The allegations contained in the emails of a well-known lobbyist are deeply disturbing. I am calling on the Director of the Illinois State Police to conduct a full and thorough investigation. Here is my letter. #twillpic.twitter.com/YCfgOr5KUs
* Dan Mihalopoulos and Dave McKinney at WBEZ tracked down Mike McClain today…
In his first public comments since FBI agents raided his home last May, the former Springfield lobbyist and close confidant of Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan said he would consult with his lawyer before deciding whether he could explain what he was referring to in the cryptic, 2012 email.
“I prefer not to comment right now, but thank you,” McClain told WBEZ reporters who approached him as he was leaving the swanky Chicago Cut Steakhouse in downtown Chicago after he had lunch there.
Apparently, “lay low until the heat blows off” is not an option he considered.
McClain told WBEZ Thursday that federal investigators had asked him to cooperate with their ongoing corruption probe into utility giant Commonwealth Edison. McClain, who represented the utility as a lobbyist, has emerged as a central figure in the scandal, but he intimated that he would not cooperate.
McClain repeatedly smiled and said he had been asked by federal investigators to cooperate. But when WBEZ asked if it would be hard to betray someone like his longtime friend Madigan, McClain paused and then said, “It would be hard to betray myself.”
* Video…
WBEZ EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Embattled ex-lobbyist and Madigan confidante Michael McClain tells @dmihalopoulos and me that he’s been asked to cooperate in the federal ComEd probe, but he suggested that would be an act of betrayal. pic.twitter.com/jOo9PWRmPL
It should come as no surprise that he didn’t know. Every single thing that’s been revealed has gotten the same response. Not knowing is foundational and fundamental to the entire design of the organization. pic.twitter.com/xZHieesLrD
* Gov. Pritzker took questions from Chicago reporters today and it naturally turned to the uproar over Mike McClain’s email to the Quinn administration. He touted the fact that he had asked the Executive Inspector General to look into it…
Reporter 1: An investigation could take quite some time. While that is going, what are you going to do? Are you going to have informal questions that you’re going to ask of Speaker Madigan, Gov. Quinn?
Pritzker: I, I, I presume that they’re being asked these questions already. I have not spoken with either one yet about this. But let me be clear. We have to get all the facts. I think that they will be by the investigatory bodies, I presume that people will be contacted by appropriate people. I’m disturbed, again, that people who serve in public office think that it’s OK to have communications like this that seem to have, you know, resulted in, uh, you know, outcomes that none of us, you know, think should occur. […]
Reporter 2: But then is your office doing something. I mean, I get it that there is an investigation, but do you also want answers yourself?
Pritzker: I do. I want the answers, but understand, we don’t have an investigatory capability in the governor’s office…
Reporter 2: Can’t you call Madigan and say ‘What the heck went on here?’
Pritzker: The best we have is the Office of Executive Inspector General and that’s exactly where it went to [crosstalk]. First with our general counsel. I, I wouldn’t know how to investigate this matter. What do you mean? I should just run around and just randomly ask questions?
[Crosstalk and a reporter pointed out that Forrest Ashby worked for Pritzker’s campaign].
Pritzker: Well, this is a consultant. We had 200 people doing field work on our campaign. And, um, you know, they were hired by our field staff to do field work around the state. So, what I want to know is, what is the rape that’s being alleged here? What, exactly, are the circumstances around that? Is there a cover-up that was done around that? And, secondly, what is this ghost payrolling reference to? Was there wrong-doing associated with that and who’s responsible?
Reporter 2: You’re asking us, but who else are you asking?
Pritzker: The OEIG. I don’t have investigatory capability in the governor’s office except that there is an OEIG. That is exactly what an OEIG is there for…
Reporter 2: …I would think, wouldn’t you go to Madigan and say ‘Tell me, explain this’?
Pritzker: Well I, what I know is the statement that was put out yesterday in which he says that he doesn’t know anything about it. […]
Reporter 3: Have you not spoken to the Speaker?
Pritzker: I have spoken to the Speaker repeatedly about the allegations of corruption and the need for us to address…
Reporter 2: Have you spoken to the Speaker about this email?
Pritzker: I think it just came out a couple of days ago. I don’t even think he’s in the state of Illinois.
Reporter 2: But you see this email and you don’t call him up and say ‘What is this about’?
Pritzker: No. It’s not his email. I, what I’m telling you is, immediately upon understanding that this needed to go to an investigatory body, it went to the OEIG. And that is, in fact, exactly where it ought to go.
* The Question: Should Gov. Pritzker pick up the phone and call Speaker Madigan and former Gov. Quinn and ask them about what happened, or should he just let the process he instigated work, or should he do something else? Make sure to explain your answer.
