* A jury has found police officer Jason Van Dyke guilty of 2nd Degree Murder (which, the judge explained, is 1st Degree plus mitigating circumstances). He was also convicted on 16 counts of aggravated battery (one for each time he shot Laquan McDonald). He was found not guilty of official misconduct. His bail was revoked.
“Today, Jason Van Dyke was held accountable for his role in the tragic death of Laquan McDonald and justice was finally served for him and for his family, who have already endured so much during this difficult time,” said JB Pritzker and Juliana Stratton. “While there is still so much work to do, we believe this verdict represents an important step — one of many — towards fostering an environment of respect and accountability between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”
This post will likely be updated.
…Adding… Bill Daley…
This brings to an end a tragic, painful episode in our history but must also mark a new beginning for our city. This is a moment when all of Chicago needs to come together, work to rebuild trust between the community and police and re-commit to making every neighborhood safer and stronger.
* Lori Lightfoot…
This is a significant milestone in Chicago’s history. Going against a national trend in which juries almost always acquit on-duty police officers on criminal charges, this jury found the evidence powerful and compelling—as have so many Chicagoans in the years since Laquan McDonald’s tragic death. I commend members of the jury for doing their civic duty in such a difficult environment.
I hope that this decision marks not just a milestone, but a turning point as well. We must pray for Laquan McDonald and his family, and for all those in our city who have been affected by trauma and violence, and we must all work tirelessly to build a Chicago where all can find justice and peace.
* SEIU Healthcare Illinois President Greg Kelley…
“The guilty verdict delivered in the case of police officer Jason Van Dyke doesn’t assuage the deep distrust the Black community has in the criminal justice system and lack of police accountability, but it is a big step in the right direction.
“The city breathed a collective sigh of relief with delivery of the verdict. The murder of Laquan McDonald and the Van Dyke trial poured salt on festering wounds of the Black community caused by decades of city neglect, police brutality and economic divestment.
“For too many, it seemed like Laquan was on trial rather than the officer who shot him 16 times. For too many, it was the same old script with different characters. Now, perhaps, city leaders will gather the courage to address the real issues that keep the city divided.
“This is an opportunity for a mayoral candidate to distinguish himself or herself as a serious agent of change who will not be afraid to raise the issues of divestment from communities of color, lack of opportunities, gentrification and racism.
“We all want to live in a city that is equitable and just. We all want communities that thrive. We must challenge our anger into efforts to unite across our communities to achieve the change we seek.
“The tragic murder of Laquan McDonald — a young man who faced the same personal and external challenges that many young Black men growing up in depressed neighborhoods face — and the conviction of the officer who killed him may be the spark of change so badly needed in this city.
“Let’s hope so.”
* Willie Wilson…
* Toni Preckwinkle…
While nothing can make up for the senseless loss of young life, I am grateful that there is some justice for LaQuan McDonald. Like many, I saw the video and it was devastating. My heart goes out to his family and friends.
This is an important indictment not only of the actions of an individual but of the code of silence within the police department. We cannot have safe communities if we do not have police force accountable to all communities.
* Chicago City Council Black Caucus Chair Ald. Roderick T. Sawyer…
“The death of Laquan McDonald was a wrenching tragedy that has rocked our city to its core. We pray for peace for the McDonald family, and long remained hopeful that they would find true justice through this process. But the truth is, no matter how this verdict came down, the McDonald family lost a son that they can never get back.
“Still, the black community today can find some relief. It appears Jason Van Dyke will be held accountable for his violence.
“Now, we must all recommit ourselves to seeking transformational change to the way policing is done in our city. We must focus now more than ever on demanding the police accountability mechanisms that experts from the Police Accountability Task Force and the Obama Justice Department beseeched the Emanuel administration to implement. And we must continue to reckon with the fact laid bare to us all over and over again since the day the news of Laquan McDonald’s death first broke–that Chicago continues to be plagued by deep inequities and systemic racism. Until we address that underlying reality, the conditions that led to Laquan McDonald’s death will not change.”
It is my hope that LaQuan’s family finds some small measure of peace after their horrific loss. And to the City of Chicago and the state of Illinois, we must work together to move toward justice for all who fall victim to harmful practices for traumatize or silence individuals. I urge law enforcement to take serious the policing reforms implemented in our state 3 years ago and to do what’s necessary to create agencies that have a culture that does not uphold any form of misconduct and abuse of power .
* Chicago Police Board…
Today, the jury returned its verdict in the criminal case brought against Police Officer Jason Van Dyke for his fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald. The disciplinary cases brought against Officer Van Dyke and four other officers related to this shooting remain before the Chicago Police Board, but have not been under active review because they are stayed.
In August 2016 the Superintendent filed with the Police Board charges against Officer Van Dyke, Sergeant Stephen Franko, and Police Officers Janet Mondragon, Daphne Sebastian, and Ricardo Viramontes, recommending that each of the five officers be discharged from the Chicago Police Department. In June 2017 the Board ordered these cases stayed because going ahead with the disciplinary cases against these officers at that time could prejudice and potentially jeopardize the pending criminal proceedings and the officers’ constitutional rights.
The Board stands ready to hear these cases once doing so will no longer prejudice or potentially jeopardize any criminal case or constitutional right. The Board will promptly and thoroughly consider any motion to lift the stay, and any hearing on such a motion will be announced at a public meeting of the Board and on the Board’s website at ChicagoPoliceBoard.org.
The role of the Police Board is to serve as an impartial body that makes decisions based on the evidence presented at a disciplinary hearing. The Board takes final action on all cases in public at its monthly meetings, where each Board member’s vote is announced and recorded, and the Board posts on its website its written decisions, which include detailed explanations of the reasons for the Board’s findings.
All charges filed by the Superintendent and detailed information about the Board’s process for handling disciplinary cases are available at ChicagoPoliceBoard.org.
* US Representative Bobby L. Rush…
“Today’s verdict shows that law enforcement will be held accountable for their egregious and unjustified use of force. While this conviction will not bring back Laquan McDonald, it serves as a strong reminder that no one — including law enforcement — is above the law. This tragedy has torn Chicago apart and now is a time for healing and quickly reforming our law enforcement agencies. I call on my fellow Chicagoans to rise to the moment and show the country and the world how we will channel our pain and anger into a constructive force.”
