlike the well reasoned OW that I read every day. I ask this not in challenge but because you’re pounding away at something and I’m not getting it obviously.===
Like Rauner, how they go about their business now, with no track record in governing with JB, what a I suppose to base an Administration to look like? With those like Rauner, or others who become governors without experience, and the Crew going about how they do their business, what should I expect?
If I choose fundamentals, I have a record to look at.
They are good folks. These are fundamental errors, but very fixable errors, as learning from these can make them really great, as I know I learn more when I need to correct things.
But, I’m not going to, after these 4 years, be passively “they’re not Rauner so… “
No. We need a governor. We need leadership. If Pritzker wins, I’ll wish him well, as I need him to do well, so Illinois will do well. I would want him to be successful, as we need success in Illinois.
I need a governor to govern. This state does too. My hope is things learned will help, if Pritzker wins.
With respect.
- Bobio - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 1:01 pm:
Am I the only one who found it amusing that the lawyers name is Shay T Allen? (Shady)
- Real - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 1:11 pm:
There possibly could of been some discrimination that someone experienced. Idk. But I think the numbers grew of those alleging discrimination when workers found out a lawsuit was being made. I believe workers had a fear of missing out on a big payout via settlement more than any discrimination.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 1:25 pm:
===Who works to advance someone they are accusing of discrimination to governor?===
It could easily be that they still like and respect the candidate and believe he will be a better governor than the current occupant, and that the bad actors here are some in middle/upper management on the staff side.
- Honeybear - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 1:32 pm:
Oswego Willy,
I am so indebted to you
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond
I understand now.
I only disagree with the “can’t conspire for lunch”
From yesterday’s poster, what about Erica Kimble?
But maybe again I see conspiracies and plots
Everywhere. I will admit
The past four years have given me PTSD
Paranoia is a survival instinct.
I will only be able to start healing from this when Rauner is defeated and his enablers rooted out of state government.
I know that that sounds over dramatic
But my job, my union, my families financial future has been under threat from day one. He illegally withheld my negotiated pay for four years. 15k plus may not seem like a lot to some but living check to check that is a lot that could have gone to many things. But it’s the people that I serve that have suffered the most. Mine are privileged concerns.
But God willing we’ll get him out.
The past four years have been a political education
I am so thankful for you and Rich.
- L.A. - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 1:35 pm:
what wordslinger said at 11:09am x 100
- Nick - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 1:39 pm:
Honestly a lot of complaints simply seem to be they didnt like the working conditions or campaign facilities or being micro-managed. Which feels like they’re confusing not atypical campaign conditions with discrimination?
- Real - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 1:42 pm:
It could easily be that they still like and respect the candidate and believe he will be a better governor than the current occupant, and that the bad actors here are some in middle/upper management on the staff side.
-In that case I would expect them filing after the election.
- wordslinger - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 1:44 pm:
==Not cool, Mary Ann.==
Really no need for the comma…
Without it, you’ve described things right.–
How’s about you just speak for yourself? I posted what I wanted to say. If I need your help, I’ll let you know.
- LINK - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 1:44 pm:
Let me let my hair down and provide some context. I was a state employee dating back to Thompson and have degrees in management and personnel (big whoop). I also ran around Springpatch with others (Boone’s, Browns, Two Brothers, etc.) primarily with Republican clan(s) over the years. However, I have little experience with campaigns in general and zero with campaign staffs other than knowing people who were also already in the state employment in one fashion or another.
OW, I think I understand where you are coming at and pray if JB wins that the character of his campaign staff does not flow over into his administration as Governor. I recall with disdain how it was after Blago was elected and all of a sudden the Democrats were rewarding campaign staff and loyal others with state employment. It was extremely painful and caused great harm to the state IMHO as you were now having to work with and for people who hadn’t a clue how to do their job and it showed. In some respects, it was like a prelude to the BTIA.
OW, I have read your concerns for weeks and God help us IF a JB administration continues down the same lines as has his election team have performed. Pritzker will hopefully have a solid crew of individuals that truly care about the state first and NOT try to carve out their own fiefdoms within as I witnessed prior to Blago and somewhat continued through to this administration today. The state faces increasingly more difficult times and we cannot keep postponing addressing many issues. We have suffered greatly the past 12 and even the past 16 years due to the administrations we have elected (what were we thinking), seemingly more interested in taking instead of giving.
Naive, idealistic? Yep. However, it can be accomplished IF JB brings the right people to make it so, bringing together Democrat’s, Republicans and Independants to do so. Again, from what I have read, this state has never had an election like this with regard to such a large team of campaign staff and I have to wonder if that the campaign leadership, while supposedly good at getting their candidate elected, just aren’t use to having such a large staff over such a large and diverse state? Not an excuse for letting it get away from them organizationally but relatable given the nature of hiring people on a temporary basis with the hope that some will stay on as additional compensation/reward?
Too bad we don’t see many commentators here on Rich’s site from JB or his crew. I just hope he reads it….daily.
Doggone it OW, as I typed this I see your more detailed post expressing similar concerns and hopes Que sera
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 1:44 pm:
- Honeybear -
You’re far too kind to me, but I’d concur, Rich has a place we all learn, so I’d thank Rich as you have too.
Your story, your past four years here, you have had to face so many things in governing, let alone in the politics, I owe you a big thanks for reminding me the real damage that effected Illinoisans, there are those like you that see the pain every day, and that’s a terrible burden on you too.
Keep plugging. You’re head’s on straight.
We’ll all know soon where Illinois could be heading next.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 2:02 pm:
- LINK -
You’re very kind, i think we’re of the same thinking.
My hope is we both, after this election, can see everyone pull together for a better Illinois, and I’m all in for that.
Be well.
OW
- Sigh - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 2:12 pm:
Am I the only one that found the ARDC complaint discussed in the full story interesting?
And since we are talking about unhealthy working conditions, does anyone remember those DHS (union) workers that were forced to work in an office infested with bed bugs? Did that situation ever get resolved?
- Trapped in the 'burbs - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 2:24 pm:
If this complaint ever gets to trial, it will be a long time from now. The timing of the lawsuit is suspect, as is the dearth of specificity. Seems like an attempt at a game changer. Meanwhile, Rauner is still an epic failure. Dead vets, lying to the bishop, lying about Jeanne Ives, lying about school funding, his refusal to accept a budget, fund higher education and his complete inability to accomplish any thing of consequence is his true legacy. Now, he can’t decide if he’s a Trump guy or a “moderate” guy. Funny watching him cry because JB has more money. Of course, he reminds us that JB “inherited” his money. Too bad Rauner never had any plan to build up the state. Tearing down the state, bankrupting the pension funds and universities and destroying the unions doesn’t qualify as building Illinois. It’s not enough that he loses, he really needs to come in third. Can’t wait to hear his concession speech.
- Soccermom - Friday, Oct 19, 18 @ 3:19 pm:
“If they think those are bad working conditions, they really wouldn’t like working in the Thompson Center.” –
TRUTH