*** UPDATE *** If you saw Speaker Madigan’s letter to Leader Durkin, you may have noticed that Madigan said he’d spoken with the governor. The press conference above was held at 9 o’clock this morning. I asked Emily Bittner about that. Her response…
The Speaker called the Governor this afternoon to confirm that the Governor’s Office referred the matter to the Office of the Inspector General, which the Governor did. That was the extent of their conversation.
* She also sent this…
The possibility of a rape and ghost payrolling mentioned in that disgusting email are extremely serious criminal issues, which is why the governor’s general counsel filed a complaint with the appropriate authority, the Office of the Executive Inspector General, which has the power to investigate and make a determination about next steps. The most urgent need is to get to the bottom of the facts of these potential cases so that other authorities have any information that can potentially aid in an investigation. The appropriate authorities need the unfettered ability to do their jobs without interference; there are no circumstances where it would be appropriate for the Governor to start having conversations about possible crimes when they have been referred to the proper authorities.
She makes a good point. By calling Madigan and Quinn and asking him about this email he could be interfering in an investigation that he initiated. I do not know why he didn’t just say that to the reporters instead of all that other stuff.
I want to do what I did, which is turn it over to somebody who could actually go do an investigation [Office of Executive Inspector General]. Even members of the House and the Senate can’t go knock on peoples’ doors and, you know, get a subpoena or whatever in short order, get an answer the way an investigatory can in short order. We have to refer this to law enforcement or an appropriate authority as soon as humanly possible. You know the legislature cannot work that fast, so that’s why I think an investigatory body who is empowered to do that sort of thing should be in the lead.
…Adding… The House Republicans point out that federal investigations were ongoing when NRI was investigated by the Audit Commission. Rep. Derrick Smith (discipline) and Gov. Blagojevich (impeachment) were both investigated by Special Investigative Committees.
…Adding… From Leader Durkin’s spokesperson Eleni Demertzis…
Please see below an email sent to House Republican members from Leader Durkin regarding Speaker Madigan’s rejection to convene the State Government Administration committee. Feel free to use it in news coverage.
Also, you can attribute this to me:
We did not realize that ghost payrolling was too sensitive of a topic for the committee to investigate on behalf of Illinois taxpayers.
* Durkin’s email…
Dear House Republican Members,
Speaker Madigan’s response (see attached) to reject our call for an investigation into alleged claims of rape and ghost payrolling made by Mike McClain is disappointing but not surprising.
We live in a world of “firsts” and this is the first time I have seen Speaker Madigan abdicate his position and hide behind any Governor.
Please know that we will continue to fight to investigate this disturbing revelation and will do everything we can to restore pride in State government.
The Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board entered into a contract with Forrest Ashby on September 9, 2019 to perform consulting services related to revisions of correctional officer training protocols. Upon learning of media accounts related to his prior employment and due to the seriousness of allegations, the Board moved to suspended Mr. Ashby’s contract today, January 8, 2020 pending an independent investigation. Mr. Ashby was engaged because of his prior work and expertise in the corrections field.
Ashby is the guy whose job Mike McClain was trying to save in that now-infamous email to two top Pat Quinn executives. He has a $40 an hour contract with LETSB.
The brother of a former state representative was chosen Thursday as the next executive director of the state’s police training board, amid allegations that political influence drove the choice.
Kevin McClain, 58, of Springfield, who was named to replace Thomas Jurkanin at the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, said he believes the board selected him because of his qualifications. McClain, now chief attorney for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, previously did legal work part-time for the training board. […]
McClain’s brother, Michael McClain of Quincy, was a Democratic member of the Illinois House from 1972 to 1983 and now is a lawyer and lobbyist. Michael McClain said he did ask lawmakers and others to contact board members on behalf of his brother, though he said Kevin McClain did not ask for such help. […]
Ted Street, state president of the Fraternal Order of Police and a training board member, said Tim Mapes, chief of staff to Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, called to ask about the appointment process. Mapes appeared to be promoting Kevin McClain, Street said. Street voted against McClain Thursday.
Ashby began working for the state in 1987. During a more than 30-year career, he bounced around from the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs to the prison system and then back to the Department of Corrections. When he retired in January 2018, his final, annual salary was $87,528.
Two months after leaving state government, Ashby landed on the Pritzker’s campaign payroll, records show. He was paid at total of $47,500.
A Pritzker campaign spokesman told WBEZ that Ashby was hired to do “faith-based outreach” downstate.
“Mr. Ashby expressed interest in working for the campaign and was recommended to the campaign by Mike McClain and faith leaders across central and southern Illinois,” Pritzker campaign spokesman Quentin Fulks said. “Mr. Ashby had a resume that the campaign would have hired without this recommendation and he went through the same vetting procedure as every other staff member.” […]
“The campaign was not aware of this email from 2012, which is nearly five years before the campaign even began, and we would have had no way to discover this email,” Fulks said. “We were only made aware of this email as a part of [a] series of questions from WBEZ.”