* Whoa…
Illinois Fraternal Order of Police president says the jury was “duped into saving the asses of self-serving politicians at the expense of a dedicated public servant.” Full statement: pic.twitter.com/YBiUS69zbv
* Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson…
For the past several weeks, a jury heard testimony, weighed evidence and considered the facts of the Van Dyke case. Today, the jury reached its verdict. As we absorb their decision, let us continue to hear each other and partner with each other – as public servants, police and members of the public – and let us ensure our collective mission is what endures for generations to come. We come from many neighborhoods, many walks of life and many places throughout the world. But for all of us, this is our home. This is the city we love. We have heard that message countless times in recent days and weeks in church basements, in community meetings and from residents in our neighborhoods. And while the jury has heard the case and reached their conclusion, our collective work is not done. The effort to drive lasting reform and rebuild bonds of trust between residents and police must carry on with vigor.
* Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Chair Kimberly A. Lightford…
“My heart goes out to Laquan’s family as they continue to grieve his loss. This is only a drop of justice in a history full of injustices against Black people and people of color. We still have a lot of work ahead of us in reforming policing, criminal justice, human services and creating opportunities for underprivileged communities.
“Let us continue to organize, continue to let our voices be heard and participate in our democracy wherever and whenever we can.”
* Comptroller Susana Mendoza…
Today our legal system did its job. A jury rendered a verdict that held Officer Jason Van Dyke accountable for the murder of Laquan McDonald.
The tragic events of that fateful night tore our City apart. Yet even in its darkest moments, Chicago, a city of grit and resolve, of faith and family, has shown its ability to come together, heal its broken heart, and move itself forward. We need each other today, more than ever before; to stand together as one family, all of us, and work to heal our great City.
Now is the time for us to focus on rebuilding the trust between police and communities, which has been broken for decades.
Lastly I want to express my sincere condolences to the family of Laquan McDonald and hope that today’s verdict can help bring them some peace and justice.
* Garry McCarthy…
“TODAY’S VERDICT BRINGS TO A CLOSE ONE OF THE DARKEST CHAPTERS IN CHICAGO’S HISTORY.
BUT THIS VERDICT ALSO REMINDS US ALL OF THE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AND RISE ABOVE THIS TRAGIC EVENT.
I’M APPEALING TO EVERY PERSON IN CHICAGO TO WISELY AND COMPASSIONATELY REFLECT ON THE DEATH OF LAQUAN McDONALD AND THIS GUILTY VERDICT OF JASON VAN DYKE.
TOGETHER, THEY OFFER EACH OF US THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEDICATE OURSELVES TO MAKING CHICAGO A BETTER CITY……NOT A BITTER CITY.
IT IS TIME FOR US TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE MORE IN COMMON THAN IN CONFLICT.
IT IS TIME FOR ALL OF US TO COME TOGETHER AROUND WHAT UNITES US….AND TO STOP PAYING SO MUCH ATTENTION TO THE THINGS THAT DIVIDE US”.
I did not alter that in any way.
* Congresswoman Robin Kelly…
Today, justice was served. While no verdict can bring Laquan McDonald back to his family and friends, we have seen that justice can be delivered to victims and their families.
The process by which this case was brought forward and executed should be an example to other communities around this country. Far too often, the murders of young black men and women by law enforcement make headlines but never make it to a jury trial. This must change.
Many of my family members are in law enforcement and I know the great responsibility and sacrifice that comes with wearing the badge. But that doesn’t mean we should grant automatic deference to law enforcement in deadly force cases. This case must be a catalyst for real reforms at CPD and other police forces around the country.
As a member of bipartisan Policing Strategies Working Group, I remain committed to working toward changing policies and rebuilding the fractured trust that exists between communities and law enforcement because of cases like this.
* Illinois Collaboration on Youth…
We have held our breath awaiting the jury’s verdict in the Laquan McDonald murder trial and can now breathe easier that a conviction has been secured. Justice has been done. But the shooting death of an unarmed 17-year-old African-American at the hands of a Chicago Police officer is a painful reminder of the continued systemic police violence against our youth of color not only in the city of Chicago but across our state and nation. McDonald has been painted by the defense team as a menace, and defendant Jason Van Dyke did not even use McDonald’s name throughout his testimony but rather described him as a black male wearing a hoodie. He was much more than a physical description. The death of McDonald should give us pause and force us to reflect on who he was and what we can do to prevent anything like this from ever happening again.
McDonald was born to a 15-year-old teen who struggled with substance use disorder and a father who was largely absent and incarcerated. He was first placed in foster care at age three and shuffled back and forth between different relative’s homes and been in contact with the justice system 26 times from the age of 14. However, school officials and relatives testified to witnessing McDonald turning his life around by working with a mentor and attending an alternative school in the months leading to his death. McDonald endured significant trauma at a very early age and deserved to have the support and resources that would put him on a positive path and help him to succeed.
Our coalition of youth service providers work with at-risk children and youth every day, but many young people slip through the cracks because we lack the infrastructure to support families in need, especially children and youth of color who are at suspended, arrested and funneled into the child welfare and juvenile justice systems at an alarmingly higher rate than their white peers. Let us turn this tragedy into an opportunity to address systemic racism and generational trauma by investing in education, training and services that are culturally responsive so that we can start the healing process and move forward in the right direction.
* State Senator Mattie Hunter…
I know I join many of you in breathing a sigh of relief that the officer who murdered Laquan McDonald four years ago was brought to justice today.
Nothing can take away the pain his family feels, and my deepest sympathies are with them.
Justice may have prevailed today, but we still have much work to do in improving the damaged relationship between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve.
In the coming days and weeks, please be thoughtful about the small acts of peace and progress you can make. And I encourage you to sit down with your family, friends and community members and have conversations about how to improve the relationship between law enforcement officers and citizens of Chicago.
* Gov. Rauner…
In the Van Dyke trial, 12 jurors reviewed the evidence and rendered their verdict. We should all respect their decision. Now is the time to move forward as a community.
“We commend the jurors for fulfilling their civic duty in rendering what I feel was a reasonable verdict albeit not exactly what the community was hoping for. I want to congratulate all the activists, journalists and faith leaders for keeping this issue in the public arena,” Collins said.
