* Katherine Doherty, Natalie Wong and Shruti Singh for Bloomberg…
Billionaire Ken Griffin is reaching a tipping point with Chicago, the home to his market maker and hedge fund business, as the city wrestles with rising crime.
“We’re getting to the point that if things don’t change, we’re gone,” Griffin, who founded both the hedge fund Citadel and the market-making business Citadel Securities, said Thursday in an interview. “Things aren’t changing.” […]
“I am involved in politics because I’ve seen what happens when you have poor political leaders,” Griffin said during a Bloomberg Intelligence event in New York on Thursday. “Right now, I live in a state that’s the case study of this.” […]
“My patience is wearing thin,” Griffin said Thursday in the interview, citing an incident he witnessed outside his office this past weekend.
I’ve asked which incident he was referring to.
* From Natalie Edelstein at the Pritzker campaign…
No one should take Ken Griffin’s moral outrage seriously, considering one out of every four guns recovered from city homicides in the past five years came off the assembly lines of companies in which Citadel held shares. If public safety––not scoring cheap political points––truly kept Griffin up at night, he would divest himself from the very weapons that perpetuate cycles of violence. Instead, he’s allowed his investments in gun and ammunition companies to grow to more than $139 million, up 62% from three months ago from when he first claimed to be aware of them.
Governor Pritzker has added hundreds of new troopers to the depleted ranks of the Illinois State Police and funded state-of-the-art crime labs to provide law enforcement with the tools they need to quickly solve crimes and put dangerous criminals behind bars. He’s also made unprecedented investments in violence prevention programs, ensuring people have access to the tools that prevent crime in the first place, such as mental health support, job training opportunities, and summer youth employment programs.
Crime is a complex and multifaceted issue that Illinoisans are understandably concerned about, but we will not be lectured by those actively profiting off of gun violence.
…Adding… Griffin’s spokesperson said his boss witnessed this incident.
A Mokena man’s push to abolish front license plates in Illinois is creating buzz throughout the state.
Terrence Smolik believes lawmakers could save taxpayers at least $800,000 per year by doing away with unnecessary, redundant second plates. Illinois should join the 20 other states that only require rear plates, he believes. […]
The Mokena resident has been making the case to ban front plates since at least 2019.
“Enforcement of this law disproportionately and unnecessarily targets the underprivileged, youth and minorities while also being hostile to car collectors and people moving to Illinois from states without a front plate law,” Smolik shared with me three years ago.
But removing the front plate would make it harder for police officers and other law enforcement officials to do their jobs, said Ed Wojcicki, executive director of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.
“It would make it much more difficult to identify people who violate the law,” he said.
Opposition also is coming from the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association, a spokesperson for the organization said, because the front license plate is a “tool we use in our toolbox. We don’t need any more restrictions.”
The Illinois Tollway Authority also remains opposed to the legislation, said Senior Communications Manager Dan Rozek.
“The loss of the front plate would disrupt the technology used by the Tollway to collect tolls, which often relies on matching the front plate with the rear plate to identify a vehicle,” Rozek said.
* The Question: Keep the front license plate or dump it? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
* Sabato’s Crystal Ball on Illinois General Assembly races…
Senate: Likely D
House: Likely D
Democrats drew Illinois’s maps, and that should give them a solid shot at maintaining their wide majorities. In a good Democratic year, the new maps should allow the Democrats to keep or slightly increase their Senate and House margins; in a bad year, it should help keep their losses down. That said, the size of the Democratic margins is at or near historic highs, and billionaire GOP donor Ken Griffin is investing millions of dollars to elect a Republican governor this year, on a platform highlighting crime and corruption under Democratic leadership. Republican legislative leaders would love to ride Griffin’s money to pick up seats in the suburbs and downstate.
Really went out on a limb there.
* Competing independent expenditures in the Rodney Davis vs. Mary Miller GOP primary…
* In McHenry County, Tom DeVore denies calling developmentally disabled kids “window lickers,” despite the evidence…
* Wondering about press passes…
The Strokes, the internationally renowned Grammy Award winning rock band, announced earlier today that they will be hosting a concert fundraiser and rally on May 30, 2022 at the Metro in Chicago to support Kina Collins, gun violence prevention advocate and Democratic candidate for Congress in IL-07.
* Press release…
Illinois’ new Third Congressional District is a majority Latino district – home to a significant number of Spanish-speaking residents and voters. The new district’s leading Latino candidates – State Representative Delia Ramirez and Alderman Gil Villegas – committed to participate in a Spanish-language candidate forum hosted by Univision in collaboration with the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and AARP. Yesterday’s Spanish-language forum was canceled minutes before it was set to start as a result of Alderman Gil Villegas backing out.
Latino leaders shocked by Alderman Gil Villegas’ last minute cancelation issued the following statement:
“Illinois’ new third congressional district is majority Latino and home to a significant number of Spanish-speaking voters. The district is a safe Democratic district, and the winner of the June 28 Democratic primary is all but guaranteed to be the district’s new congressperson. That is why we are so deeply disappointed and dismayed that – at the last minute – Alderman Gil Villegas would back out of the district’s only Spanish-language forum sponsored by Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Univision and AARP.”
“All voters deserve to be informed and to hear from the candidates running to represent them – that includes the Third Congressional District’s Spanish-speaking voters and residents that Alderman Villegas hopes to represent. The Third Congressional District’s next congressperson must be able to reach and represent all of the district’s residents and voters, including the residents and voters who primarily communicate in Spanish. Alderman Villegas canceling the district’s only Spanish-language forum is totally unacceptable. We call on Alderman Villegas to show respect to the Spanish-speaking voters and residents he hopes to represent and reschedule the Spanish-language forum he canceled yesterday.”
U.S. Congressman Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia
State Senator Omar Aquino
State Senator Karina Villa
State Senator Celina Villanueva
Alderwoman Rossana Rodriguez
Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa
Alderman Andre Vasquez
Cook County Commissioner Alma Anaya
Committeeman Anthony Joel Quezada
Former State Senator William Delgado
* Press release…
IL-17: Dirty Money Alert: Wallace Campaign Calls on GOP Frontrunner to Return $64K in Tainted Committee Money
The campaign of former state Rep. Litesa Wallace, Democratic candidate for the 17th Congressional District, today called on Republican frontrunner Esther Joy King to return more than $64,000 she received from a political fundraising committee funded by Steve Wynn, an alleged agent of China, and his wife.