An analysis of population trends now suggests Illinois will only lose one seat in Congress. […]
When the Census is completed and the districts are redrawn in 2021, Kimball Brace with Election Data Services said Illinois is on track to lose one Representative. Previous estimates suggested Illinois could lose two seats.
“In relation to other states, Illinois is only looking at the possibility of losing one seat, not really two seats,” Brace said.
Because Central and Southern Illinois lost a higher percentage of the population than the Democratically-held Chicago-area congressional districts, it’s likely a Republican-held seat will be dissolved.
Election Data Services created a variety of different methodologies to project the 2019 data forward nine months (from the July1, 2019 date of the Census estimates) to April 1, 2020 (several short-term projection methods for the trend occurring in 2018-2019, and 2017-2019, a middle term methodology using the 2015-2019 trend, and a long-term projection for 2011-2019). The different methodologies benefit some states and disadvantage others in the “musical-chairs” effort of allocating 435 seats to the 50 states. All the methods would add a second seat for Florida and a third seat for Texas, to the list of states noted above that will gain one or more seats by 2020. The list of losing states will expand to also include Alabama and Ohio, by the time the Census is taken in 2020. A map showing the 2020 projected apportionment using the 2018-2019 trend is attached. Because all the projection models produce the same state overall results in seats as the 2018-2019 trend map, only the tables of the calculations for the different projection models are attached so that how close states are to changes can be observed. […]
Previous Election Data Services studies have hinted that the states of Illinois and New York might be in a position to each lose a second seat by 2020. However, these new Census numbers seem to indicate this will not be the case, with both states just losing a single seat each. […]
Using any methodology, the population projections points toward a ten (10) seat change over 17 states across the nation by year 2020. States that will gain single seats include Arizona, Colo- rado, Montana, North Carolina, and Oregon, while Florida is set to gain two congressional districts and Texas would gain three seats. Single seat losses will again occur in the Midwest and Northeast sections of the nation, where Alabama, California, Illinois, Michigan, Minne- sota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia would each lose a seat. All other states would keep the same number of representatives they were awarded in December 2010 when the official 2010 Census numbers were released.
* The gainers…
Arizona +1 (from 9 to 10)
Colorado +1 (from 7 to
Florida +2 (from 27 to 29)
Montana +1 (from At-large to 2)
North Carolina +1 (from 13 to 14)
Oregon +1 (from 5 to 6)
Texas +3 (from 36 to 39)
* The losers…
Alabama -1 (from 7 to 6)
California -1 (from 53 to 52)
Illinois -1 (from 18 to 17)
Michigan -1 (from 14 to 13)
Minnesota -1 (from 8 to 7)
New York -1 (from 27 to 26)
Ohio -1 (from 16 to 15)
Pennsylvania -1 (from 18 to 17)
Rhode Island -1 (from 2 to 1)
West Virginia -1 (from 3 to 2)
The adjusted gross income of Illinois taxpayers who didn’t migrate averaged $78,959. Illinois has been losing high-income residents (a lot of them retirees, one imagines) to Florida, middle-income residents to the South and West, and those with lower incomes to neighboring states. Also, the top two destinations for Illinois migrants are the top two for the nation as a whole, with Florida first, Texas second.
State lawmakers called for criminal probes and legislative hearings Wednesday following publication of an email written by a top ally to House Speaker Michael Madigan that praised a state worker who “kept his mouth shut” about a downstate rape. […]
Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Jim Durkin sent a letter to the speaker Wednesday seeking special legislative hearings that could compel McClain and the former Quinn officials to testify about the case. […]
Other lawmakers and advocates for survivors of sexual abuse joined the senators’ condemnation and called for the Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate. […]
Contacted Tuesday, Rietz said she has not opened a probe into the matter.
“I do not know anything about those emails,” Rietz said in a statement. “I have not received any calls about these emails or any of the people named in them.”
So, somebody has to call her before she becomes interested in an alleged rape in her county that might possibly have been covered up by some of the most powerful people in her state?
Rietz said she could still request that a grand jury be convened if there was another reason, such as locking in a witness’ testimony under oath in a case under investigation.
* Well, maybe it’s back to Leader Durkin’s idea. From his letter to Speaker Madigan…
A recent investigative report from WBEZ alleges a disturbing criminal cover-up and shocking illegal activity by a State-registered lobbyist and several State of Illinois employees, either currently or previously employed by the State. The lobbyist was practicing under the Lobbyist Registration Act statute at the time of the alleged activity and the State employees were senior-level officials in a previous administration. The Illinois House of Representatives has an inherent responsibility to perform an independent inquiry into a matter of this nature.
