Campaign notebook
Friday, Feb 18, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Sun-Times piece starts with a comparison to Michael and Lisa Madigan and devolves from there…
There’s a familiar ring to it — the Illinois House speaker using his political muscle to help get a family member elected to a plum political post.
But this time it isn’t former House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, who orchestrated the election of his daughter Lisa Madigan first to the Illinois Senate and then as Illinois attorney general.
Madigan’s successor as House speaker, Emanuel “Chris” Welch, is trying to get his wife ShawnTe Raines-Welch elected a Cook County judge — even going door to door to collect signatures from registered voters to ensure she can get on the June 28 Democratic primary ballot, sources say.
She’s running for one of two open judgeships in a judicial district that includes a portion of the south, west and northwest suburbs that fall, in part, within Welch’s legislative district.
Wow, yeah. That’s exactly the same. Right.
And, oh my goodness, he’s going door-to-door himself to help his spouse collect signatures? Such a scandal.
* The Richard Irvin campaign says Irvin has had no access to or control of the law firm website since 2017, when he left the firm. From the DGA…
Richard Irvin may claim he’s “tough on crime” but for 15 years, he advertised his law firm to the very individuals he claims to want behind bars. The Richard C. Irvin & Associates’ website, which was registered in 2006, suddenly went dark last night. So what is Irvin trying to erase from his record?
Maybe it’s his use of language that downplays the severity of domestic violence, blaming it on how “emotions can run hot” or “tempers can flare,” or how his “Aurora domestic violence attorneys will zealously defend” the rights of violent abusers.
Or Irvin’s direct appeal to violent offenders like burglars, armed robbers, and home invaders.
It could be his defense of abusive and neglectful parents.
Or maybe it is how he brazenly advertised his five years as a prosecutor as the reason he can “craft effective defense strategies?”
Irvin has a lot to hide in his record, so he erased the whole thing — just like he erased his past support of Gov. JB Pritzker, history of voting in Democratic primaries, and former support for public health mandates.
“Like every other part of his platform, Richard Irvin’s ‘tough on crime’ attitude is a campaign illusion,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “Irvin wants to hide his history of defending domestic abusers and other violent criminals because he knows it’ll hinder his political aspirations — but we have the receipts. Try as he may, Irvin can’t erase his horrible record on crime.”
Response from Eleni Demertzis…
JB Pritzker should spend less time concerned with a deleted website that’s been fully documented and more time explaining why he cleared the way for a convicted arsonist to become a fire chief.
* Crain’s…
More than three months after a political rival asked for them, Chicago City Clerk and Illinois secretary of state hopeful Anna Valencia finally has released hundreds of emails sought under the state’s open records law, and they do raise questions about how she appears to mix public, private and family business. […]
Other issues are more serious.
In July 2017, one email indicates Valencia was scheduling a lunch with Monterrey CEO Juan Gaytan. The lunch finally was scheduled for Sept. 19, and eventually canceled shortly before then. In the meantime, [her husband, Reyahd Kazmi] was signing up to do lobbying work for Monterrey as the firm struggled to retain a contract covering Soldier Field.
Early in 2018, Valencia thanked Gaytan for “your willingness to make introductions” to officials from the Chicago Fire, Chicago Bears and Chicago Sky for potential partnership with the CityKey municipal ID program her office runs for undocumented immigrants and some others without papers. The Fire, who play at Soldier Field along with the Bears, responded affirmatively, offering a detailed term sheet of ticket discounts it would make available to CityKey holders. Valencia, on her official city email account, forwarded the term sheet to her husband’s personal email account.
She set up a lunch that was canceled? Get the feds on Line 1.
* Politico…
— Richard Boykin has received $35,000 from former Senate candidate and local philanthropist Willie Wilson in his bid for Cook County Board president. Boykin filed his paperwork for his campaign with the Board of Elections yesterday.