Former casino mogul Wynn, a former Republican National Committee finance chair and accused rapist, was sued by the U.S. Justice Department on charges that he illegally lobbied former president Donald Trump on China’s behalf. In April, Wynn and his wife gave massively to the Republican “Take Back the House” committee, which in turn wrote a check for $64,491 to King.
Said Wallace campaign spokesperson Wednesday:
“Esther King wants to talk tough on China. Now that she knows her overstuffed campaign fund is tainted, it’s time for her to live up to her alleged values and return those dirty dollars.”
* Press release…
The following is a statement from Alicia Webb, spokeswoman for the campaign of Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi, following today’s reporting from Crain’s regarding Commissioner Kari Steele’s improper homeowner’s exemption.
“Commissioner Steele’s excuses for illegally taking a homeowner’s exemption to which she is not entitled don’t hold up under even the lightest scrutiny. She’s counting on the public overlooking her attempts to game the system–-just like she’s counting on the public overlooking her spouse lobbying for big developers who want to rig the property tax system against working families. But Fritz Kaegi won’t let us go back to the old ways when connected politicians used the Assessor’s Office to enrich themselves and their family members. He’ll put the public’s interest ahead of special interests.”
* DGA press release…
This week, GOP candidates in the running for the Illinois gubernatorial nomination sparred during a Chicago Tribune Editorial Board session, the first meeting of all six candidates in the primary. In an increasingly tight race, it’s no surprise that the faceoff was chaotic, messy, and downright ugly.
Some highlights:
• Darren Bailey called Aurora under Mayor Richard Irvin “the highest taxed city in the nation” with a “ridiculous pension problem,” and accused Aurora under Irvin of downgrading crimes as civil violations to make the city look safer.
• Jesse Sullivan slammed Irvin’s “scorched-earth campaign” and accused him of “treating the conservative base like they’re idiots.”
• Darren Bailey put Irvin on blast, saying: “all he really wants to talk about is trashing each one of us around this table.”
• …and as usual, Irvin ducked, dodged, and deflected questions about his support for Trump (or lack thereof).
What could’ve been a critical opportunity for the candidates to distinguish themselves turned into a mud-slinging, name-calling mess. And with just under six weeks until the primary, the chaos isn’t showing any signs of stopping.
“With the primary fast approaching, the GOP field is in complete disarray,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “The Republicans’ messy infighting means the race is still a total toss-up. But no matter who wins the nomination, we know one thing: they don’t have Illinoisans best interests at heart.”
* Back to the Rodney Davis campaign…
18 current and former central Illinois county sheriffs are announcing their endorsement of Rodney Davis’ campaign for Congress in the 15th District. The sheriffs’ endorsement follows the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) endorsement of Davis last week. […]
• Calhoun County Sheriff Bill Heffington
• Christian County Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp
• DeWitt County Sheriff Mike Walker
• Fayette County Sheriff David Russell
• Logan County Sheriff Mark Landers
• Former Macon County Sheriff Jerry Dawson
• Former Macon County Sheriff Tom Schneider
• McDonough County Sheriff Nick Petitgout
• Menard County Sheriff Mark Oller
• Montgomery County Sheriff Rick Robbins
• Former Montgomery County Sheriff Jim Vozzi
• Morgan County Sheriff Mike Carmody
• Moultrie County Sheriff Chris Sims
• Piatt Mark County Sheriff Vogelzang
• Pike County Sheriff David Greenwood
• Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell
• Former Sangamon County Sheriff Neil Williamson
• Vermillion County Sheriff Pat Hartshorn
The kickoff of early voting for the June 28 Illinois primary is spotlighting some voter confusion in redrawn Chicago area congressional districts as candidates scramble to lock in their votes. […]
In-person early voting starts May 26 for Chicago voters and June 1 for suburban Cook residents in the combined City Hall/County Building in the Loop, with satellite locations opening up in June in the city and Cook County suburbs.
Starting Thursday, Lake County voters can vote at the courthouse in Waukegan; in DuPage County at the fairgrounds in Wheaton; in Will County at the courthouse in Joliet; in Kane County at the clerk’s office in Geneva or the Aurora satellite office.
* Press release…
Erica Conway Harriss, the Republican Senate candidate for the 56th District and a sitting Madison County Board member, will now face an unknown opponent in the general election. Rachelle Aud Crowe, who had been seeking reelection as State Senator from the area, was confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate to be the next U.S. Attorney from the Southern District of Illinois.
“I certainly wish Senator Crowe the best in her future endeavors. What has not changed is that the people of the Metro East deserve to have their voices heard in Springfield. I am running because the voices of parents, workers, and local business owners need to be the ones that echo in the halls of the Capitol, not those of political insiders,” stated Harriss.
For the 2020 census, all states were not counted equally well for population numbers used to allocate political representation and federal funding over the next decade, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released Thursday.
A follow-up survey the bureau conducted to measure the national tally’s accuracy found significant net undercount rates in six states: Arkansas (5.04%), Florida (3.48%), Illinois (1.97%), Mississippi (4.11%), Tennessee (4.78%) and Texas (1.92%).
It also uncovered significant net overcount rates in eight states — Delaware (5.45%), Hawaii (6.79%), Massachusetts (2.24%), Minnesota (3.84%), New York (3.44%), Ohio (1.49%), Rhode Island (5.05%) and Utah (2.59%).
For the other 36 states, as well as Washington, D.C., the bureau did not find statistically significant net over- or undercount rates.