“The conviction of Jason Van Dyke lays bare the injustices executed by the Chicago Police Department, and frequently abetted by the criminal justice system. In this case, there was a cover-up, and everyone involved should be held accountable. If we do not tear down the blue curtain of silence once and for all, the Laquan McDonalds of Chicago will continue to die in our city. We must never forget that the video – and the truth – were not simply handed to us. Instead, they were ripped from reluctant hands by journalists, citizens and the courts.
“Four years ago, I protested and pleaded for top-to-bottom change. I was immensely proud of all who protested peacefully in Chicago. I was honored to march alongside young people and veterans of the Civil Rights Movement alike on Michigan Avenue.
“Four years later, I urge all Chicagoans to remember that this is one terrible tragedy that is a symptom of a system in dire need of change. We must not stand by while police officers act as judge, jury and executioner on our streets. We will remain united for justice.
“Today shows that Officer Van Dyke’s gun and badge cannot speak louder than Laquan McDonald’s blood. No one is above the law. Our voices must not die away!”
* ACLU of Illinois…
Jason Van Dyke has been held accountable by a jury for shooting Laquan McDonald 16 times and unnecessarily killing him. Laquan McDonald should still be alive today. We continue to grieve for the McDonald family and broader community, which lost this young man too soon. We also remember the many families who have lost loved ones to excessive force by police officers who have not yet received justice. This burden falls disproportionately across the City—96% of people shot by the Chicago police are Black or Latinx.
No one believes that the conviction of this individual officer repairs the problems in policing – not in Chicago nor in our country. While Mr. Van Dyke will face accountability for his actions, it is critical that the rest of us do not yet look away from the Chicago Police Department. In the aftermath of this verdict, no community should suffer abuse or neglect.
The ACLU of Illinois remains committed to working with our community partners to mend the broken system that has allowed excessive force to happen and made the kind of accountability we see today so rare. We must continue to follow through with the reforms of the CPD that the video of his actions helped catalyze, and which must bring systemic change to how police officers serve Chicagoans.
* Gery Chico…
Like many, I was sickened when I saw the video that showed the tragic killing of Laquan McDonald. Today, a jury rendered a decision that hopefully provides some comfort for the McDonald family and our city.
However, our city is in pain and we need to heal — a healing that can only begin when the trust between our communities and the Chicago Police Department starts to rebuild. We must remember that Jason VanDyke’s actions do not represent the character of the vast majority of our police officers.
My hope is that protests are peaceful to honor the memory of Laquan. Let us work together as a city to ensure this senseless tragedy never happens again.
* Sen. Kwame Raoul…
Justice was done today, as a jury of his peers held Jason Van Dyke accountable for the murder of Laquan McDonald. Our criminal justice system has done its job, but the work of healing and reform is just beginning. While this verdict was about one incident within one city’s police department, it has shed light throughout the state and throughout the country on the need to focus on law enforcement reform. The work towards that end does not stop with this verdict, nor with the consent decree that this case brought about. I appeal to communities throughout the city and state to come together towards improved safety, accountability and mutual respect.
* Senate President John Cullerton…
“Justice is the reason we have the rule of law. This conviction brings justice for the killing of Laquan McDonald. It is my hope that it begins to restore some semblance of faith in our systems and belief that we all have the right to equal treatment and protection under the law.”
* Bloomberg has a piece up about John Burton, a former opposition researcher turned JP Morgan banker who quit his job and put together a massive network of volunteers…
Over the past year, backed by mysterious donors, he’s organized what may be the most audacious grass-roots project in the age of Trump. Burton has amassed an army of 16,000 amateur sleuths who, with professional guidance, have spent months ferreting out damaging material on scores of vulnerable Republicans in Congress and state legislatures. Now he’s ready to unleash it just in time for the midterms. […]
Oppo works best when its target is unaware, so Burton’s project, dubbed Citizen Strong, has operated by stealth, waiting until just now to publicly declare its existence as a 501(c)4 “dark money” group with three affiliated political action committees. […]
Burton has a trove of anti-Republican material. The art of oppo lies in culling and distributing that kind of information to tell a particular story—a negative story—that will tarnish the incumbent and weaken his or her support. Sometimes researchers will quietly slip it to reporters, hoping it will yield a story and gain the imprimatur of a nonpartisan news outlet. Other times, oppo can be the basis of an ad campaign or used to build a website voters and the media can scrutinize—a bit like WikiLeaks. (Burton says none of his material is obtained through hacking or other illegal means.) With the midterms looming, he’s begun disseminating his “citizen oppo” in three Senate races, 22 House races, and 133 state legislative races across 13 states. He’s hoping these last-minute attacks will help push many of these races into the Democratic column, flipping control of the House—and possibly even the Senate—as well as state legislatures that will play a critical role in redrawing congressional lines in 2020, a process that will shape national politics for the next decade. […]
Burton laughs as he shares more highlights of what his researchers turned up, tidbits he’s not yet willing to put on the record. Sometimes, it’s best to spring the trap at the last moment. “This is what gets found when you have an army who can read every line of every document,” he says.
Why didn’t somebody on Mike Bost’s campaign buy MikeBost.com? What’s wrong with you people? Does your boss look sane to you? He shot a dog. He laughed about it. He fights for fun. If you’re on this list: RUN! Everybody else: get some popcorn.
Hmm.
* By the way, a Bost TV ad claims: “Folks, they’re at it again. I’ve spent 20 years fighting Pelosi and Madigan; my opponent has spent his career supporting them.” That ad was given a “Pants on Fire” rating today.
* Press release with emphasis added and in the original…
According to recent polling by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, Illinoisans believe that there is a better understanding of sexual harassment (51 percent) and that those accused of sexual harassment are more likely to be held accountable (59 percent). Yet, there are significant partisan differences in these views and 34 percent of the 1,001 respondents sampled for the poll say that they would still consider voting for a candidate accused of sexual harassment. […]
The issue has resurfaced at the national level with the hearings for the Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. The Kavanaugh hearings began Thursday, September 27th, addressing allegations of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh. The poll was in the field during the week of the hearing, making it especially timely to look at this national issue.
