Campaign notebook
Tuesday, Feb 22, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Daily Beast…
Rep. Marie Newman (D-IL) is already under investigation for allegedly inking an improper contract with a rival to keep him from running against her. But it turns out that rival isn’t the only one who scored a sweet deal with the freshman Democrat; one of his top political allies got one, too.
In her deposition to the Office of Congressional Ethics late last year, Newman attested that not only did she sign documents as a 2020 candidate guaranteeing a six-figure job to would-be primary competitor Professor Iymen Chehade, but she also made a similar pact with her current chief of district affairs, Shadin Maali. What’s more, sources told The Daily Beast, Maali conducted outreach and introductions on behalf of Chehade’s never-official bid for what is now Newman’s Chicagoland seat. […]
“I can’t think of another time I’ve seen this kind of thing happening,” Jordan Libowitz, communications director for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told The Daily Beast. “It kind of makes you ask what the congresswoman was getting out of it. Why sign a contract guaranteeing jobs to these people?” […]
The office also asserted that no contract between Maali and Newman was ever “executed,” despite Maali’s employment in House and on the campaign. Her team would not speak to the congresswoman’s testimony to the Office of Congressional Ethics that she had signed such an agreement.
I dunno. We’ll see, I suppose. While the story mentions Newman’s deposition and makes a claim about what she said, no actual quote about a Maali contract was provided and neither was a link to the deposition.
* Tribune…
A little-known provision in Illinois’ sweeping criminal justice reform legislation is sowing chaos in the race for Cook County sheriff, with at least two would-be challengers to incumbent Tom Dart furious over the prospect that they could be deemed ineligible to run.
Tucked into the end of the 700-page bill signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in February 2021, the new law that went into effect this year requires all candidates for sheriff to be certified law enforcement officers, starting this year. Sitting sheriffs are exempt.
But at least two of Dart’s potential challengers — fellow Democrat Carmen Navarro Gercone and Chris McCluster, who says he hasn’t decided if he’ll seek to run with a party affiliation — are worried. They fear that even if they secure the required number of signatures in candidate petitions, the law could unfairly knock them off the ballot because they are trained correctional officers, who are considered distinct from certified law-enforcement officers. […]
“Sheriff Dart was not aware this new law was being considered or that it was introduced,” the [Dart campaign] statement says. “He only became aware of it when reviewing the lengthy legislation after it was passed and signed into law. It was a surprise to him and he has always welcomed competition and believes deeply in the democratic process.”
“Chaos” seems a bit much. The union folks who want Dart out apparently didn’t do their homework.
* NRCC…
Hi there –
Socialist Pramila Jayapal fundraised on Saturday for vulnerable Democrat Lauren Underwood, which Jayapal admits was to build “alliances across the party to pass parts of the progressive agenda.”
In other words, Underwood is going to have to pay the piper.
NRCC Comment: “Lauren Underwood will support her party’s socialist agenda to try and keep her seat, regardless of how Democrats’ policies are crushing Illinois voters.” – NRCC Spokeswoman Courtney Parella
Courtney Parella
NRCC
Regional Press Secretary
From the linked story, entitled “Progressive Head Jayapal Boosts Centrist Democrats’ Fundraising”…
House Democratic moderates facing some of the toughest races next year in swing districts are getting help from the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, whose members have occasionally butted heads with their more centrist colleagues.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal(D-Wash.) has donated tens of thousands of dollars to almost all members in competitive districts identified as frontliners. She also started hitting the campaign trail with these vulnerable incumbents, appearing at a fundraiser earlier this month.
Jayapal said her donations to these members serves a dual purpose: helping Democrats keep control of the House and building alliances across the party to pass parts of the progressive agenda.
“Part of our success as the Progressive Caucus over the last year has been that ability to build relationships across the Democratic caucus,” she said in an interview.
…Adding… Chainman: one who searches tax and assessment records in order to compile lists of mortgages, deeds, contracts, and other instruments pertaining to real-estate titles…
- Ron Burgundy - Tuesday, Feb 22, 22 @ 2:16 pm:
This Newman thing is just so underhanded and disgusting. From the article: “Libowitz recalled that the contract Newman signed with Chehade bound her to certain positions on the Israeli-Palestinian issue.”