A 2 percent undercount means Illinois grew by about a quarter million rather than shrank by 18,000.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Gov. Pritzker…
Following a review of 2020 U.S. Census Data, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today that Illinois was undercounted by nearly 2%. This means that Illinois’ population grew by nearly 250,000 people and is now above 13 million people for the first time in Illinois history. In response, Governor JB Pritzker released the following statement:
“I ran for governor on a promise to be our state’s best chief marketing officer and reverse the trend of outmigration we’ve seen over the past few decades. These latest numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau show that Illinois is now a state on the rise with a growing population,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “From boundless economic opportunities, to booming economic development and leading institutions of higher education, Illinois has so much to offer our new residents. While it is disappointing that these numbers were not reflected in the initial count, I have already spoken to members of our congressional delegation and will work tirelessly to ensure Illinois receives its fair share of federal funding. I look forward to celebrating this development with all Illinoisans, including those who routinely badmouth our state.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** US Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi…
Earlier this year, I wrote to the Census Bureau regarding my serious concern that the agency had undercounted Illinois, potentially putting our proportional federal representation and funding at risk. I’m glad to see that the Bureau’s additional review of their data has revealed the truth: that our state’s population is growing and now exceeds 13 million for the first time in our history. These new findings reaffirm that our state is on the upswing in every way, and I’m committed to ensuring that we get our fair share of federal funding.
…Adding… Senate President Don Harmon…
This is excellent news. It confirms what most of us already know: Illinois is a great place to live and work. We need more people cheering for Illinois and fewer spelunking for misery.
…Adding… House Speaker Chris Welch…
This correction confirms what Democrats have been saying all along: Illinois is growing, Illinois is thriving, and Illinois has so much to offer.
Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, who is now running for Illinois governor, arrived last year at the scene of an arrest by Aurora police in which his then-girlfriend was accused of hitting a security guard at a marijuana store.
The charges against her “would be taken care of,” a police officer overheard him say, according to a police report of the incident obtained by the Aurora Beacon-News and Chicago Tribune. She was charged with an ordinance violation for battery, a minor municipal charge.
In a GOP primary race where Irvin has elevated himself as a law-and-order candidate, the revelation that he showed up at an Aurora police arrest dealing with his girlfriend threatens to dent the image he is trying to cultivate through a relentless, tough-on-crime ad campaign.
Irvin disputes the characterization of his comments that were included in the police report and that it might have implied he used his influence as mayor to affect the charges against his then-girlfriend, Laura Ayala-Clarke, saying that was “actually incorrect.”
Real life isn’t quite so neat.
I’ve seen the video of what went down at that pot shop and, to my eyes, Irvin’s girlfriend was pummeled, pepper sprayed and then forcefully dragged by a much larger person. Yeah, she stubbornly refused to leave when ordered to do so. Yes, she was throwing a stupid temper tantrum about a busted ATM machine and acting like a spoiled child by tossing around her boyfriend’s name to get her way. And yes, she appeared to reflexively fight back.
But, man, she was pummeled, pepper sprayed and dragged. The video made me sick to my stomach. There’s no excuse for that. Security guards don’t have nearly the same authority as police officers, but this would’ve been wrong if the cops had done something similar, which they didn’t. They appeared to handle the situation in a calm manner.
And as far as the matter being “taken care of,” the charges have not been dropped against the girlfriend. Mayor Irvin may have bragged about his bigshot power, but this hasn’t yet gone away.
* That being said, a guy who is running a campaign almost wholly centered around unquestionably supporting the police sure does have a strange way of showing it when he claims that the cop’s report was false.
Billionaire Kenneth Griffin’s financial empire expanded its holdings in gun and ammunition stocks this spring, newly-filed records show, while he and his favored GOP gubernatorial candidate, Richard Irvin, hammered Gov. JB Pritzker for rampant violent crime.
Griffin’s $51 billion hedge fund, Citadel, and its market-making cousin, Citadel Securities, increased the value of their gun and ammunition manufacturing holdings by 62% during the first quarter of this year compared to the final three months of 2021, a company filing with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission shows.
All told, Citadel’s gun and ammunition holdings were worth more than $139 million as of March 31, up from $86 million three months earlier, the records showed. […]
Last February, WBEZ reported how gun manufacturers in which Citadel invested produced one in four recovered firearms from Chicago homicides during the past five years.
Citadel maintained that it was compelled to hold shares in those gun companies because of its role as a market maker, but Griffin and the company faced criticism from some anti-violence activists because of his stridency in blaming Pritzker personally for rising crime in Chicago.
* From Ken Griffin’s spokesperson Zia Ahmed…
Citadel Securities is the largest equity market maker in the U.S., helping people buy or sell stock in companies they want to invest in to achieve their financial goals — whether to buy a home, fund their children’s education, or save for retirement. It is disappointing that a publicly-funded news organization insists on continuing to deliberately misconstrue our role in the marketplace and parrot sloppy political opposition research from Governor J.B. Pritzker. The violence destroying Chicago is the result of a failure to prosecute criminals, a lack of support for police, and progressive left legislation that prioritizes criminals ahead of law-abiding citizens – policies perpetuated by the Governor.
A “publicly-funded news organization.” Hmm.
* From Ken Griffin…
There’s an old adage, ‘Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty while the pig likes it.’ When great companies like Boeing decide to leave our State it should be a wake up call that policies not politics matter. The Governor should focus on making our streets safer, improving our schools, and creating more jobs in Illinois
Not sure that Boeing left for such parochial reasons, but whatevs.
* Natalie Edelstein at the Pritzker campaign…
Ken Griffin is entirely unserious about making our state safer and this massive increase in investments is just further proof. One out of every four guns recovered from city homicides in the past five years came off the assembly lines of companies in which Griffin’s Citadel held shares––and when faced with that information Griffin doubled down. Just like his hand-picked gubernatorial candidate Richard Irvin, Griffin will say anything to save face in public, but Illinoisans can see right through their tired act and know where their loyalties lie.
It’s still kind of a stretch.
* Eleni Demertzis at the Irvin campaign…
Mayor Irvin is a supporter of the 2nd amendment, owns two licensed firearms and believes Mr. Griffin, like everyone else in this country, is free to invest in whatever industry he chooses. Everyone agrees the spike in violent crime is directly related to the radical anti-police, pro-criminal policies pushed by JB Pritzker and Kim Foxx. To get violent crime under control, throw Pritzker out of office, repeal his radical pro-criminal policies, empower the police to do their jobs and pass a constitutional amendment to allow voters to recall pro-criminal prosecutors like Kim Foxx.
The spike in violent crime has been national.
Anyway, your thoughts?
*** UPDATE *** A spokesperson for Boeing just called to say that the company is not leaving Chicago. “We’re going to continue employing 400 people in the area.”
The spokesperson also pushed back at Griffin’s notion that the company left because of crime or other issues. “I can confirm that is not the case,” he said.