Fifty-one percent of voters surveyed agreed that people have a better understanding of sexual harassment given recent allegations of harassment in the news; 41 percent said no, there is not a better understanding. One in 14 voters, 7 percent, did not know or declined to answer.
Democrats Believe People Have Better Understanding of Sexual Harassment. Higher proportions of Democrats (59 percent) and Independents (48 percent) said that people have a better understanding of sexual harassment. Republicans were least likely to agree that people have a better understanding of sexual harassment at 41 percent.
Among political parties, Republicans were most likely to believe that people do not have a better understanding of sexual harassment given the recent allegations in the news these days – 52 percent. Nearly half, 45 percent, of the Independents said that people do not have a better understanding of sexual harassment. Democrats followed the Independents with 35 percent believing people do not have a better understanding.
Despite significant differences emerging by political party, there were no difference across region or gender. […]
When asked if people were more likely to be held accountable now for sexual harassment than they were before, 86 percent of voters said that people were more likely or just as likely. One in 12, 8 percent, did not know or declined to answer. Six percent volunteered that individuals are less likely to be held accountable for sexual harassment than they were before.
There were no major differences across party, region, or gender.
Overall, 34 percent of respondents said that they would consider voting for a candidate accused of sexual harassment by multiple people, while 38 percent said that they definitely would not. Significant differences emerged across region, gender, and political party.
Downstate Voters More Likely to Consider Voting for Accused Candidates. Voters in the downstate regions of Illinois, 41 percent, were most inclined to say that they would consider voting for a candidate accused of sexual harassment by multiple people. This was followed by 33 percent of voters in the city of Chicago and 31 percent of voters in the Chicago suburbs. A similar pattern emerged where 18 percent of respondents in the downstate regions of Illinois said that they would strongly consider voting for a political candidate with multiple allegations of sexual harassment. This compared to only 10 percent of voters in the city of Chicago and 9 percent of voters in the Chicago suburbs.
Voters in the city of Chicago, 43 percent, were the most likely to believe that they would definitely not vote for a candidate accused of sexual harassment by multiple people. Voters in the Chicago suburbs responded similarly at 41 percent. Downstate voters, at 30 percent, were the least likely to say that they would definitely not vote for a candidate facing multiple sexual harassment allegations.
Republicans More Likely to Consider Voting for Accused Candidates. Among Republicans, Democrats and Independents, Republicans were most likely, at 60 percent, to say that they would consider voting for a political candidate accused of sexual harassment by multiple people if they agreed with the candidate on the issues.
Thirty percent of Independents said that they would consider voting for a political candidate who had been accused of sexual harassment by multiple people, followed by 21 percent of Democrats.
Republicans were most likely to say that they would strongly consider voting for a political candidate accused of sexual harassment by multiple people at 24 percent. This was followed by only 5 percent of Democrats and 8 percent of Independents.
Lastly, over half of the Democrats (51 percent) said that they definitely would not vote for a candidate accused of sexual harassment by multiple people regardless of if they agreed with the candidate on the issues at. This was followed by 38 percent of Independents, and only 16 percent of Republicans.
Men More Likely to Consider Voting for Accused Candidates. Forty percent of men said that they would consider voting for a candidate that multiple people accused of sexual harassment. This is compared to 28 percent of women. Men were also more likely to say that they would strongly consider voting for an accused candidate.
According to the crosstabs, 15 percent of men, 9 percent of women, 24 percent of conservatives, 12 percent of whites, 7 percent of African-Americans, 13 percent of those making under $50K and 14 percent of union members said they would “strongly consider” voting for a political candidate accused of sexual harassment by multiple people if they agreed with the candidate on the issues.
A day after a second debate with Gov. Bruce Rauner, and hours after a news conference where reporters repeatedly dogged him with questions about a property tax break on a mansion he received, Democratic gubernatorial nominee J.B. Pritzker said in Belleville he is working to move on past the issue. […]
“Well, we’re in the last 33 days of the election, I don’t want anybody to be distracted by the real issues that are facing working families, so we thought we would pay that money and keep moving because we’ve got a lot to do over next 33 days to make sure our message and issues are getting out there,” Pritzker said Thursday after speaking to campaign volunteers at his Belleville field office.
Earlier in the day, at a news conference where Pritzker criticized Rauner’s handling of the legionnaire’s disease issues at the Quincy Veterans Home, reporters repeatedly asked questions about Pritzker’s controversial property tax break.
“I wasn’t struggling to keep on message, we were focused on what’s happened, which is Bruce Rauner’s administration is now under a criminal probe for the death, the cover up of what happened at the Quincy veterans home,” Pritzker said.
“This is Bruce Rauner, on the attack, desperate in the last month of the campaign,” Pritzker said Thursday night before attending the annual St. Clair County Democratic Central Committee Dinner. “He’s saying anything, he’ll do anything, he’ll pretend to be anything in order to win. I don’t take it personally. We’re moving forward. We’re talking to the working families of Illinois.”
While two-thirds of Illinoisans live in Chicago and its suburbs, Pritzker has made it a priority to campaign downstate, which is largely Republican.
The strategy behind it is twofold, says Anne Caprara, Pritzker’s campaign manager. There are Democrats and swing voters — as well as Republicans frustrated with Rauner — downstate, clustered in the St. Louis suburbs and the small and mid-sized cities spread across the prairie: Rockford, Peoria, Decatur.
But campaigning downstate is also a good way to reassure voters worried about electing another vertiginously wealthy Chicago businessman four years after sending Rauner to Springfield. “We took a philosophy very early in the campaign that we were going to send him everywhere,” Caprara said. “And I said to him when we first sat down, I think if there’s one thing that’s going to defeat the idea that you’re not gonna work hard or that you’re just coming into this as a billionaire and don’t bring something else to the table, it’s going to be having people actually meet you.”
* Meanwhile…
Rauner campaign says he didn't "cancel." Campaign never confirmed. Spokesman says they ultimately couldn't make the appearance work. https://t.co/KBHUZ1oRVr
Rauner ally Ken Griffin put a half million dollars into Illinois Senate Republican leader Bill Brady’s campaign. The move came after Brady put a $100,001 loan into his campaign fund, busting campaign limits, to allow him to accept unlimited donations to dole out to GOP senators and Senate candidates.