— Karin Norington-Reaves, a candidate for Congress in the 1st District, has been endorsed by the Collective PAC, a political action committee focused on increasing Black representation in government.
* Operating on the proposition that governors own is one thing. They do. But…
Aurora Mayor and Gubernatorial Candidate Richard Irvin today called on Glenbrook School Board Member Joel Taub to resign from the board after publicly cursing out an individual for not wearing a mask at the Glenbrook School Board Meeting this week where children were present.
Statement attributable to Richard Irvin:
“No one should ever speak to others the way Mr. Taub did at that school board meeting, which is why he must resign. Mr. Taub’s outrageous behavior is yet another example of the disrespect and assault on parent’s rights from school board members who take their lead from J.B. Pritzker and his govern by fiat agenda. It is imperative that we restore respect and parents’ rights in our local school systems.”
- Perfect Blue - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 1:42 pm:
Good hit by DGA… not a great response from Irvin camp
- Roadrager - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 1:43 pm:
“Won’t somebody please think of the children?”
“We are, which is why we want them to be masked in school and want everyone to follow indoor masking guidelines.”
“No, not like that.”
- Arsenal - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 1:45 pm:
==JB Pritzker should spend less time concerned with a deleted website==
They only deleted it after Rich first covered it.
==Operating on the proposition that governors own is one thing. They do. But…==
You probably can’t convince everyone that *everything* they don’t like about the status quo is the incumbent’s fault, but you’ll convince an awful lot of them that an awful lot of it is his fault.
- NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 1:45 pm:
==She set up a lunch that was canceled? Get the feds on Line 1.==
That’s not even Romper Room compared to say, Broadway Bank, Bright Start bungling, Jaws, etc.
- TheInvisibleMan - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 1:47 pm:
= The Richard C. Irvin & Associates’ website, which was registered in 2006, suddenly went dark last night. =
OH well that’s certainly a good way to not draw attention to it.
I wonder if anyone ever thought a few steps ahead and predicted such behavior, and then registered that domain at the waybackmachine. Oh, well look at that. Someone did do that…
https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.irvinlawoffice.com/
https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.irvinlawoffice.com/
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 1:48 pm:
The intertubes is forever.
Criminal defense attorney soliciting work from folks accused or charged with crimes is how the job works.
What, “I’m thinking about committing a whole bunch of felonies. Here’s a retainer if I get caught doing them.”
Still, it’s more than fair game. Why scrub what was there if you’re proud of career choices… that may ruin a political narrative, but…
- Leslie K - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 1:51 pm:
“CityKey municipal ID program her office runs for undocumented immigrants and some others without papers”
People without papers was the impetus, but the access to discounts etc. was to encourage everyone to get it. Not just and ID.
And Valencia (the government official) used (lobbied?) a private sector contact to get introductions to other private sector contacts for an official government purpose? Um, not only is that not “serious,” it’s not an “issue.”
- Rich Miller - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 1:52 pm:
===They only deleted it after Rich first covered it.===
Not true. Read what I wrote. Irvin had no control of the site.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 1:55 pm:
===The Richard Irvin campaign says Irvin has had no access or control of the law firm website since 2017, when he left the firm.===
To correct my own comment,
“… Criminal defense attorney soliciting work from folks accused or charged with crimes is how the job works.
What, “I’m thinking about committing a whole bunch of felonies. Here’s a retainer if I get caught doing them.”…”
I’ll leave it there.
- Hannibal Lecter - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 1:58 pm:
=== And, oh my goodness, he’s going door-to-door himself to help his spouse collect signatures? Such a scandal. ===
I laughed out loud at this. It’s ridiculous how people are clutching their pearls at the notion that people involved in politics are (gasp) running for public office!
- Real - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 1:58 pm:
Ken Dunkin 2.0 is still trying to erase his record and forgot to erase his own website where he advertised defending violent criminals.