I just can’t even fathom this. We send elected officials to prison all the time for corruptly agreeing to take certain policy positions in exchange for personal benefit. She has no business in Congress.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 22, 22 @ 2:26 pm:
Newman’s alleged ethical lapses (plural) continue to reinforce, for me, this belief that Casten defeating Newman is likely better for the minimum of keeping a seat, but to a greater picture of ridding Illinois and Congress a member that is far too self serving to the need of her own self interests.
Rarely is there a reverse to her reported, Newman is exonerated in these thoughts… if she ever has.
- Bruce( no not him) - Tuesday, Feb 22, 22 @ 2:38 pm:
==“Sheriff Dart was not aware this new law was being considered or that it was introduced,” ==
It’s just the strangest darn coincidence.
- NotBuying - Tuesday, Feb 22, 22 @ 2:48 pm:
There is not chance in the world that Dart was not made aware of this provision.
- DuPage Saint - Tuesday, Feb 22, 22 @ 3:09 pm:
I will be way more than happy to vote for DiCianni for Chainman but for absolutely nothing else
- OneMan - Tuesday, Feb 22, 22 @ 3:13 pm:
Chainman…
Chicago Title used to (don’t know if they still do) have a heck of a title plant in DuPage county. So assuming a chainman uses a plant vs the county records being a chainman in DuPage county isn’t likely to bad of a job.
If you ever have a problem sleeping I can talk to you about the title industry and solve that problem for you in 10 minutes.
- Anyone Remember - Tuesday, Feb 22, 22 @ 3:20 pm:
==“Sheriff Dart was not aware this new law was being considered or that it was introduced,” ==
Beyond the last minute nature of the requirement appearing, the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association is run by small county sheriffs (1 sheriff, 1 vote). Sheriffs from Metropolitan Chicago, particularly Cook County, don’t have a great deal of influence, & quite often are so busy they don’t participate in ISA matters to any great extent.
The more intriguing question is whether the new requirement is designed to keep out “amateurs” with access to Bruce Rauner / Ken Griffin wealth.
- Pot calling kettle - Tuesday, Feb 22, 22 @ 3:22 pm:
The new requirement for Sheriffs was “signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in February 2021″
That’s a year ago. Not exactly a stealth bill.
This is in the Board of Elections 2022 Candidate Guide: “For Sheriff only: not a convicted felon, resident of the county for one year, and has completed the Minimum Standards Basic Law Enforcement Officers Training Course as prescribed by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board or a substantially similar training program”
Seems pretty clear.
- DuPage Blue - Tuesday, Feb 22, 22 @ 3:25 pm:
Little Pete doesn’t know how to use basic spell check?
- Regular democrat - Tuesday, Feb 22, 22 @ 4:22 pm:
Dart not knowing about this legislation is absurd and everyone knows it. Maybe a few foia requests might uncover correspondence between his staff of lawyers and springfield.
- JoanP - Tuesday, Feb 22, 22 @ 5:04 pm:
A politician wants to “build alliances” and keep her party in control of the House? Color me shocked.
- JoanP - Tuesday, Feb 22, 22 @ 5:06 pm:
= Little Pete doesn’t know how to use basic spell check? =
Problem is, “chainman” is actually a legitimate word. So spellcheck wouldn’t catch the error. He needed to proofread (an arcane concept that too many people are unaware of).
- Blue Dogs are Blind, Deaf, and Dumb - Tuesday, Feb 22, 22 @ 5:34 pm:
Marie Newman is one of the only members of Congress from Illinois that refuses donations from corporate PACs. Yet she is the one considered ethically challenged. The Democratic Party needs more leaders that refuse corporate donations, not less.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 22, 22 @ 5:37 pm:
===Yet she is the one considered ethically challenged.===
Newman is not only “considered”, Newman is actively being investigated, lol
===The Democratic Party needs more leaders that refuse corporate donations, not less.===
Meh, it sounds like Newman never met a challenge she couldn’t ethically challenge without a job offer.
- Pot calling kettle - Tuesday, Feb 22, 22 @ 5:59 pm:
==Problem is, “chainman” is actually a legitimate word. So spellcheck wouldn’t catch the error. He needed to proofread (an arcane concept that too many people are unaware of). ==
He defiantly kneaded a proofreader.