Irvin’s organization has targeted Bailey and Sullivan with negative advertising. Schimpf, however, warned of potential consequences.
“Unless you have a unified Illinois Republican Party behind you — both the conservative base and the suburban moderates — you simply cannot win,” he said. “If you’re running a flamethrower campaign going after other Republicans, you’re not going to be able to put the party back together.”
“The instructions should state, as defendants have argued, that a violation . . . requires a quid pro quo,” according to the [defense] filing. “In other words, a person acts corruptly in violation of (the law) when he or she exchanges a thing of value for an official act. The Supreme Court has held that ‘for bribery there must be a quid pro quo—a specific intent to give or receive something of value in exchange for an official act.’ ”
So, in the instructions they propose Leinenweber give, [defendants] suggest he make clear, “It is not a crime to give something to a public official to build a reservoir of goodwill that might ultimately affect one or more of a multitude of unspecified acts, now and in the future.”
The proposed jury instructions from U.S. Attorney John Lausch, also filed May 16, suggest instead this construct: “A person acts corruptly when that person acts with the intent that something of value is given or offered to reward or influence an agent of state government in connection with the agent’s official duties.”
Defense attorneys want more specificity than that.
So, if a legislator wins a “Best Friend of the Widget Industry” award every year and receives regular campaign contributions from the widget group and its members and then sponsors a new widget industry bill, are the industry lobbyists and the legislator who happens to represent lots of widget workers acting corruptly or is the legislator merely a beneficiary of goodwill and attempting to do something perceived by the legislator and the industry as a positive for the state?
And, yes, I get that ComEd went way beyond the above hypothetical, but the debate the defense wants to have is whether what they did was just an extreme, far more organized and hugely effective extension of the smaller-scale things that happen every day in the political world. Ultimately (after a retrial), Rod Blagojevich’s argument that the feds were criminalizing politics did not work. These defendants, however, appear to have better lawyers and will likely be far more well-behaved than Rod was.
* I avoided posting this Tribune story today about the editorial board’s GOP gubernatorial candidate interview= because it didn’t look all that enlightening. But, whatevs, here’s an excerpt…
Asked afterward if Bailey agreed with Trump’s false assertion that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, he said, “There was fraud. We know there was fraud.” Pressed on whether he believed that led to Biden’s victory, he said, “I haven’t seen that proven yet, but there was fraud.”
During the editorial board session, Bailey sought to question Irvin’s support for the former president.
“I am a supporter of President Trump, as opposed to what Mr. Irvin wants to say, about (how) he wants to talk about the issues. But it’s interesting because all he really wants to talk about is trashing each one of us around this table.”
Except for Irvin, the candidates — including paving magnate Gary Rabine, former state Sen. Paul Schimpf of Waterloo and attorney Max Solomon of Hazel Crest — explicitly said they voted for Trump in 2020. Irvin, repeating a line he has used in recent days after WTTW Ch.-11 reported on texts in which he called Trump an “idiot” and a “bigoted racist,” said only: “I’m a Republican and in generals (elections), I vote Republican.”
This morning, outsider candidate for governor Jesse Sullivan was joined by Illinois parents and former teachers at a press conference to unveil his latest policy agenda: “Power to the Parents.”
“This isn’t a problem of dollars and cents in Illinois, it’s about power – the radical union bosses have too much, and parents have too little,” Sullivan said. “Schools are injecting sexual and racial ideology into our curriculum, and the teachers’ unions are funding the campaigns of Illinois Democrats then turning around lobbying them to get whatever they want. It’s time to call out the Chicago Teachers Union for what it really is – a radical, extremist wing of the Democratic party.” […]
DELIVER PARENTAL CHOICE BY FUNDING STUDENTS, NOT SYSTEMS
• Universal school choice. Education funding should follow the child. Every parent in Illinois should receive a “Backpack Scholarship” to send their child to the school that best suits their needs: whether public, private, religious or charter.
• Expand the Invest in Kids Opportunity Scholarship Program. Rather than allowing the program to sunset in 2023, we will expand and improve the program to meet the needs of all families seeking access to a quality education for their children. Our plan will:
• Streamline the donation process for investors
• Move from a 75% tax credit to a dollar-for-dollar tax credit
• Allow earmarks for corporate donors
• Advocate for allowing donors to deduct the contribution on federal taxes
• Incentivize workforce training. One of Illinois’ strengths is its diversity. Our manufacturing, information technology, agriculture, and countless others require trained, highly skilled employees. Today, we do not have enough labor to fill the jobs available. Our plan will:
• Expand pathways to post-secondary educational success and open them up to Illinois students. We will end the days of a one-size-fits-all, top-down education system that is failing a significant portion of our students.
• Incentivize industry-driven, proprietary education directly related to available jobs (tying communities that need jobs to available jobs / the jobs of tomorrow). Every child who graduates high school in Illinois should have mastery over at least one skill that will lead to high-wage employment.
DEFUND TEACHERS UNIONS
Self-interested teachers’ union bosses in Illinois prolonged the shutdown of our schools, funded extremist politicians that have made our streets unsafe, protected sexual predators, and have harmed the noble reputation of the teaching profession. The Sullivan administration will:
• Ban political giving from teachers unions: Illinois teachers union bosses give millions of dollars to corrupt Illinois Democrats who sit on the other side of the bargaining table. This is a blatant conflict of interest that has cost Illinois taxpayers billions of dollars.
• Declare the Chicago Teachers Union an extremist hate group: The CTU has openly promoted violence, protected sexual predators and praised murderous, socialist dictatorships abroad. My administration will immediately declare the Chicago Teachers Union an extremist hate group.
PROTECT ILLINOIS SCHOOLCHILDREN FROM SEXUAL PREDATORS
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has refused to provide basic, commonsense protections against sexual abuse in schools, while pushing radical gender curriculum throughout the state. The Sullivan administration will:
• Punish predators in schools: Make it a crime for school employees to have sexual contact with a student, regardless of the student’s age. Teachers unions, Illinois Democrats and Gov. J.B. Pritzker fought against passing a law to do this, despite rampant sexual abuse in Chicago Public Schools uncovered by Chicago Tribune reporters.