The state’s wealthiest man just contributed a million dollars to House Republican Leader Jim Durkin’s campaign fund. He’s given the maximum amount ($5,600) to a half dozen GOP legislative candidates during this cycle and contributed $200,000 to Erika Harold’s attorney general campaign fund.
By contrast, Griffin gave Leader Durkin $5 million in October of 2016. His last contribution to Gov. Rauner was $2.5 million in December of 2017, after giving him $20 million in May of that year.
A creative new lawsuit has been filed in federal court to get at the problem of guns used in crimes.
Studies suggest crime guns cause PTSD in children, especially in minority communities. So, this lawsuit uses the Americas With Disabilities Act and the Illinois Civil Rights Act to demand the state do something about it.
Public interest lawyer Tom Johnson argues the state police could do something, “The law already says the state police have the authority to regulate gun sales. We don’t have to pass a new statute. We don’t have to get the courts to do this. They already have the authority!”
According to the complaint, 40 percent of guns used in firearm-related crimes in Chicago are purchased at gun shops in suburban areas surrounding the city. It names seven specific gun dealers in Riverdale, Lyons, Lincolnwood, East Dundee, Melrose Park, Lansing and Posen.
“Under current law, and without cost, the Illinois Department of State Police can adopt reasonable regulations that would curtail the gun trafficking by these shops, and thereby reduce the gun violence in Chicago, and in turn reduce the terrible effect such gun violence has on the African-American children bringing this case,” the lawsuit states. […]
The complaint outlines several steps that could be taken now without any changes to Illinois law. They include conducting background checks on all gun store and gun show employees; not allowing the sale of guns to people who the seller knows will quickly transfer ownership of the weapon; and preventing those linked to “crime guns” from buying another gun.
The plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment that Illinois has violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by not making a “reasonable accommodation to the special needs of the plaintiff children in the conduct of the federally assisted law enforcement programs,” and violated the Illinois Civil Rights Act by not controlling the gun trafficking that primarily impacts black children.
The plaintiffs are wading into uncharted legal territory. They seek to prove that children exposed to violence suffer impairments so severe that the state must impose tougher rules on the businesses that supply guns.
“As far as I know, no one has ever sued the state for the health effects or mental health effects of gun violence based on a violation of the ADA,” Timothy Lytton, a professor at Georgia State University’s College of Law who has studied gun litigation. “This seems an entirely novel approach.” […]
The ATF has the power to inspect gun dealers, but it is legally allowed to conduct only one audit on each business per year. Normally, however, the resource-starved ATF only inspects a minute fraction of them — slightly more than 7 percent in 2016.
Decades of inept governance have eroded Illinoisans’ expectations for their governors. Two of the three governors who preceded Rauner in office have gone to prison on corruption charges. One of them, Rod Blagojevich, is still there after being convicted on charges of, among other things, trying to sell a Senate seat after Obama was elected president. He won’t be eligible for release until 2024. (Pritzker was caught on an FBI wiretap, days after the 2008 election, talking to Blagojevich about the possibility of appointing him as state treasurer, a conversation Rauner has used to batter Pritzker again and again.)
When I asked Pritzker to name the last Illinois governor he admired, he had to reach back two centuries. “It’s Governor Edward Coles, who really prevented Illinois, way back in the 1820s, from ever becoming a slave state,” he said. That was a pretty important turn and something that was courageous to do at the time.”
* The Question: Who is the last Illinois governor you admire? Explain.
When looking at the Republican side of the ledger, there are three races that already appear to be Democratic pick ups. In Illinois, GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner is trailing Democratic billionaire J.B. Pritzker by anywhere from 16 to 22 points. This race has been in the Lean Democratic column, and while we are loathe to kick an incumbent when he’s down, it’s hard to justify such a rating at this point. The race moves to the Likely Democratic column. […]
The race between GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner and entrepreneur J.B. Pritzker that was billed as the Battle of the Billionaires has fizzled. It’s not that the candidates aren’t spending record sums of money, it’s simply that there doesn’t seem to be a lot to see here. As a Republican in a very blue state who spent most of the first three years of his term locked in an ugly battle with House Speaker Mike Madigan and the Democratic-controlled state legislature over the budget, Rauner has been an underdog since the start of this race. He then faced an unexpectedly competitive primary that he eked out with a 51-percent victory.
Pritzker has been on a roll since the March primary and isn’t content to sit on his lead. The campaign has launched a barrage of negative ads at Rauner. Rauner has hit back, but his attacks haven’t landed the same punch. Despite this, Pritzker is having the worst week of the campaign and it won’t matter. An investigation by Cook County revealed that Pritzker defrauded the county by having all the toilets removed from his home in an effort to lower his property taxes. Illinois voters have a pretty high tolerance for scandal and this one doesn’t appear to clear the bar. Rauner was also hit with another problem this week as questions have arisen as to whether his office sat on information about a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires Disease at a veterans home. Attention quickly shifted from missing toilets to fatalities. In other words, Rauner can’t catch a break.
At this point in the race, there is no path to victory for Rauner. The contest is in the Likely Democrat column.
This state must change, and much of Rauner’s prescription for curing what ails Illinois would make things better. Pritzker’s policy proposals will make a bad situation considerably worse — higher taxes, dramatic spending increases and an even-more-poisonous climate for job creation.
It would be a return to the one-party Democratic misrule of 2003-15 under former Govs. Rod Blagojevich and Pat Quinn and a Democratic Legislature ruled by House Speaker Michael Madigan.
If polls are correct, Pritzker is a shoo-in for election. But as those polls have trended in his favor, Pritzker has become more and more vague.
They’re right about Pritzker’s increasing vagueness, as Wednesday’s debate and Thursday’s press conference clearly showed.
* We all know that Gov. Rauner has no respect at all for JB Pritzker. As he said in Wednesday’s debate, Pritzker is a “trust fund baby” without any successes in life. His loathing shined through in an interview with Politico…
Although Rauner and Pritzker are both part of the elite sliver of Illinoisans who are used to lunching in the wood-paneled dining room of the Chicago Club, their passing familiarity with each other hasn’t led to a gentlemanly campaign. Rauner clearly doesn’t like or even respect Pritzker. “He was one of the guys who sort of loafed it and didn’t really chip into the family, didn’t really help run the family business, where all the wealth was created,” Rauner told me. He doesn’t have anything against the rest of the family, he added. “A couple of them are supertalented and I respect them,” he said. “I mean, they’re very accomplished. He is not.”