It is a relatively routine practice for standing or special committees of the Illinois House to be convened to dig deep into allegations of misconduct related to State governance, so I respectfully request the State Government Administration Committee (“Committee”) be immediately convened to investigate the allegations from the WBEZ report. In addition to full subpoena authority that requires the testimony from the individuals below and any others deemed necessary, the testimony of the individuals called before the Committee must be under oath. At a minimum, the following individuals must be compelled to provide testimony before the Committee:
• Michael McClain
• Forrest Ashby
• Jerry Stermer
• Gary Hannig
• Lorrie Rickman-Jones
The seriousness of the allegations requires a thorough, comprehensive investigation by the Committee. Our Illinois constituents deserve it. Please advise me of your intentions to this request.
Thoughts?
…Adding… Rep. Deb Conroy (D-Elmhurst)…
These are serious criminal offenses that need to be investigated and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. That should be done by the states attorneys office. The comments by the Champaign County States Attorney are troubling at best. I believe Attorney General Kwame Raoul needs to take the lead. This is not a political or a partisan issue these are egregious criminal offenses.
…Adding… This was sent last night and I missed it…
Outraged by allegations brought forth by a recent WBEZ story about the possible cover up of a rape detailed in a state government email exchange, Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford urged that appropriate authorities, including the Champaign County State’s Attorney, the Illinois State Police, and the Illinois Executive Inspector General, take immediate steps to investigate this report.
The WBEZ story referenced a 2012 email to officials in then-Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration sent by lobbyist Michael McClain that among other things makes mention of a state employee who kept quiet about “the rape in Champaign”, asking that the administration keep that individual employed by the state.
Majority Leader Lightford issued the following statement regarding this incident:
“As a woman, a mother and a survivor of sexual assault I am sickened by the idea that anyone would infer that covering up rape should ever be interpreted as a form of loyalty. This is the type of behavior that keeps women and sexual assault survivors living in fear, and it can never be tolerated. Based on the revelations in this email, I know there is someone out there reliving their nightmare and awaiting justice for their assault. I want them to know they do not to be afraid any longer and I offer them my full support, assistance and compassion.”
Lightford also called on anyone with knowledge of this incident to contact the appropriate authorities, including:
If you have information please contact:
Champaign County State’s Attorney, 217-384-3733
Illinois State Police, 217-786-7107
Illinois Executive Inspector General, 217-558-5600 or 312-814-5600
…Adding… More…
Should Sims be elected Senate President, would he subpoena Jerry Stermer, Gary Hannig, Forrest Ashby to testify in Senate hearings? He said, “I don’t think the Senate should be impeding last enforcement role of getting to the truth.”
…Adding… Revised release from Majority Leader Lightford in wake of the news about Champaign County…
Any allegations involving the cover-up of sexual assault should be taken seriously and addressed without hesitation by those charged with investigating these matters, which is why I have urged the appropriate authorities, including the Illinois State Police, Illinois Executive Inspector General and the Champaign County States Attorney, to take the immediate steps and launch an investigation. And, given today’s news reports, I would like to once again ask Champaign County States Attorney, Ms. Rietz, to open an inquiry. I think the content of the email demands it.
If I am given the privilege to serve as Senate President, and simply as a woman and survivor of sexual assault, I will monitor all of this very closely. And, I will also send a very clear message that the culture of toxic masculinity in our politics will not be tolerated under my watch in the Senate. And I will take action on that front whenever the situation requires it.
…Adding… Sen. Iris Martinez (D-Chicago)…
WBEZ reported that Mike McClain, who is directly and intricately tied to Illinois Democratic Party Chairman Mike Madigan, in a 2012 email, urged the administration of then-governor Quinn to grant leniency for a state worker in a disciplinary case by arguing that the state worker had kept quiet about “the rape in Champaign.” The shocking email provides additional evidence that the Madigan organization relies on people who cover up sexual misconduct. The culture of the Madigan operation is directly on Mike Madigan. For decades, Mike McLain was the ultimate insider to and for Mike Madigan.
Eight weeks ago, when news reports revealed that Madigan operatives paid off a sexual harasser, I called on Madigan to explain or resign as Chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party. Pay-offs and cover-ups are bad enough, but actively encouraging this behavior by rewarding the perpetrators is much worse.
I am renewing my demand for answers and genuine accountability from Mike Madigan, Chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party and Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives.
Women of the General Assembly, the Illinois Democratic Party, and the citizens of the State of Illinois need to take a stand against this culture and behavior. We deserve a full investigation and accountability.
…Adding… Rep. Terra Costa Howard…
I am sickened by the recent WBEZ report that a prominent lobbyist sent an email to high-ranking state officials, in which a rape was used as a political bargaining chip. I have spent my entire career as an attorney standing up for vulnerable people, and it makes my blood boil to think that a violent crime was covered up in the interests of “business as usual.” I know that my constituents join me in demanding a full investigation of this email and the appalling allegations it contained.