• Require parent notification of teacher misconduct: Even if an educator was disciplined by the state for misconduct, Illinois law prohibits ISBE from releasing records related to their misconduct, unless the educator fought against license sanctions. We will require parental notification of all findings of misconduct.
• Close the obscenity loophole for Illinois public schools: We will amend Illinois’ obscenity statute (720 Ill. Comp Stat. Ann, Sections 11-21(c)3) to remove the special protection given to employees of schools, museums and public libraries regarding the distribution of “harmful material” to minors. These employees should be held to the same standards as every other adult in a child’s life. Harmful material is defined as the quality of any description or representation, in whatever form, of nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sado-masochistic abuse, when, taken as a whole it (i) predominantly appeals to the prurient interest in sex of minors (ii) is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community in the State as a whole with respect to what is suitable for minors.
END POLITICAL INDOCTRINATION IN ILLINOIS SCHOOLS
It doesn’t matter where you stand on the issues of sexual education and pronoun usage in school, you should know who is teaching your kids, and what they’re learning. The Sullivan administration will:
• Reform ISBE to focus on core education, merit and competency, not political indoctrination:
• Increase transparency by passing House Bill 5239, requiring school districts to accept parent or guardian requests to review curriculum and learning material throughout the school year.
• Forbid instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade
• Appoint members of the State Board of Education who value local control, to ensure curriculum decisions are made at the local level wherever possible, rather than mandated by the state.
• Remove racist curriculum from Illinois schools: The Sullivan administration will affirm that no teacher, school official, or student should ever be compelled to teach or affirm any idea that violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
• Require curriculum transparency: We will require public schools to post all gender and sexuality education materials online for parents to be able to access.
• Move to parental opt-in for Comprehensive Sexual Education programs. Opt-outs only work in situations where parents know about the curriculum. Opt-in for these sensitive topics will necessitate transparency and accountability to parents.
• Establish an American Civics Bootcamp for teachers to replace Pritzker’s CRT training: Our public education system was founded to teach students how to be productive citizens and engaged members of our representative democracy.
Regrettably, in Illinois schools today, civics and American government are afterthoughts. Our administration will ensure that Illinois teachers have a proper and comprehensive understanding of American civics to teach these core principles to their students.
PASS ILLINOIS’ FIRST PARENTS’ BILL OF RIGHTS
Trust and collaboration between parents, administrators and teachers is the key to student success. By bringing transparency and accountability to Illinois’ education system, we will restore that trust. The Sullivan administration will:
• Pass a Parents’ Bill of Rights: In the model of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Parents’ Bill of Rights, we will introduce and pass legislation establishing the government cannot infringe upon the fundamental rights of parents and legal guardians to direct the upbringing, education, healthcare, and mental health of their child.
• Restore Parental Notification about a Child’s Physical, Mental or Emotional Health: Our administration will ensure that a school district may not adopt procedures or student support forms that require school district personnel to withhold from a parent information about his or her student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being, unless a reasonable person would believe that such disclosure would result in abuse, abandonment, or neglect. Additionally, we will make it so that school district personnel may not discourage or prohibit parental notification of and involvement in critical decisions affecting a student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being.
Lots to unpack there, but CRT is not being taught in schools. My big question (which I have asked) would be what happens if and/or when he can’t pass these bills? Does he try to shut down the government and/or veto the budget, for example?
Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs today announced the return of more than $43,000 in unclaimed property to St. Andrew Ukrainian Church in Bloomingdale.
The Treasurer’s Office recently found the unclaimed money and reached out to church officials to return it. The gorgeous Ukrainian Orthodox church, which is a cultural and religious center for Chicago’s west suburban Ukrainian community, has stepped up its charity work in Ukraine following the unprovoked and immoral Russian invasion.
Unclaimed property, also known as I-Cash, refers to money or accounts within financial institutions or companies in which there has been no activity for several years. Unclaimed property includes forgotten bank accounts, unpaid life insurance benefits, the contents of safe deposit boxes and other items.
In the case of St. Andrew, the Treasurer’s Office discovered the church was owed the money while conducting unclaimed property compliance audits of companies. The office found that an investment bank was holding 220 shares of a tech stock for the church that had gone unclaimed since 2018. The stock makes up most of the $43,523.15 returned to St. Andrew. Included in that total is more than $3,600 in dividends the Treasurer’s Office also found.
“We’re so glad to have reunited St. Andrew with this money as the church supports Ukraine at such a crucial time in the country’s history,” Frerichs said. “It’s so important that we do what we can in Illinois to help brave Ukrainians stand against Vladimir Putin’s unjust invasion.”
St. Andrew has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars in money and much-needed items to Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in late February 2022. On Saturdays, the church sells homemade vareniki (pierogi) and cabbage rolls to raise funds. Church officials say the money has helped Ukrainians to buy tourniquets, diapers and food. In addition, St. Andrew has collected medical supplies, including walkers, crutches and wheelchairs. Church Board President John Jaresko and Pastor Rev. Victor Poliarny have led the way and stressed the importance of rallying around Ukraine and calling for the world to do the same.
Church member Jaroslav “Jerry” Sydorenko said St. Andrew will use the funds to help the people who are suffering in Ukraine.
“We appreciate all the work the Illinois state treasurer’s office did with this project and helping us to receive those funds,” said Sydorenko, of Hoffman Estates. “Ukraine has been in a fight for its life for the last three months. Due to this war, we will be forwarding all of the funds for humanitarian purposes in Ukraine.”
Frerichs this week announced I-Cash reached a historic milestone when it paid its 1 millionth claim since he took office in 2015. The office has returned a record-shattering $1.4 billion to Illinois taxpayers during that time.
Tomorrow, voters across Illinois 6th District begin casting their ballots in the Democratic primary. Yet, Rep. Marie Newman continues to refuse to answer questions or publicly release the details of the settlement at the heart of the US House of Representatives’ investigation into her for promising federal employment to Iymen Chehade in exchange for his political support.
“Today is Rep. Newman’s last chance to provide voters with the transparency and honesty they deserve before they begin to cast their ballots,” said Casten for Congress Spokesman Jacob Vurpillat. “Rep. Newman’s highest-paid campaign staffer is someone who a federal investigation found ‘substantial reason to believe’ she promised a taxpayer-funded job in order to win her election, yet she refuses to provide any transparency on this topic.
