* The Center Square…
The nominee for the Executive Inspector General for the Illinois Treasurer has withdrawn from consideration after controversial social media posts were revealed.
Acting Treasurer OEIG Dennis Rendleman has been on the job since February 2020 with a $100,000 a year salary.
“Dennis Rendleman is a nationally recognized expert on ethics,” said Treasurer Michael Frerichs spokesman Greg Rivara. “However, Mr. Rendleman has asked us to withdraw his nomination and indicated that he will work with the Treasurer’s Office to provide an orderly transition to a new nominee as Executive Inspector General.” […]
State Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, sponsored Rendleman, saying in committee he supported him, but then requested the appointment be held back after social media posts were revealed.
“We saw bad language, we saw posts that were accusing Republicans of killing people, essentially,” McClure said. “We saw just over the top extremist language which is just totally inappropriate for someone who wants to continue to serve, by the way, he’s been serving in this capacity while making these posts, but someone who’s supposed to be an inspector general, kind of above the fray, fair, impartial, that is not what we were seeing with these posts.”
Some posts obtained by The Center Square showed Rendleman writing on Facebook “White ‘Christian’ nationalists = Taliban/ISIS/Al Qaeda” and linking to separate Politico and NPR online articles. Another post Rendleman shared showed three people wearing Klu Klux Klan outfits with the text “when you accidentally wash your KKK robe with your MAGA hat.”
“They were of the most extreme types of political discussions on his Facebook page and all of us believed they were inappropriate,” McClure said. […]
“In Mr. Rendleman’s nearly 40-year legal career, there have been no issues or concerns raised about his ability to separate his personal opinions from the objective and neutral positions with which he has been entrusted by [University of Illinois Springfield], [Illinois State Bar Association], the [American Bar Association], and the Illinois Supreme Court,” [Treasurer Michael Frerichs spokesman Greg Rivara] said.
His Facebook account is here. And people on the right keep saying that the left is pushing “cancel culture.”
- Fixer - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 3:50 pm:
Quick question for the senator: Where in what he said was he incorrect?
- MisterJayEm - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 3:51 pm:
Never use your government name on the internet.
– MrJM
- Glengarry - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 3:56 pm:
Fired for telling the truth. The GQP just keeps going lower.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 4:02 pm:
The internet is forever.
- Broom - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 4:03 pm:
Not that it matters but another mess up for Frerichs…
- SWIL_Voter - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 4:05 pm:
Extremely tame compared to basically anything coming from the right wing, and also not wrong. More asymmetric warfare, double standard, unilateral disarmament
- NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 4:13 pm:
I wonder what Rendleman thought about taxing retirement income?
- Norseman - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 4:15 pm:
This is another example of why you write like the world is watching if you are still in the job market.
As far as the GOP goes, it’s typical hypocrisy. If this is extreme, McClure and his buds should read some of their party’s members social media.
- Socially DIstant watcher - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 4:21 pm:
Thank you, Rich, for allowing pseudonyms.
- cover - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 4:37 pm:
= And people on the right keep saying that the left is pushing “cancel culture.” =
People on the right *invented* cancel culture, just ask the Dixie Chicks or Colin Kaepernick.
- Scott Cross for President - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 4:38 pm:
LinkedIn is where you go to find a job.
Facebook is where you go to lose a job.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 4:46 pm:
It’s truly amazing Mike Frerichs, who wants a discussion to tax retirement income, continues to have no one decide how vulnerable he is to defeat.
You’d think Dems wouldn’t want a guy in the ticket who is dangerous to retirement income taxing.
This is just a reminder Mike Frerichs is treasurer, and no one is challenging that.
- Lincoln Lad - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 4:49 pm:
Not sure who the inner circle and top advisors are to Treasurer Frerichs - but they need to do a better job.
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 4:49 pm:
Is it a semantics problem? Is the preferred statement “Republicans are pursuing public policy that will result in more unnecessary deaths” instead of “Republicans are killing people?”
Asking for a Facebook friend, of course.
- rtov - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 4:49 pm:
His withdrawal from consideration seems to be appropriate considering the posts and the nature of the position. The “whataboutism” from Mr. Miller and some of the commentators is disappointing.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 4:53 pm:
===whataboutism===
(Sigh)
You know that only works if you believe those on the right *should be*… “canceled” too.
I mean… you get that. It means every time there’s a Trumpkin you defended, you’re looking silly right now.
Just grasp why you think you’re saying to what it actually means.
- Commissioner Fischer - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 4:55 pm:
==Never use your government name on the internet.== If you are in a public position and can’t use social media without an alias, then it just may not be for you.
- DHS Drone - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 5:02 pm:
What’s facebook?
- PublicServant - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 5:13 pm:
Republican Cancel Culture. He spoke the truth, and paid for it.
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 5:22 pm:
I’m pretty far to the left and agree with the sentiment behind Mr. Rendleman’s posts, but I’d be wary of going out on a limb to support someone who makes those kinds of posts while serving as and being nominated to a distinctly non-partisan position, like OEIG.