…Adding… More…
Senator Don Harmon on the McClain email: “First, anyone with knowledge of the alleged events should share that information with law enforcement immediately. Anyone who committed such a heinous crime should be prosecuted and jailed. 1/3
More Harmon: “Finally, the General Assembly should be prepared to use all tools at its disposal to determine and expose whether any government officials were involved in a cover up.”
Looks like we could see subpoenas and hearings if State’s Attorney doesn’t act.
Lightford also said she would issue subpoenas to compel testimony in Senate hearings, but only after criminal probe: “Should any such investigation not provide answers, we may have to use the full extent of our own legislative powers within the Senate to look into this.”
House Republican lawmakers complained Wednesday that most of their ideas for property tax relief were rejected by Democrats on a property tax relief task force and that the ideas advanced by Democratic lawmakers won’t be effective in curtailing property taxes.
However, Rep. Sam Yingling, D-Grayslake, one of the leaders of the task force, said he’s still waiting for Republican lawmakers to recommend changes to a draft report prepared by the task force that could include their proposals. […]
Among the ideas Republicans said weren’t included in the report were pension changes for future employees, further relief for school districts from mandates dictated by the General Assembly, expanded property tax relief programs for seniors and more emphasis on consolidating school districts and other local governments. (The draft report does call for school and government consolidation). […]
“The House Republicans have not submitted their edits yet,” [Yingling] said. “They are the ones that released a draft report. My position has always been that in order to tackle the property tax crisis we need to have all four caucuses moving forward together and that everything is on the table.”
If the House Republicans don’t produce their edits, Yingling said the task force will have to decide how to move forward.
Among the Republican proposals not discussed in the draft report, according to Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, of Elmhurst, was cutting pension benefits for new employees of local governments and school districts and capping pensions for school administrators.
“We propose capping administrator pensions so that they can’t exceed the average household income in the state of Illinois, because administrative pensions are going absolutely crazy and driving costs up,” she said. “None of these were up for debate or up for consideration.”
In a separate interview, Rep. Sam Yingling, a Grayslake Democrat who served as one of the co-chairs of the task force, said Illinois did reduce pension benefits for new employees in 2010 when it adopted the so-called “Tier 2” pension plan. But he added federal law requires that in workplaces that offer pension benefits in lieu of Social Security, the benefits must be at least as generous as what Social Security provides.
He also noted the state now offers the option of opting out of the pension plan in favor of a 401(k)-style savings plan and that it is also offering buyouts of future benefits.
In response to the charge that House Republican ideas weren’t considered, Yingling said the draft report was sent to all four legislative caucuses — Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate — for their suggested edits, but that the House Republicans so far have not responded.
HB 348, which passed the legislature in the spring, consolidates townships in McHenry County, with an eye on other areas of the state emulating the consolidation model in the future. Former Gov. Bruce Rauner, with whom McSweeney did not get along, vetoed similar bills in the past. Durkin, with whom McSweeney has also sparred with, voted present on the bill in the spring.
Local government consolidation was also a top recommendation made by the task force in its report.
Task force co-chair State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) also voted no on McSweeney’s measure, and defended her vote to The Daily Line on Wednesday, saying any movement for government consolidation should respect local desires.
“One of the problems I think we have down in Springfield is we assume that there’s going to be this one-size-fits-all model that applies to everybody as the best, most perfect form of government,” Mazzochi said. “That’s actually not true. We see it because we made special rules for Chicago, we make special rules for downstate, we have special considerations for the suburbs. So again, when we’re talking about consolidation, I’m much more in favor of things that are grassroots bottom-up as opposed to Springfield top-down.”
Provides that the board of trustees of any township located in McHenry County may submit a proposition to dissolve the township to the township electors or township electors may petition for a referendum to dissolve a township.
“This revelation is shocking and beyond words,” House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, said in a statement this week. “I am disturbed by the fact that horrific and possible criminal actions may have occurred and government officials, Mike McClain and his enablers chose to stay silent instead of taking action.
“There needs to be an immediate criminal investigation into the content of McClain’s email to the administration, and I encourage anyone with information on this to report it immediately to the proper authorities.”
[I uploaded the wrong file. I replaced it with a much shorter, on-topic clip.]