“Before they cast their ballots, voters deserve to know the answers to many of the questions Rep. Newman has refused to address. How much of the money entrusted to her by her campaign donors has Rep. Newman promised to pay Iymen Chehade? Has she made any additional promises to pay him with taxpayer-provided funds? Does the settlement provide Mr. Chehade with any input on her policy positions or impact on her votes, as suggested may be the case based on her email exchanges with Mr. Chehade? What did Mr. Chehade commit to provide Rep. Newman in exchange for the cash payments?
“Above all else, why is she refusing to answer these questions? What is she hiding?
“Voters should expect transparency from their representatives. If Rep. Newman respects her voters, she’ll release the details of the secret settlement at the heart of her bribery scandal.”
* The Question: Do you plan to vote early this spring (in-person or by mail)? Why or why not?
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker dropped by Riverside Foods on the morning of May 17 to go grocery shopping with and for a Riverside woman.
No, the billionaire governor is not moonlighting as an Instacart shopper. But he did want to highlight how the recently passed package of tax cuts will help parents struggling with high prices and rapid inflation. […]
Pritzker spent nearly an hour at Riverside Foods. After helping Pfeiffer put her grocery bags in the back of her Chrysler minivan, Pritzker and Zalewski stopped by the Riverside home of John, Gelse and Ethan Tkalec.
Waiting for them was ShawnTe Raines Welch, the wife of Illinois House speaker Chris Welch and a candidate for judge in the 4th Judicial Subcircuit.
Raines-Welch said she was there in her capacity as a member of the Proviso Township Mental Health Commission, even though the Tkalecs live in Riverside Township. Pritzker chatted with the Tkalecs for approximately 15 minutes.
A NEW POLL shows Democrats Eric Sorensen and Litesa Wallace are leading in a four-person race for the newly drawn 17th Congressional District seat that Rep. Cheri Bustos now holds. But 51 percent of the 600 likely voters who participated in the Impact Research survey are undecided. Sorensen has an edge in the poll, which his team commissioned, with 20 percent, followed by Wallace, 16 percent; Jonathan Logemann, 5 percent; and Angie Normoyle, 3 percent. Margin of error was +/- 4 percent.
Some of those numbers are more than 5 weeks old.
* Press release…
Today Junaid Ahmed, Democratic candidate for Illinois’ new District 8, asks incumbent Raja Krishnamoorthi to join him in refusing corporate-backed campaign donations.
Last week, an article in Politico highlighted ethical concerns over a Krishnamoorthi fundraiser. A pair of lobbyists planned to attend in hopes of discussing an active investigation that the Congressman is leading. Following questions by Politico about the possible conflict of interest, Krishnamoorthi and his campaign decided to cancel the event.
“Representative Krishnamoorthi is quoted in the Daily Herald as saying that he has to play by the rules of a broken political system. I guess those rules say you can break the law so long as the media doesn’t catch wind of it,” Ahmed said. “The congressman was caught with his hand in the corporate cookie jar. He embarrassed himself, his office, and the citizens of District 8. I call on the Congressman to join my pledge to refuse corporate PAC money.”
Ahmed has raised nearly $1 million through individual donations. To date, Rep. Krishnamoorthi has over $11 million cash on hand, more than House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and several other high-ranking members of Congress.
“Since Rep. Krishnamoorthi is the chair of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, he should really be leading the charge for campaign finance reform,” Ahmed said. “His job is to promote policies that address income inequality for the middle class. Fairer elections can happen if we take big money out of the picture.”
* Hackler is up against fellow Republican Jennifer Korte for the right to take on Rep. Katie Stewart (D-Edwardsville)…
Today, Joe Hackler, candidate for State Representative in the 112th district, announced his endorsement from the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police. As Democrats cast votes to make our communities less safe, supporting law enforcement and first responders is more critical than ever before. With this key endorsement, police voiced their support for Hackler as the candidate to represent them in Springfield.
“I am honored to have the support of our policemen and women and will fight every day to support them as they keep our communities safe,” said Hackler. “As crime skyrockets, I will continue to stand with law enforcement and take down the Democrats’ radical pro-criminal, anti-police agenda.”
* The folks at Peoples Fabric are in possession of another potentially huge oppo file: 3,500 emails between Tina Wallace, a candidate running for the Illinois House as a Democrat, and Chicago Ald. Raymond Lopez, who is now a candidate for mayor. Some of the email exchanges between the two revolved around Wallace’s efforts to at first keep out and then close down a popular and award-winning local brewery/restaurant. Have a look…
Launching her largely self-funded campaign for 19th District state representative with the slogan “The Change We Need,” Tina Wallace has touted her small business credentials and lack of political insider connections.
But public records show Wallace has already used her government connections to satisfy petty grievances, somewhat reminiscent of another area official. In one case, she set her sights on shuttering a beloved award-winning brewery—and she even enlisted the help of an alderman many wards away in her campaign against the small business. […]
In March 2019, after the extensive renovation—and more than a year after the establishment opened for business—inspectors from the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection were dispatched to the site by the alderman whose ward is more than twelve miles away. […]
In a highly unusual move, the south side alderman prompted then-BACP Commissioner Rosa Escareno to investigate Eris. The request was entirely based on complaints emailed by Wallace.
Republican candidate for Governor Paul Schimpf released his 2021 Tax Returns, becoming the first Republican candidate to provide Illinois voters and media the opportunity for full transparency ahead of Illinoisans casting their ballots for the Primary Election. Schimpf understands the struggles of working families across the state, and calls on the other candidates for governor to release their tax returns and offer full transparency to the people they are trying to obtain support from.
“Illinois’ history of corruption runs deep, in large part because elected officials decided transparency to the people they were elected to serve wasn’t important,” Schimpf said. “I will bring transparency to our state government, and I’m starting now by releasing my 2021 tax returns so voters can truly know who they’re voting for—and who are they voting for? Someone that understands the daily struggles our working families face. I’m not like some of my other opponents who are lined with millions of dollars. High taxes, rising gas prices, increasing energy costs, record-high grocery prices all impact our low- and middle-class families, and I feel their burden. I call on all my fellow opponents to release their tax returns because Illinois voters deserve full transparency from the people who could be managing their tax dollars and running our state.”