- Hannibal Lecter - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 1:59 pm:
=== She set up a lunch that was canceled? Get the feds on Line 1. ===
Rich, you are on a roll today.
- Arsenal - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 1:59 pm:
==Not true. Read what I wrote. Irvin had no control of the site. ==
I’m not sure who deleted it, but last time you covered it, I was able to access it. Today, I can’t (except through archive services like TheInvisibleMan posted). So whoever did it, it was a recent thing.
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 2:01 pm:
The DGA response is politics played well. It’s what every GOP gubernatorial campaign except for Irvin lacks, day to day PR.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 2:04 pm:
===day to day PR===
Infrastructure cost money.
When Candidate Pritzker sprang on the scene his infrastructure to comms was running on full tilt, they had a Crew and then some in that shop.
Rabine? Schimpf? Bailey has his televangelist Facebook schtick… Sullivan.
These crews are not built to be traditionally functional campaigns… today.
- low level - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 2:07 pm:
==She set up a lunch that was canceled? Get the feds on Line 1.==
Rich, city workers undergo extensive ethics training and are constantly taught how they must not mix personal and city business. We are especially taught how city time and resources must only be used for city business.
The Valencia emails at the very least suggest this was not followed and should be investigated further. If she was part of the bureaucracy it certainly would be.
- JS Mill - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 2:07 pm:
Irvin calling for a Board member to resign tells you what a pathetic cares the ILGOP and his campaign are.
He cussed someone out, not good. How many times has that board member been threatened etc? When will Irvin call for action against the thousands of right wingers who have done far worse?
- The Velvet Frog - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 2:07 pm:
Someone should send Joel Taub flowers. We need more of that.
- Amalia - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 2:08 pm:
Irvin was a Cook County ASA for a couple years in appeals. maybe he left cause he got a faster try at bigger cases. maybe he left for other reasons. will be interesting to hear from those who worked with him long ago, in an era when the office had good lawyers.
- Ducky LaMoore - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 2:20 pm:
“restore respect and parents’ rights in our local school systems.”
So we are mask optional, right? Who is making those kids of parents, who want them to wear masks, wear them? In my district, the answer is… nobody. So bite me.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 2:31 pm:
===and should be investigated further===
lol
Right. Are you drinking in Greektown right now?
- Anon - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 2:37 pm:
Low Level - “city workers undergo extensive ethics training and are constantly taught how they must not mix personal and city business. We are especially taught how city time and resources must only be used for city business.”.
She is an elected official, the idea of city time doesn’t apply.
- H-W - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 2:41 pm:
Irvin: “No one should ever speak to others the way Mr. Taub did at that school board meeting.”
Mr. Irvin apparently has never heard Mr. DeVore speak publicly, and at Board meetings.
- TheInvisibleMan - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 2:46 pm:
some timelines on the irvin site.
The archive site was able to index the site as recently as yesterday at 2:53am, according to the timestamp in UTC time. It contained the site as it once was, including with a picture of Mr. Irvine right on the front page.
The domain for the site was updated yesterday morning at the following timestamp;
Updated Date: 2022-02-17T12:47:25Z
Which is also in Universal time(Z). Local time that puts it around 6:47am central time yesterday morning.
Which honestly would be pretty hilarious if that all tracks - in that they just missed removing the site before the most recent index by 4 hours.
- Annonin' - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 3:00 pm:
Brings back memories of BricKhead Joe — law ‘n order tough guy — and all the barristers who had adds with the # of feet their offices were from Brick’s spot. Many enjoyed a great batting average for DV accused who got home study or probation for multiple trips to court. Sweet deals for sure. Of course all were donor’s to Bricks campaigns
- vern - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 3:05 pm:
Well we can probably assume Irvin didn’t vote for Joel Taub for President, so that narrows it down to about 300,000,000 still possible. With online gambling legal, maybe I should start a pool.