* Back in August, Rauner sat down for an interview with WCIA TV’s Mark Maxwell. He told Maxwell that Pritzker “has no success in creating value,” adding, “He’s had virtually no business success.”
Maxwell asked Rauner about 1871, the hugely successful incubator that kick-started Chicago’s now-burgeoning tech startup scene. Rauner’s response…
He along with many people pushed Blagojevich to put money into a venture incubator in Chicago. We’ve got about a dozen or more incubators around the state. 1871 is one of many. Pritzker got taxpayer money into that by his pushing with Blagojevich. And then Pritzker puts his own venture capital partner in charge of 1871 to guide those venture deals to his own firm. Conflict of interest. Unfair to use taxpayer money to create an environment to fund his own capital venture efforts, which are mostly, frankly failed. But he tried to set it up to benefit himself. That’s exactly the corruption and the conflict of interest that we’ve got to stop in this state.
Whew.
1871 was founded in 2012, by the way. Three years after Blagojevich was removed from office.
…Adding… I’m told the governor was referring to the I2A (Illinois Innovation Accelerator) venture fund, which was founded in 2007 with aid from DCEO. It’s now called Chicago Ventures.
…Adding… Gov. Rauner visited 1871 in June of 2016…
Just now, came here I’ve been following the progress here at 1871, this is one of the many incubators that we have throughout the state of Illinois to nurture young technology based entrepreneurial businesses. Howard Tullman who is the head of—here of 1871 he’s a 35 year friend of mine and an entrepreneur who my venture capital firm backed when he started one of his big successful businesses back in the early 1980s. Howard’s done a phenomenal job of building 1871 and creating it as an environment where entrepreneurs can come together, where venture capitalists can come together and young technology oriented people here in the city of Chicago can start new businesses can kind of realize their dream, and they’ve begun many and they’re already fledgling and often growing and many are coming back and giving back. There’s a big mentoring and tutoring program where business leaders from around metropolitan Chicago, around the state of Illinois come here to nurture and mentor other young entrepreneurs and help them succeed and do it—they don’t get paid for being mentors but they do it as how I was explaining because they can see the future, they see the new technology and the innovative ideas and then they come up with innovative ways for their businesses to partner and share and grow together. It’s very exciting, this is a model I’d like to see expanded more around the state of Illinois, we have a number of very good incubators down in Champaign, over in Peoria and in Rockford, but I’d like to see these expanded around the state and I’m particularly focused on helping the University of Illinois expand and have its relationships and its networks expand here to 1871, there already is a connection but I want to see it grown.
The Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA) represents more than 20,000 stores across the state that include chains and family-owned and operated stores as well as all types of retail including pharmacy, grocery, hardware and restaurants. Four years ago, IRMA remained neutral in the race for Governor and four years later we will do the same.
In the last month, IRMA representatives met individually with each of the major candidates for Governor. Many issues of importance to the retail community and their customers were discussed. As a result of those meetings, the IRMA Board of Directors unanimously agreed not to endorse a candidate for Governor in this year’s election.
Governor Rauner was recognized for his heartfelt desire to reform Illinois government, revitalize the state’s economy and minimize the need for tax increases and excessive regulations. However, concerns exist over the ability to move the state forward in a bi-partisan fashion and, given the fiscal condition of the State, the feasibility of any tax roll-back. Additionally, there were concerns over positions expressed versus actions taken by his Administration on retail specific issues. Finally, there are continuing concerns that there is not a full appreciation for the economic significance of the retail sector within Illinois, which is the second highest producer of GDP and generates enormous tax revenue for state and local governments.
JB Pritzker was recognized for his stated desire to work with all parties. Mr. Pritzker clearly recognizes the economic importance of the retail sector and the opportunities it provides, and revenue it generates, for state and local governments. There are concerns, however, over his advocacy for issues that would add significantly to the cost of doing business and the impact these issues, combined with increased taxes, would have on retailers and the consumers they serve.
“IRMA’s focus is supporting a ‘retail majority’ and supporting those candidates who understand the value of retail to the state and local governments. Unfortunately, neither candidate’s approach struck the right balance in sustainably moving the state forward and supporting the state’s second largest GDP producer for the state of Illinois. IRMA will, as it always has, work in a positive, consensus building manner with the next Administration and their team no matter who is elected,” said Rob Karr, president and CEO, Illinois Retail Merchants Association.
Translation: Rauner couldn’t and won’t deliver and Pritzker wants to increase taxes on upper incomes and boost the minimum wage.
Today, the campaign of Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, Democratic nominee in Illinois’s 13th Congressional District, released a new ad highlighting Congressman Rodney Davis’ attempts to mislead voters about his record on health care — and how his allies were caught lying about Londrigan’s health care positions in TV ads.
“Career politician Rodney Davis took millions of dollars from special interests and insurance companies, then voted with them eleven times to eliminate critical protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Now that he’s running for re-election, Davis and his allies are trying to compensate for his disastrous record by lying about it, and about Betsy,” said Emma Brown, Betsy Dirksen Londrigan’s campaign manager. “It’s time to replace Davis with someone who is focused on making healthcare more affordable, not lying and playing politics with this critical issue.”
The ad, “Caught,” is began airing today across the district. It highlights Davis’ eleven votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act without a replacement, which would have eliminated protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Davis also voted for the Republican health care repeal bill last summer, which non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, independent fact checkers, and the AARP have all said would have weakened protections for those with pre-existing conditions, allowing insurers to discriminate against them and make their coverage unaffordable.
Career politician Rodney Davis. Caught lying. Those attacks on Betsy Londrigan? ‘That ad is categorically false.’ What’s worse? Davis is lying about his own health care record. Here are the facts: Davis voted eleven times to gut protections for pre-existing conditions. Eleven times to let insurance companies deny coverage. And eleven times to help his insurance company donors instead of you. Those are the facts. And Rodney Davis’ lies can’t change them.