It’s not really whataboutism to bring up other areas where the treasurer has had messaging issues, and I say this as a person who believes that some, if not all, of federally taxed retirement should be taxed in Illinois. I’m not running for office, and I’m pretty sure that Overton window isn’t ready to budge and no one really wants to go on the record about how people who are presently retired have run out on the bill for their services sticking it to younger Illinoisans.
That’s reality. It’s not whataboutism.
- Amalia - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 5:26 pm:
there are so many IG jobs out there. City of Chicago opening, Cook County soon too. never mind the Chicago Park District…a mess from what I read. this is not your average lawyer/prosecutor job.
- Bruce( no not him) - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 5:28 pm:
I am a nobody, but even I know not to post anything on Facebook that might look bad to employers, future employers, or prosecutors.
Basically, post nothing but cute kids and cats. Oh, yeah dogs too.
- rtov - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 5:54 pm:
My point is that his comments were inappropriate for the position for which he was a candidate and the calls for his withdrawal from consideration, and the withdrawal itself, were justified. To bring up statements made by members of the Republican party, who were not candidates for said position, are irrelevant. Maybe the comparisons to statements or accusations made by the GOP are not “whataboutism”, but regardless their title, the comparisons fail.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 6:00 pm:
Wait, IGs and ethics watchdog are supposed to be non-political?
- natty lite - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 6:02 pm:
A guy with a distinguished 40-year legal career who posts that stuff on social media is either (1) not very smart or (2) so arrogant or bullheaded that he doesn’t care about perceptions. Neither is acceptable in an inspector general position. Happy to stipulate that any inspectors general who post bizarre political memes on the other side of the spectrum should also get cancelled — apologies in advance to my aunt in Boca who will be excluded from serving as an inspector general under that stipulation.
- Perrid - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 6:21 pm:
It’s naive to think someone will never have opinions. Making people keep those opinions to themselves doesn’t mean they stop having them, and doesn’t mean they’re somehow magically impartial. They’re just hiding their thoughts from you. Why do we think making people hide how they feel is helpful in any way?
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 6:29 pm:
===To bring up statements made by members of the Republican Party===
Context as it pertains to ethics, “things” that are seemingly partisan when ironically discussing a watchdog position, ignoring that context due to, and because of, a partisan lens… is worth recognizing…
… the social media aspect is a unifying thought to it all… in context.
I don’t recall a single person, even giving context, saying any choice of the nominee… or the nomination… needed different outcomes.
- Huh? - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 7:01 pm:
The whole facebook mess remains of something my grandfather said, to paraphrase and update to the 21st century - if you are going to do something that is going to upset someone, don’t post it on social media.
- Henry - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 7:44 pm:
Remember when celebrity stalker Steve objected to the President Trump’s tweets and vulgarity? Yea, me neither.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 8:02 pm:
=whataboutism=
Lol. First, if you are going to use a term know what it actually means.
The comments simply point out the grand hypocrisy of the right when they cry about cancel culture yet regularly practice it themselves.
There were many who thought rh candidate was foolish for his posts.
Learn to read.
- Juvenal - Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 8:58 pm:
It reminds me of the Neera Tanden confirmation.
Except that Rendleman is not going to apologize to Republicans for what he said when he probably is not the least bit sorry.
He is a Rendleman, after all.
But if he has even half the zeal for corruption that he has for white supremacists, he would have served the office well. Ya gotta admit, the guy is passionate.
- walker - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 7:59 am:
I’m with Perrid above
(Don’t quote me on that. LOL)
- Rusty mailbox - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 9:45 am:
-practice it themselves -
Right, how many statues did the right tear down over the last year?
A whataboutism is what a hypocrite calls a comment that calls out their hypocrisy.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 9:47 am:
=== Right, how many statues did the right tear down over the last year?===
So you support Confederates, traitors of the United States, while claiming you love ‘Merica?
That’s an odd way to think you sound smart to hypocrisy, lol
- Anonymous - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 9:59 am:
[H]ow many statues did the right tear down over the last year?
How many statues were “torn down” by anyone? Lots of statues of traitors have been removed by people who are finally embarrassed to have them on the courthouse lawns.
- Steve Polite - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 10:10 am:
“Right, how many statues did the right tear down over the last year?”
What about Trump supporters invading the U.S. Capitol, assaulting police, destroying public property, and interrupting a Government proceeding, all possible acts of sedition?
These are both good examples of whataboutism: they are deflections and have nothing to do with the topic at hand.
- Dotnonymous - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 11:58 am:
For any Trumper to complain of “inappropriateness”… breaks the chutzpah meter into a million pieces.
- Unconventionalwisdom - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 12:51 pm:
Is this true =Some posts obtained by The Center Square showed Rendleman writing on Facebook “White ‘Christian’ nationalists = Taliban/ISIS/Al Qaeda” and linking to separate Politico and NPR online articles=. Was anything like this even remotely stated. If so, his being a labeled a national expert on ethics is beyond absurd. He should go in a NT nano second.