Start at:
3/2 Biden
7/3 Trump
17/3 Listed 3rd Party
19/1 Write-In Richard Irvin
19/1 Write-In anyone else
19/1 Left it blank
- Confused - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 3:11 pm:
Mr. Miller what are you reporting?
“Read what I wrote. Irvin had no control of the site.”
You didn’t write that.
This is what you wrote: “The Richard Irvin campaign says Irvin has had no access to or control of the law firm website since 2017, when he left the firm.”
Can you PLEASE clarify?
- Anon221 - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 3:17 pm:
They may have deleted the site, but the cover page still shows up in at least two other places…
https://www.lawyerland.com/lawyers/profiles/the-law-office-of-richard-c-irvin-&-associates-aurora-il/
https://www.explorelawyers.com/attorney/richard-c-irvin-law-offices-196666-aurora
And when your firm is picked as one of the top 28 personal injury firms, having a website link that doesn’t work… hmmmm… and availability was one of the criteria for this “honor”-
https://www.expertise.com/il/aurora/personal-injury-attorney#TheLawOfficeofRichardCIrvinAssociates
- Candy Dogood - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 3:17 pm:
===a convicted arsonist to become a fire chief===
It would seem like a good time for someone to come out and directly address this by discussing how a teenager learned a valuable lesson and has spent the last two decades serving the public and developing skills and expertise in emergency management or whatever instead of being quiet until this all blows over.
The story was covered in the Washington Post and every GOP candidate is going to be bringing it up for the next 9 months. It is not going to blow over. It’s time to address it. One would expect that a professional wrestling promoter would understand this is going to be the message if they don’t change it.
- Rudy’s teeth - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 3:21 pm:
Wish I was drinking in Greektown on Halsted right now…all our fav spots are gone. At least we have memories of celebrating with George, Louie, Chris, and saganaki.
OPA!
- Rich Miller - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 3:21 pm:
===and has spent the last two decades===
getting busted over and over and being bailed out by daddy.
- Leslie K - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 3:35 pm:
== “city workers undergo extensive ethics training and are constantly taught how they must not mix personal and city business.===
In addition to the fact that she’s an elected official, she reached out to Gaytan on –official business–. She needed contacts with the teams to discuss discounts for CityKey holders, a program the Clerk’s office established and runs.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 3:44 pm:
===she reached out to Gaytan on –official business–===
Exactly. That example was a huge nothingburger, except that she forwarded it to her spouse, which, horror of horrors, still ain’t much.
- The Magnificent Purple Walnut - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 3:51 pm:
I thought all defendants were to be presumed innocent. Regardless of the charge, shouldn’t they be entitled to a zealous defense?
- Todd - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 4:05 pm:
does anyone else think this feels like the Alan Keyes debacle?
- low level - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 4:06 pm:
== she forwarded it to her spouse, which, horror of horrors, still ain’t much.==.
If I forwarded something concerning official city business to my spouse and for whatever reason someone gets a copy of it and sends it to the Ethics board or the IG, you can bet the house I would be investigated.
If its nothing, she will welcome an inquiry and set it straight.
- God's Country - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 4:12 pm:
The way the Chicago Fire have played the past decade, they’d have to pay me to go.
- low level - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 4:12 pm:
Where would we go drinking in Greektown, Rich? There hardly is a Greektown anymore. All the spots are being torn down and replaced with condos.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 4:18 pm:
===There hardly is a Greektown anymore===
I meant it as a state of mind.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 4:19 pm:
===If I forwarded something concerning official city business===
You’re not an elected official.
- Arsenal - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 4:25 pm:
==Regardless of the charge, shouldn’t they be entitled to a zealous defense? ==
Absolutely.
But if the guy providing that zealous defense- at a reasonable fee, of course- tries to turn around and claim he’s Tuff On Crime ™, he should get laughed at.
- low level - Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 4:46 pm:
== I meant it as a state of mind.==
That’s been replaced by condos also. Yuppies have moved there…