* A sampling from Twitter…
This is absolutely disgraceful. Anyone with knowledge of the rape and coverup referenced in this email must come forward immediately. #twillhttps://t.co/hjik5EZi58
Covering up ghost payrolling is bad in itself. Madigan & his crew take it to a whole new level in covering up a possible rape?! WTH! It is long past time for Madigan to retire. Shameful that no Illinois Democrats are calling for him to step down #twillhttps://t.co/hvgYN0gbAv
The latest email from Mike McClain, uncovered by WBEZ, to the top staff of the former Quinn administration is beyond comprehension. We all know that McClain is one of Madigan’s closest allies, most trusted lobbyist and personal friend of the Speaker. What we didn’t know is that when McClain carried on as Madigan’s enforcer, he cited the cover-up of a rape as a badge of honor when imploring government officials to protect his patronage hire.
“The company you keep for decades says a lot about the type of person you are. Madigan and his leadership - the power structure of the Democratic party in Illinois - is rotten to the core. Madigan must provide answers immediately to these two questions: what did you know about the rape and when did you know it?” - ILGOP Chairman Tim Schneider
House Speaker Michael J. Madigan released the following statement Wednesday regarding the Jan. 7 WBEZ story:
“These are extremely serious and troubling allegations. I had no knowledge of the incident referenced in the story and only learned of this today. I encourage those with any information to come forward.”
Um, OK.
Your thoughts? (And that will serve as our Question of the Day.)
A Cook County judge has ordered Google to turn over Jussie Smollett’s emails, photos, location data and private messages for an entire year as part of the special prosecutor’s investigation into the purported attack on the actor.
Two sweeping search warrants, obtained by the Chicago Tribune, provide the first public glimpse at the direction of the probe by special prosecutor Dan Webb more than four months into the investigation.
The warrants, filed last month in Circuit Court, sought a trove of documentation from Smollett and his manager’s Google accounts — not just emails but also drafted and deleted messages; any files in their Google Drive cloud storage services; any Google Voice texts, calls and contacts; search and web browsing history; and location data.
Investigators sought a full year’s data — from November 2018 to November 2019 — even though the key events in the controversy took place between late January and late March 2019. Authorities could be looking for any incriminating remarks from Smollett or his manager, especially in the months after State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office abruptly dismissed disorderly conduct charges against the then-”Empire” actor just weeks after his indictment.
Bill Conway, a candidate for Cook County state’s attorney, is out with a new ad that has him invoking a line from criminal justice reformer and incumbent Kim Foxx. “We have a mass incarceration problem,” Conway says in the opening of the ad. The short piece also juxtaposes video of Foxx and Jussie Smollett, the actor who says he was beaten by homophobic, MAGA-loving thugs. That’s when a voice-over says Conway “will end the scandals and corruption that keep our criminal justice system broken.”
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx has called in some heavy legal reinforcements to help her deal with the continuing probe of how she and her office charged and then dropped charges against TV star Jussie Smollett over an allegedly faked downtown attack.
Retained to represent Foxx’s office is the Chicago office of Akerman and specifically litigation partner Ruben Castillo, who joined the law firm this fall after stepping down as chief judge of the federal court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Hired by Foxx personally is prominent Washington, D.C., attorney Michael Bromwich, a spokesman for Foxx’s campaign confirmed. Bromwich is a former inspector general for the U.S. Department of Justice but probably is best known for representing witness Christine Blasey Ford in U.S. Senate hearings on the confirmation of then-U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Although Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx submitted nearly three times the number of signatures needed to be placed on the ballot, challengers argued on Monday that more than half of her nominating petitions were improperly completed and she should be disqualified from seeking reelection.
Attorneys for Bob Fioretti, who is running against Foxx, said that a review of her 20,762 signatures showed that thousands of them were problematic — either the address didn’t match the signee properly or the collector didn’t label the petition with the proper address listed on voter records. Ultimately, the discrepancies represented a “pattern of fraud,” attorneys argued. […]
Foxx’s attorneys said that there is no evidence to support such bold claims and that Foxx collected well above the required number of signatures, anticipating that some might “innocently” be deemed illegitimate. Residents signing at shopping centers, train stations and other public venues may not always give the right address, and some enthusiastic residents might sign for their entire families — a move that’s improper but not illegal.
Fioretti told Playbook he has a wealthy benefactor helping pay for the attorneys and researchers needed to fuel his effort.
If that’s true, he hasn’t yet reported any contributions, in-kind or otherwise, that would support such an effort.
From the Foxx campaign…
“The objection presented by Mrs. Foxx’s perennial candidate, is nothing more than a press release masquerading as an objection,” said Campaign Attorney Mike Kreloff. “His team disregarded legal procedure, had no evidence to offer, and as a result made a mockery of his case and his candidacy.”
Former Chicago Ald. Bob Fioretti is ramping up his challenge of Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s re-election campaign.
Fioretti is calling for the state’s attorney to have her campaign chairwoman and treasurer resign after what he calls a “pattern of lawlessness and dishonesty.”
The Democrat claimed cell phone video shows Nakia Gibson battered a man last week who was trying to serve her outside her Lansing home with a subpoena regarding another election case.
