Campaign notebook
Wednesday, Feb 2, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I told you in December that Newman’s payments to Chehade totaled about $29K. They’ve continued, according to the Daily Beast…
The scandal enveloping congresswoman Marie Newman—who is accused of signing and then reneging on a contract to pay a political rival not to run against her—has taken a shocking new turn. Federal campaign records show that after striking a secret settlement with the rival, the Illinois Democrat did, in fact, put the man on her campaign payroll.
In October 2018, Newman allegedly signed a contract with Iymen Chehade promising him a cozy six-figure salary on her congressional staff in exchange for his political support, according to the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE). When Newman ultimately didn’t hire Chehade after she won her 2020 election, he sued.
The two reached an undisclosed settlement over the summer. But, it turns out, that’s not the end of the story.
Newman’s latest FEC filings show she did hire Chehade as a foreign policy adviser—only instead of being paid through her congressional office, Chehade was hired through Newman’s campaign.
Chehade has received a total of $54,000 since the second half of 2021, mostly in salary installments of $7,500 a month, but sometimes with additional $2,000 payments. According to the FEC filings, the disbursements to Chehade began on July 1, 2021, just two days after both sides reached a deal to resolve the lawsuit.
* And here’s Rolling Stone…
The ethics complaint against Newman had been filed by the Foundation for Accountability and Trust, a right-wing group founded by Matthew Whittaker, who served as President Donald Trump’s former acting attorney general. A Republican operative described the group as “a chop shop of fake ethics complaints” to New York in 2018. But it’s not just right-wingers questioning Newman’s account. Her main contention is that she hired Chehade not to keep him out of the race, but because she needed his foreign policy expertise — particularly on Palestinian issues. It’s an assertion that multiple sources called inaccurate. “It strikes me as a complete fabrication that there weren’t Palestinian voices she consulted who are smart and educated on these issues,” says a source close to the Newman campaign.
Newman said she had sought out Chehade because he had “very specific knowledge around Palestine and Israel that I needed,” she said in an interview with ethics investigators last fall. “We had looked for Palestinian advisors and we could never find one.” Newman had also told investigators that she never discussed Chehade’s interest or intentions to run in the Illinois 3rd primary — only a potential run for state senate or alderman instead. She disclosed to ethics investigators that Chehade had briefly mentioned flirting with a congressional campaign when the two first met in May 2018, but he’d wanted to help her build her Israel-Palestine platform, instead.
But when Newman began mapping out her 2020 run, she had expressed concern about Chehade entering the race, according to a former Newman ally familiar with her thinking at the time. They recall her mentioning Chehade in the context of running, not as an advisor. “Marie never mentioned she’d asked Chehade to be an advisor,” the source said. Sources also suggest Newman overstates the necessity of bringing in Chehade to advise on Israel-Palestine issues, claiming she was already well-connected with experts and community leaders on both sides of the conflict. (The sources spoke with Rolling Stone on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss sensitive political topics without fear of personal retribution.)
* But some of her enemies have decided to invent oppo, which in this case is truly stupid because they’re funneling money to a convicted felon…
* Thread!…
Yep. Checks out.
* Sullivan’s Tribune op-ed…
Despite what we’re told, this is not some unavoidable nationwide rise. This is the direct result of anti-police, anti-accountability policies pushed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. In partnership with the House Democratic Caucus, they have crippled our law enforcement with policies that are unwise and that threaten the safety of every resident in this state — most importantly, our kids.
It is time for bold action. I recently released my Safe Streets action plan, calling for three concrete steps to save Illinois: First, we must enforce our laws. Second, we must honor and defend our heroes in law enforcement. Third, we must restore accountability, by taking criminals off the streets and by keeping the most violent offenders behind bars.
But that’s not all. Foxx, who releases violent criminals on the streets, must be recalled. I will lead the charge to recall or defeat Foxx for violating her oath of office and her obligation to Cook County and Chicago residents to uphold the rule of law.
Lightfoot has become the leader of the anti-police movement in Illinois and in its largest city. I am committed to working with the principled, commonsense problem solver who can defeat her in 2023.
Local violence is part of a national trend. And this whole idea of a leader picking huge political fights to the death with other elected officials didn’t work out so well for our former governor or the city’s current mayor.
* Made me chuckle…
* Bailey’s running-mate…
Republican lieutenant governor candidate Stephanie Trussell says it’s no surprise in an election year that Gov. Pritzker wants to freeze taxes. She says Pritzker is why the taxes are high and he wants to make himself look like a savior.
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 12:08 pm:
I understand why Sullivan’s antics grate on Chicagoans, but we should really just ignore him until he has a running mate.
- Pundent - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 12:10 pm:
So did Newman hire Chehade as a public person to the thing that she had no standing to do as a private person once she became a public person but had no intention to do so as a private person? And is Chehade now, after receiving a settlement from her public person, working for her private person? It would seem so.
- Dan Johnson - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 12:13 pm:
What does it mean to recall an Illinois state’s attorney exactly?
He might be confusing that with the current effort to recall the San Francisco District Attorney. Since, California.
- Les Nessman - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 12:18 pm:
Marie Newman’s own Director of District Affairs is not only pro Palestinian but also very vocal on her social media about her Palestinian support and knowledge. So kind of surprising Newman is claiming she could not find a Palestinian advisor.
- Homebody - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 12:25 pm:
“Despite what we’re told, this is not some unavoidable nationwide rise. This is the direct result of anti-police, anti-accountability policies”
Both of these allegations are provably false. I guess this just confirms that no matter what Sullivan did with his college paper, he’s a Republican after all.