The return is here. Schimpf reported an adjusted gross income of $56,360, mostly from his pension.
* Government email, but campaign-related…
Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-IL) released the following statement after Governor Pritzker signed HB4383, which makes buying, selling or possessing certain guns illegal in Illinois.
“Governor Pritzker is once again targeting law-abiding gun owners by banning certain firearms when his soft-on-crime policies caused the crime wave in Illinois,” said Miller, who is a member of the House Second Amendment Caucus. “Governor Pritzker cares more about providing “sanctuary state” benefits to non-citizen illegal aliens than defending the Second Amendment rights of the citizens he swore an oath to serve. The crime wave in Illinois is the result of Governor Pritzker using COVID to release inmates and refusing to accept inmate transfers from county prisons, and his work eliminating cash bail to put offenders right back on the street. Governor Pritzker is refusing to work with ICE to deport dangerous illegal immigrants but has no problem violating the Second Amendment rights of the citizens he swore an oath to defend. In Congress, I will always stand up for our Second Amendment. That is why I voted against H.R.8, also known as the “universal” background check bill, which seeks to criminalize the private transfer of firearms. We must protect law-abiding gun owners and our Second Amendment.”
* From the Rodney Davis campaign…
For two weeks, Mary Miller has refused to comment on news reports that a campaign worker of hers served jail time for soliciting sex from a young boy on the internet. Rodney Davis is calling on Miller to break her silence and explain her relationship with the child sex predator.
“Mary Miller needs to stop using the Biden basement strategy and start answering questions about her relationship with a child sex predator. For someone who claims to be an advocate for children and family values, Miller’s silence on this issue speaks volumes about her judgement and character. When you’re a candidate for Congress, you have to answer basic questions about your record. You can’t just hide from the public and hope a bad story blows over like Miller is doing. It’s far past time for Miller to start giving voters some answers.” - Rodney Davis, Republican candidate for Congress in IL-15
A recently conducted survey by Lake Research Partners in IL-01 reveals a competitive Democratic primary race for Congress, and a major opportunity for State Senator Jacqui Collins to take the lead. The race starts out a statistical tie between Collins, Jonathan Jackson, and Pat Dowell, with the undecided vote the clear leader today. However, Collins surges into a commanding 30-point lead once voters learn more about how her background and agenda for the office.
● Despite Jonathan Jackson’s name ID advantage, the race starts out with the top three candidates in a dead heat: 19% for Jackson to 14% for Collins and 14% for Dowell. Karin Norrington-Reaves (5%) and Jonathan Swain (3%) trail behind in the single digits. A 42% plurality of voters are completely undecided, making this contest truly up for grabs at this point in the race.
The polling memo goes on to claim that Sen. Collins’ builds a substantial lead with push questions. But that assumes she’ll have the cash to make her full case to voters. We’ll see.
The annual Paul Simon-Jim Edgar Statesmanship Award is presented to a former or current state or local government official in Illinois who has demonstrated a pattern of public service characterized by vision, courage, compassion, effectiveness, civility, and bipartisanship.
Former Governor Jim Edgar and the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute invite you to nominate an Illinois elected official who has displayed this kind of exceptional leadership.
We created the Simon-Edgar Statesmanship Award to shine a spotlight on remarkable public service that is taking place in our state and local communities. Please join us as we celebrate the Prairie State’s best traditions. Nominate an Illinois statesperson by June 1.
Last Saturday in Chicago’s Millennium Park, a 16-year-old boy was fatally shot prompting Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to impose a curfew on unaccompanied minors.
WGN News asked: “If your 19-year-old and your 17-year-old called you up and said, ‘Hey dad, we want to hang out at the Bean on a Saturday night,’ would you be comfortable with them doing that?”
“Well, certainly watching what happened, the traffic, the death 16-year-old in that area gives one pause,” Pritzker said. “It is the responsibility of local law enforcement to do everything that they can to protect their downtown areas – that’s not just in Chicago, that’s in Rockford, it’s in Quincy, it’s in Carbondale, everywhere in the state.”
The fiscal year 2023 budget includes $1.4 billion to reduce crime and violence.
* Pritzker was also asked about that shooting and the mayor’s curfew order earlier in the week…
I’ve had the Illinois State Police reach out to the city and to the CPD to make sure that we’re offering every available service that we have, from the state level, including state troopers if necessary. And so that’s always available, but we just wanted to double down and make sure that they know, in any moment, particularly if there’s a crisis that’s happening in any given hour, we have state police on the front lines available to assist.
And of course, it’s up to each city, they are on the frontlines to do what is necessary to keep order. And to this, I just want to say these killings, particularly of young people, but any sort are just horrific for everybody that lives in Chicago and everybody that lives in Illinois. And so local police have to get their arms around this. We are providing at the state level significant support in other ways, including state police. But I also want to say, violence prevention programs, we put tens of millions of dollars into youth employment programs and making sure that we’re providing services for youth for the entire summer, but also all year long. And so those services are critically important to employ. We want to make sure that those dollars are being used properly. But suffice to say that the state’s engagement in this is significant.
* Also today, the governor signed a bill outlawing ghost guns…
Governor JB Pritzker signed HB4383 into law, banning the sale and possession of so-called ‘ghost guns’ statewide. ‘Ghost guns’ refer to unserialized, privately made firearms that are often sold as a set of parts to be assembled at home, allowing prohibited purchasers to circumvent background checks. Ghost guns cannot be traced by conventional means and can be created on a 3-D printer, leaving no record of their ownership.
“The people creating, selling, and purchasing these firearms know that they’re working to circumvent common-sense gun laws that ensure guns stay out of the hands of traffickers, abusers, and convicted criminals,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “We are seeing these unseralized guns being built in basements by those who should never have had access to such dangerous weapons and then used to commit heinous crimes, and it must be stopped to keep Illinoisans safe.”
Illinois is a trailblazer the fight against ghost guns. President Joe Biden’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives has focused on ghost guns since taking office, recognizing the unprecedented threat these unregulated weapons pose. President Biden’s administration has taken similar steps to Illinois on the national level to reign in ghost guns, requiring serialization and reclassifying these build kits as firearms.