* Background…
Davis Voted 11 Times To Repeal The Affordable Care Act Without Any Replacement:
Davis Voted For Republican Budget That Repealed Affordable Care Act. [H Con Res 25, Vote #88, 3/21/13]
Davis Voted To Repeal The Affordable Care Act. [HR
45, Vote #154, 5/16/13; CQ Floor Votes, 5/16/13]
Davis Voted For Republican Budget That Repealed Affordable Care Act. [H Con Res 96, Vote #177, 4/10/14]
Davis Voted To Repeal Affordable Care Act. [HR
596, Vote #58, 2/3/15; CQ Floor Votes, 2/3/15]
Davis Voted For Budget Alternative That Repealed The Affordable Care Act. [H. Con Res. 27, Vote #141, 3/25/15; US News and World Report,3/25/15]
Davis Voted For Republican Budget That Repealed The Affordable Care Act. [H. Con Res. 27, Vote #142, 3/25/15; New York Times, 3/25/15]
Davis Voted For Republican Conference Report On Budget That Began Process To Repeal Affordable Care Act.
[S Con Res 11, Vote #183, 4/30/15; Bloomberg, 4/29/15]
Davis Voted To Repeal Major Pillars Of Affordable Care Act, Including Individual Mandate. [HR 3762, Vote #568, 10/23/15; Los Angeles Times, 10/23/15]
Davis Voted To Repeal The Affordable Care Act. [HR
3762, Vote #6, 1/6/16; CNN, 1/6/16]
Davis Voted To Overturn Obama’s Veto Of Bill That Would Repeal The Affordable Care Act. [HR3762, Vote #53, 2/2/16; Washington Post,2/2/16] Note: Reported as 63rd vote
Davis Voted To Begin Process Of Repealing Affordable Care Act. [S Con Res 3, Vote #58, 1/13/17; CNN, 1/3/17]
Asked whether there was criminal negligence in the Quincy response, Rauner said “absolutely not.” Asked about delay in notifying the public that WBEZ outlined, Rauner said “there’s not a delay.”
WBEZ on Tuesday aired a report outlining that state officials waited six days — even though they knew the epidemic was occurring — before notifying residents, families and the public. WBEZ also outlined how Rauner’s former deputy press secretary, who now works for President Donald Trump’s administration, sent an email directing no public notification of the outbreak on Aug. 25, 2015 — four days after people began getting sick.
“As soon as the Legionella infection occurred there, members of our team immediately took action to keep the veterans safe, to keep the staff safe and we brought in national experts and we have done everything that the national experts have recommended we do,” Rauner said.
Rauner said the outbreak was not contagious: “They do not pass from person to person. There’s no risk. It’s not that we have to notify the public, notify the community, notify the neighborhood, notify outsiders,” Rauner said. “This was an internal issue for plumbing inside the building, in particular residential halls. This is not something we had to rush to send out wide press releases and the team made the decisions when they knew all the facts and they could outlined exactly what was happening and what they were doing, what communication should be done.” [Emphasis added.]
“It’s not that we have to notify the residents and their families or anything.” There. Fixed it for ‘ya because that’s exactly what you avoided saying, governor.
People got sick and several died without ever knowing they were in any danger after higher-ups made a conscious decision to stay quiet. Residents’ families didn’t know, either, for the same reason. But the administration knew. They chose not to tell anyone. Not the residents, not their families, nobody. And, yes, the administration should have notified the community. It could’ve been a problem for Quincy, too. Nobody knew what was what at the time.
* Also, you took “immediate action” to keep the staff safe? Really? Remember this?…
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s own administration formally rebuked the state agency overseeing the Quincy veterans’ home for how it told staffers about the fatal Legionnaires’ disease outbreak after workers there got sick in 2015.
The workplace safety reprimand issued by the state Department of Labor, first obtained by WBEZ, focused on a pair of emails Illinois Veterans Home administrators blasted out to state workers that seemed to downplay the threat of the disease. The agency reproached the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, which oversees the home, saying it “failed to effectively notify all employees” about the outbreak just as it was taking hold. […]
The email, sent by an infectious disease nursing supervisor to nearly 140 staff members, emphasized with all capital letters that there had been “an UNCONFIRMED diagnosis” of Legionnaires’. The correspondence admonished workers not to talk about the case with residents because “the last thing we need is for the residents to get worried and upset.”
Yeah. No need for anyone to worry that they might get sick and die or anything.
* Let’s return to our timeline, which I’ve truncated…
July 24: Earliest known case of Legionnaires’ disease at the Illinois Veterans’ Home in Quincy, according to a report issued later by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
August 21: Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs Director Erica Jeffries later claims that on this date, her department “shut down the water, we removed aerators from all the showers, we shut down our fountains, we started issuing bottled water” because of the outbreak.
August 21: Illinois Veterans’ Home resident Melvin Tucker develops a fever. He is given Tylenol.
August 22: (E)mail, sent by an infectious disease nursing supervisor to nearly 140 staff members, emphasized with all capital letters that there had been “an UNCONFIRMED diagnosis” of Legionnaires’. The correspondence admonished workers not to talk about the case with residents because “the last thing we need is for the residents to get worried and upset.”
August 23: Illinois Department of Public Health notifies CDC of “five laboratory-confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease among residents and staff.”
August 24: Adams County Health Department Director of Clinical and Environmental Services Shay Drummond claims this is the date when “environmental control and mediation” actually starts
August 24: In an email, a state Veterans’ Affairs spokesman alerted the governor’s press staff about the Legionnaires’ test results, saying, “We have a situation at the Quincy home.” The spokesman went on to say he did not intend to publicize details of the test results that day unless “directed or in the case of wide media interest.”
August 25: Rauner does Springfield media event with Veterans’ Affairs Director Erica Jeffries at Springfield airport.
Aug. 25: Rauner’s press secretary at the time, Lindsay Walters, directed press aides in the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs and Illinois Department of Public Health not to issue a public statement about the growing Legionnaires’ threat at the home, documents show. “I do not think we need to issue a statement to the media. Let’s hold and see if we receive any reporter inquiries,” she said.
Aug. 26: There are now 28 Legionnaires’ disease onsets, the CDC reports later.