- TheInvisibleMan - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 12:26 pm:
= She says Pritzker is why the taxes are high and he wants to make himself look like a savior.=
Uh oh. Someone sounds angry the democrats figured out how to play their “two santa claus game”, without needing the republicans anymore.
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 12:51 pm:
Congresswoman Newman should have resigned. She is going to regret her decision to not resign.
She’s either ignoring advice or getting really bad advice, but at the end of the day Marie Newman’s created a great campfire story for future politicos swapping far fetched tales of ridiculous things candidates have done.
- Publius - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 1:01 pm:
Unfortunately Sullivan or Ivrin’s mis-representations turn voters off. Then they decide that it’s all fake and don’t vote. That is the issue we face.
- Back to the Future - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 1:08 pm:
Still find Sullivan interesting, but not having a running mate this far into the petition gathering calendar is not a good look.
- Donnie Elgin - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 1:10 pm:
She looks bad either way - if it was a payoff that’s bad, hiring a professor who has faced charges of bias regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a foreign policy adviser is also foolish.
- Rudy’s teeth - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 1:10 pm:
Wonder if Jesse Sullivan stopped by any of the fine Italian restaurants on Taylor Street after filming his commercial? Some calamari and veal limone with sautéed spinach, perhaps.
Jesse, replace the term deployed with worked. Connotes military service and you did not serve.
- Ebur-floozy - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 1:11 pm:
In a vacuum, what Newman did does seem politics-as-it-used to be. But context is everything. She ran against Lipinski as a quasi-swamp drainer, and specifically made “Because….Madigan” part of her ‘20 primary race. Cake is being halved and eaten. Also, politics as usual defenses are being very carefully scrutinized at this moment. See Edison, Commonwealth.
- Give Me A Break - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 1:25 pm:
Pretty sure GOP candidates are legally banned from going longer than 30 seconds in any conversation without saying, Chicago, crime, Madigan, liberal or Take back Illinois.
- Almost the Weekend - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 1:37 pm:
Emily’s List could do a better job vetting their candidates. Newman has been unimpressive since her she lost her first congressional primary. She showed her true colors then.
- NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 1:43 pm:
Is Newman actually Patti Blago?
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 2:31 pm:
-calling for three concrete steps to save Illinois: First, we must enforce our laws. Second, we must honor and defend our heroes in law enforcement. Third, we must restore accountability, by taking criminals off the streets and by keeping the most violent offenders behind bars.-
Those are general platitudes not concrete steps as advertised.
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 2:33 pm:
As for the Newman issue, as noted in another thread it is time for her to start “digging up” instead of deeper. Also you can only get so far questioning the motive of the person who filed the complaint when it proves to be more and more true.
- DuPage Saint - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 2:41 pm:
Well ex felons got to eat so I have no problem with Blago trying to make a dollar. I looked at most of it all Blago does is whine about injustice done to him. I thought the time away did him good he looks fine. But what a waste of money who wants to listen to him. I tried just for heck of it but gave up. I wonder what he got paid.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 2:42 pm:
Until Sullivan can, I guess, fool, someone to run with him, he’s not a serious person to any of this.
Newman?
Man, the last thing she may need to worry about is a campaign. What a disaster.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 2:43 pm:
This alone…
If you are *paying* Rod to try to have a hit on a candidate for a sense of irony… isn’t it ironic that you are supporting the grift of a grifter to do it? Don’t you think?
- low level - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 3:00 pm:
Sullivan apparently doesnt realize that entire stretch of Taylor Street and the near west side as a whole has experienced a complete turnaround over the past 20 years.
- Suburbanon - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 3:15 pm:
Why do many of the “swamp drainers” end up getting stuck in the ethical quicksand of that swamp? The more they struggle to talk their way out, the worst it gets for them.
- Senator Clay Davis - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 3:32 pm:
::Sullivan apparently doesnt realize that entire stretch of Taylor Street and the near west side as a whole has experienced a complete turnaround over the past 20 years.::
This stunning new library building is directly across the street from the building he used as a backdrop. https://goo.gl/maps/JaJuSdRXiLvUuwod8
Of course he noticed that and all the trendy shops in the area, but that doesn’t matter because he was just there to get the imagery he wanted. And it won’t matter to his target voters either, because it reinforces their false belief that Chicago is a complete warzone.
In any case, it’s a moot point because Sullivan is DOA as a candidate.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 4:03 pm:
===Sullivan apparently doesnt realize…===
Sullivan doesn’t know a thing about Chicago.
- James in Chicago - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 4:27 pm:
How funny. I live a block west. My building was just sold for $1 million.
- Stormsw7706 - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 5:01 pm:
Sullivan couldn’t find a boarded up building in Petersburg ? Or downtown Springfield ? Or in any of 100 towns in Southern Illinois that are slowly dying? Instead, he chooses Chicago, a city that basically subsidizes the rest of the state below I-80 and almost exclusively below I-64.
- JoanP - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 6:57 pm:
Aww, he’s just mad because the sandwich line at Conte di Savoia was too long and he didn’t want to wait.
- West Side the Best Side - Wednesday, Feb 2, 22 @ 7:13 pm:
Got a robocall from Rep. Newman while watching WTTW Chicago Tonight as they were previewing their stories, including the Newman payments. I kept asking what was going on, but the call just wanted me to press 1. Blocked future calls from that number, which from from Chicago, not LaGrange, so guess she wasn’t at home when she called me.