* Foxx also announced her campaign team this week…
Chrystian Woods who serves as Campaign Manager has assembled a diverse team established to support Kim Foxx. Woods has a lengthy background in politics, where she has consistently served progressive candidates. She most recently worked for Beto O’Rourke’s presidential bid as National Director of Outreach. Prior to that, Woods held several top leadership roles in the Democratic Party of Georgia and served as a senior advisor in the coordinated effort to elect Stacey Abrams. During Hillary Clinton’s presidential run, Woods led the work to flip two of the largest metropolitan counties in Georgia for the first time in decades.
Christopher Scott will serve as the new Deputy Campaign Manager. As a native midwesterner, Scott has served in the region for several years. Most recently he worked as the Executive Director of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus where he oversaw daily operations for the oldest legislative black caucus in the country. Prior to that, Scott served as the Minority Engagement and Special Projects Manager for the Ohio Democratic Party. Scott began his lengthy career in politics as a congressional intern for Congressman John Lewis in addition to working for President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign in Ohio. Scott has also worked on several races in Texas including helping with coordinated efforts under Battleground Texas to elect Wendy Davis as Texas Governor.
Sylvia Ewing brings a breadth of local media knowledge and will be promoted to serve as the Communications Advisor for Friends for Foxx. She has a long history of working with Chicago’s media partners in addition to her outstanding strategic communication work for several local organizations. Ewing also previously worked on Chuy Garcia’s mayoral campaign.
Claudia Tristán will now serve as the Communications Director. Tristán joins Friends for Foxx following her work as Director of Latinx Messaging at the Beto for America presidential campaign. While there she oversaw Spanish and English language content geared towards Latinx voters. Prior to that, she worked as the Bilingual Press Secretary for Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico. Tristán was previously an immigration journalist on the border where she covered the Trump Administration’s deadly immigration policies including family separation, Migrant Protection Protocol, and child migrant deaths in government care. She has experience in both English and Spanish broadcast news.
Neal Stevens-Jackson has extensive digital experience and will serve as Digital Director. Stevens-Jackson helped efforts to elect Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker while working on his campaign as Social Media Coordinator. Prior to that, she worked with the League of Conservation Voters in Washington D.C. where she is originally from.
Lamar C. Brown, a native Chicagoan, is joining Friends for Foxx as Political Director. Brown has strong ties to the Chicago community after his work in the Office of the City Clerk as Director of Intergovernmental and Community Affairs. He previously served as Assistant Sergeant-At-Arms for the Chicago City Council and for the 8th Ward Regular Democratic Organization.
Darrin Owens joins the Friends for Foxx campaign as Field Director. Owens is coming off of the Kamala Harris presidential campaign where he worked as Regional Organizing Director in Nevada. There he focused on engaging and mobilizing African American and faith-based constituencies. In 2018, Owens served on a coordinated campaign to elect Stacey Abrams. His work in community organizing began while in college when he worked as a campus fellow for the Hillary for America campaign.
Illinois ranks among the worst states in the country for how it cares for people with developmental disabilities, according to Ancor, a national association of more than 1,600 private providers of services to people with disabilities. Since 2011, the state has been under a federal court order to do better. The question is, how much better can the state afford to be?
The state spends at least $400 million a year on services and aid for the developmentally disabled, according to Allison Stark, director of the Human Services Department’s division of developmental disabilities. She estimates Illinois would have to double that amount to eliminate the wait for services.
There aren’t enough community programs and group homes, said Stark, who served as CEO of a community provider before being hired by the state. Some providers, strapped for resources, are unwilling to accept people who need highly skilled care. […]
There are roughly 19,500 people on a waiting list the state keeps of those who want state aid and services. About 8,200 of them are actively seeking services and about 11,300 anticipate needing services sometime in the future. Generally, no one under 18 is selected unless there is a “crisis situation” such as homelessness or abuse or neglect, according to Stark.
Under a “reasonable pace” provision in the court order, the state has promised that by 2025, no person will wait more than five years after their 18th birthday to receive state aid to pay for home care, job coaches or other services. The current wait is as long as seven years. Stark said the department is on track to reach its target.
Former state Sen. Patrick Welch, who represented most of La Salle and Bureau counties for 22 years, died Tuesday from complications of a stroke. The longtime Peru Democrat had recently turned 71. […]
He was 33 years old when he trudged through snow to campaign against Hoxsey in 1982, attributing his upset win to the “sympathy vote” he got from homeowners who marveled at him stumping in the bitter cold.