August 26: Three days after CDC was first notified of the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak, and 2-4 days after remediation efforts began, Gerald Kuhn, 90, is given Tylenol for a fever that reaches 104 degrees. Kuhn asks to go to the hospital and tests positive there for Legionella.
August 26: Last day Dolores French is seen alive. Her military veteran husband lives in another section of the complex.
August 27: “The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced eight confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease in residents at the Illinois Veterans’ Home - Quincy. There have been no known deaths related to this outbreak.”
August 27: After six days with a fever, Melvin Tucker is still not on any kind of antibiotic and hasn’t yet been tested for Legionnaires’, despite the CDC being notified four days earlier of an outbreak and the state announcing eight confirmed cases that same day.
August 28: “Two residents of an Illinois veterans home have died of Legionnaires’ disease, the Illinois Department of Public Health said Friday…. [both] had underlying medical conditions. Both were among 23 residents of the facility who had earlier been diagnosed with the disease.”
August 29: Dolores French is found dead and her body was decomposed. Her only underlying medical condition was deafness.
28 cases before anyone was told. But, yeah, they acted “immediately.” Right.
Mr. Rauner’s experience as a private-equity investor would benefit Springfield. Government isn’t the same as business, of course. As head of the state’s executive branch, the governor wields real power, but it’s less than that of a chief executive. Still, Mr. Rauner would bring the much-needed perspective of a private-sector leader. And he has a sharp eye for efficiency, something that bloated state government desperately needs.
He is no politician, and that is a good thing.
Mr. Rauner promises reforms that would lessen the burdens on business and promote entrepreneurship, including cutting red tape, making common-sense changes to workers’ compensation and revitalizing the state agency that should be hustling to bring business to Illinois, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. He has said he would become the state’s top recruiter. We believe him.
* By June of 2017, however, Crain’s was having a change of heart…
By nearly every measure, the state is worse off since Rauner took office.
That said, he maintains “the wealthy should pay more”—and that includes himself—and argues that a progressive income tax is unlikely to chase well-heeled Illinoisans out of state if the Legislature enacts much-needed property tax reforms. A graduated income tax, he argues, would stabilize the state’s finances and better fund his top priority—education from K-12 to graduate school—while easing the burden on local and municipal governments to fund schools and maintain infrastructure. If he can ease the property tax burden, which is killing some municipalities, the switch to a sliding-scale income tax makes sense for Illinois.
Regarding the state’s most vexing fiscal problem, its underfunded public employee pensions, Pritzker favors cutting the long-term tab by putting in more money now. Again, he’s not long on specifics, but his rhetoric suggests his plan’s contours may follow those long advocated by the Center for Tax & Budget Accountability, which has called for reamortizing the existing debt. “There is really only one good way to do it, and that is to step up payments,” Pritzker told Crain’s earlier this year. “Think about the principal payments on your home. Step up principal payments earlier than they are due and try to flatten out the amortization schedule on an annual basis. Flatten it. The result of that will be that we can manage the budget of the state. Because that is really what is at stake here.”
As a longtime Democrat, Pritzker’s platform reflects much of his party’s orthodoxy. And yet, Pritzker is a known quantity in Chicago’s moderate business community—in many ways, he’s its unofficial mayor—and he’s widely recognized as a no-nonsense problem-solver more likely to reach across the aisle with an open handshake than a clenched fist. As such, we expect him to govern in the vein of similarly middle-ground businesspeople-cum-politicians: Think Michael Bloomberg, not Scott Walker; Charlie Baker, not Paul LePage. He pledges that creating conditions for business growth will be a factor in every decision he makes, and as someone who has grown businesses for his entire adult life, that pledge carries weight. He promises to veto any legislative remap that is not fair, and he favors term limits on leadership positions in the state House and Senate—not exactly the words of a Democratic apparatchik.
Promoting Illinois as a great place to do business—and delivering on the policies that will make that more than just a sales pitch—is Pritzker’s stated goal. Despite “toiletgate,” a property tax dustup that is troubling and embarrassing but not disqualifying, we believe Pritzker will put the needs of Chicago’s business community and the workers who depend on it first and foremost, and will work hard to do what he’s always done: Make deals and deliver value to stakeholders large and small. Pritzker deserves your vote.
Ask yourself whether another dose of unchecked rule by Democratic leaders will restore Illinois to the prosperity and opportunity for which it once was famed.
Then ask whether a second-term Rauner would do exactly what he has tried to do in his first term: deprive those Democratic leaders of their wretched excesses in spending and taxing.
That answer to that is yes, as the Democrats know.
They loathe Rauner. He often stalemates them. Armed only with a veto pen and a bully pulpit, he blocks their exclusive dominion over lawmaking.
Which is precisely why we endorse Bruce Rauner, and urge you to re-elect him governor of Illinois.
Today, the Rauner campaign is launching a new TV ad titled “Change Doesn’t Come Easy.”
In the ad, Governor Rauner directly addresses the voters of Illinois about how important this election is in the fight for the future of the state. Governor Rauner makes the choice voters face in November clear: “We could give up, and give total control to Madigan, Pritzker and the Machine that made this mess, or do the tough, honest things to save Illinois.”
You sent me to Springfield to fix our state. We’ve done some good. We’ve stopped a lot of bad. But like you, I’m frustrated because we haven’t done enough. After decades of corruption, change doesn’t come easy. We could give up, and give total control to Madigan, Pritzker and the Machine that made this mess, or do the tough, honest things to save Illinois. This might be our last chance.
The prosecutor Republicans want to investigate tax fraud allegations involving Democratic candidate for governor J.B. Pritzker received a campaign contribution from the Chicagoan and his wife in 2016.
The Pritzkers gave Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx donations of $5,400 each Oct. 21, 2016, when she was running for her first term, state records show.
“The matter is in the hands of our special prosecutions unit; we have no further comment at this time,” a spokeswoman for the state’s attorney’s office said Thursday.
Pritzker is fighting off an offensive from Republican Bruce Rauner, who called his rival’s property tax break of $331,000 on a Gold Coast mansion “white collar crime” at a campaign stop in Des Plaines
I asked the state’s attorney’s office yesterday whether this move was routine and was told that the public integrity unit is within the special prosecutions bureau. That unit, I was told, handles issues related to alleged misconduct of public officials.