Because ghost guns are cheaper and easier to acquire than conventional firearms, they are more accessible to young people. Already in May of 2022, at least two Illinois teenagers were charged with possession of ghost guns, including one case where a loaded ghost gun was brought to a high school. ISP has worked on 28 cases concerning ghost guns in May of 2022 alone. Using the increased expressway cameras installed under Governor Pritzker, State Police recently brought into custody and arrested individuals associated in connection with multiple armed carjackings who used ghost guns to commit these crimes.
A second male, whose age was not listed in the police report, also was “observed in close proximity to (the 17-year-old) at the time of his arrest.” He also was seen pulling a gun from his waistband, but the police report notes he only took out the weapon after Holliday had been shot. When he saw officers coming toward him he also took off running, the report said, but he was stopped and detained after a brief foot chase.
The gun the second male pulled from his waistband was a ghost gun, meaning it does not have a serial number and can’t be traced, according to the report. It was not immediately clear whether police had filed charges against the male with the ghost gun.
* Saying the locals have to step up more may be partly why Lori Lightfoot elbowed her way in today…
Mayor Lori Lightfoot is crashing the governor’s news conference at St Sabina where he is signing a ghost gun bill that Kam Buckner — one of her opponents — pushed. It is not on her public schedule.
More likely, though, it was because the bill’s sponsor Rep. Kam Buckner was being featured. Buckner is running for mayor and Lightfoot never so much as mentioned his name when she spoke and then maneuvered him to the side of the photo op during the bill-signing…
Tonight, the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed Rachelle L. Crowe to serve as United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement on her confirmation:
“We are pleased that the Senate has confirmed Rachelle Crowe to serve as U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Illinois. After seven years without a confirmed U.S. Attorney for the Southern District, Ms. Crowe has the qualifications, integrity, and judgment to serve with distinction.”
Ms. Crowe’s biography from the White House is included below:
Rachelle L. Crowe: United States Attorney Nominee for the Southern District of Illinois
Rachelle L. Crowe has served as the State Senator for Illinois’s 56th District since 2019. From 2006 to 2018, she served as an Assistant State’s Attorney in the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office in the Violent Crimes, General Felony and Juvenile Abuse units. She was previously an associate at three law firms: Carmody MacDonald P.C. from 2004 to 2006, Riezman Berger from 2002 to 2004, and Hoagland, Fitzgerald, Smith & Praintis from 2000 to 2002. Ms. Crowe received her J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law in 2000 and her B.A. from the University of Missouri in St. Louis in 1996.
No word yet on when she will resign her Senate seat. The GOP has targeted the district. Subscribers know a bit more.
Weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court announces a major decision that is expected to overturn Roe v. Wade, Democratic Secretary of State Anna Valencia today has launched her first TV ad, “Consequences,” that highlights her staunch advocacy for reproductive rights.
The ad contrasts her record with Alexi Giannoulias’ support for Republican Tom Cross, who sponsored anti-choice legislation in Springfield and specifically changed the language of the ban on partial-birth abortions to limit the exemption to instances where the procedure was necessary to save the life of the mother, instead of the life of a mother. The bill was intended to maintain a limit on choice for persons in Illinois, and continued to lack an exemption for rape or incest under the amended language that Cross sponsored.
The ad also highlights Giannoulias’ 2016 op-ed urging Illinoisans to unite behind Donald Trump – whose Supreme Court picks are the reason why abortion rights are about to be rolled back. The ad will run on Chicago broadcast and cable TV, as well as on digital platforms throughout the state.
* Spot…
* Script…
“After 50 years, a women’s right to choose is being torn away.
“My opponent, Alexi Giannoulias, has supported an anti-choice candidate and even lectured us to unite behind Donald Trump.
“Trump’s the reason we are facing this crisis today.
“Elections have consequences. That’s why Democrats statewide are standing with me.
“No woman should face jail time for seeking an abortion. And no politician should make medical decisions for us.
In her ad, Valencia is referring to Giannoulias’ endorsement of former Illinois House Republican Leader Tom Cross, who ran for state treasurer four years after Giannoulias had left the office.Cross, a moderate Republican from Oswego, however, has a history of endorsements that show he supported abortion rights and also same-sex marriage.
He also ran a 2014 television ad in which he said, “I’m pro-choice.” Cross was endorsed by Personal PAC in 2008 and by Equality Illinois in 2014. He was also just one of three House Republicans who voted to legalize same-sex marriage in 2014.
Valencia’s campaign also referenced a bill sponsored by Cross, as House GOP leader, in 2003, describing it as an “anti-choice” bill.
The legislation, a so-called “shell bill,” was designed to amend “the Partial-birth Abortion Ban Act,” according to its synopsis, making “a technical change to a Section prohibiting partial-birth abortions.” Shell bills are typically filed as a way to move legislation often on unrelated issues along more quickly. Budget bills are often moved through shell bills that have already been introduced. […]
Valencia’s ad also features a Chicago Tribune op-ed that Giannoulias wrote in 2016. The words on the screen read, “Alexi Giannoulias ‘Let’s All Help’ Trump.” The op-ed, however, ran two days before the election was called for Donald Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton, and the headline actually read, “Let’s all help our president-elect unify a divided America.”
Nobody was gonna use that shell bill to move something unrelated because the topic was just too hot and the title couldn’t be changed, and it also wasn’t an approp bill. He did what he did, but his endorsement by Personal PAC does say quite a lot. And Cross was also endorsed by Personal PAC in 2010 and in 2012. Tough to call him anti-choice after that.
The hatred and vitriol in this presidential campaign are unparalleled, and our country is deeply and dangerously divided. Hillary Clinton supporters contend they will leave the country if Trump wins (which is the same exasperated refrain we heard when George W. Bush was elected). Some Trump supporters are actually dangerous in their rhetoric, even threatening to take up arms against a Clinton administration.
As it turned out, a few loudmouths threatened to leave and didn’t, but some Trump supporters did, in fact, take up arms after the 2020 election and stormed the United States Capitol Building. He was calling for calm, but used himself as some sort of shining light because he had a drink with Mark Kirk after getting thumped. And the same people who ran Kirk’s race, who went on to run Bruce Rauner’s first race are now running the Griffin slate and salivating at a repeat Giannoulias performance this fall (although, to be fair, they’re also quite pleased with the oppo that has emerged from Valencia’s recent past).