Welch’s Senate colleagues derided him as a “one-term wonder,” but he proved them wrong. Former La Salle County coroner Jody Bernard remembered Welch as intelligent, knowledgeable and sharp with a “phenomenal” grasp of state government. […]
Welch remained in state government, accepting a 2005 post as assistant director of the Illinois Department of Revenue. Welch retired from Revenue and, in 2011, from practicing law; but his final years were pockmarked by tragedy. His only son Daniel died suddenly at age 25 in 2007 and Welch’s former wife Bonnie succumbed to cancer four years later.
Welch personally was afflicted with dementia, a fact revealed last fall when a missing-person alert was issued for him by Orland Park police. He was located safe in Chicago.
I knew Pat longer than I’ve known anyone else in Illinois politics. I met him in 1982 during his first campaign when I was in college. He was not supposed to win, but, man, did he ever run a smart campaign and he worked so very hard. May he rest in peace.
…Adding… Senate President John Cullerton…
“It’s with a heavy heart that I express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of my former colleague Pat Welch. He was a man with the savvy and the determination to be a true, principled public servant to the people he represented.
“Pat was a fighter for his ideals. He left behind a legislative legacy of equal pay for equal work, environmental protection and investment in local infrastructure. The Pat Welch I had the honor of serving with is the sort of person we speak of when we talk about statesmanship. He will be dearly missed.”
John C. “Jack” McGuire passed away peacefully at the age of 86 on Thursday, January 2, 2020. He was born on May 12, 1933, in Joliet, IL, to Emmett J. and Mildred A. (née Clark) McGuire.
Jack graduated from Joliet Catholic High School in 1951. He then attended Joliet Junior College where he was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame. He then entered the United States Army where he was stationed in Germany during the Korean War with his twin brother and best friend, Jim. Upon completing his tour with the United States Army, he enrolled at Colorado State College and graduated in 1958. Jack was a member of the football team for both Joliet Catholic High School and Colorado State College.
Jack was a parishioner of St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church and a member of the American Legion Post 1080, the Irish-American Society of County Will, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Cantigny Post 367. He volunteered for Meals On Wheels and Cornerstone, as well as various other community organizations.
Jack was elected as a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives. He represented the 86th District from 1990 to 2012 and served as Assistant Majority Leader and former Chairman of the House Aging Committee, where he was a champion of senior issues. In 2012, he also received the Larry Walsh Lifetime Achievement Award. Prior to his election to the House, McGuire served as Supervisor in Joliet Township from 1982 to 1990, and as Trustee from 1973 to 1982.
Jack was an avid runner and completed the Chicago Marathon in 1986. He loved golf and taking family trips with all of his grandchildren to Siesta Key, Florida and South Haven, Michigan. He also enjoyed attending Joliet Catholic football games on Friday nights.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Marilyn J. “Mitzi” (Miller); his parents; one son, Thomas L. McGuire; one brother, Paul McGuire; one sister, Helen La Barre; second wife, Patricia; and numerous in-laws.
Jack is survived by his loving children, Kathleen A. (John) Dougherty, Michael E. McGuire and Julie A. (Thomas) Sicinski.; grandchildren, Jillian (fiancé Sean Whitney), Patrick and Michael Dougherty, Thomas, Patrick (Liz), Michael (Amy) and Sean McGuire, and Alexander, Stephanie, Emily and Zachary Sicinski; great-grandchildren, Baird, Shae and Henry McGuire; one great-grandson due in the spring; his twin brother, James E. (Judith) McGuire; sister-in-law, Marilyn A. McGuire; brother-in-law, James Miller; and sisters-in-law, Lois Bernhard and Ruth Ann Campbell. Several nieces and nephews also survive.
The family would like to extend a sincere thank you to Jack’s caregiver, Paddy, who came into his life not knowing the kind of friendship that would develop. Paddy and Jack had a deep connection formed by their conversation and the music he played for him, making every day of Jack’s life better.
Visitation for John C. “Jack” McGuire will be held on Thursday, January 9, 2020, from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Fred C. Dames Funeral Home, 3200 Black Rd. (at Essington Rd.), Joliet, IL. Funeral Services will be Friday, January 10, 2020, at 9:15 a.m. from the funeral home chapel to St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, 18 Woodlawn Ave., Joliet, IL, where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Resurrection Cemetery in Romeoville, IL. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in the name of John C. “Jack” McGuire to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Jack was always a man of his word and he had a sweet soul. He was also very proud of his nephew, Sen. Pat McGuire.
Illinois could lighten its property tax burden by consolidating governmental taxing districts, standardizing property-value assessments, tightening up the appeals process and reining in breaks on commercial redevelopments, according to a draft report obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.
The unpublished report, required by state law signed last summer by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, found that Illinois hauls in $30 billion a year, or 38% of the total taxes collected, from a system put in place when the state was founded on its agricultural economy. Now it’s best known as the nation’s next-to-costliest, behind New Jersey. […]
Income-producing properties, which change hands much more infrequently than homes, where sales data can be utilized in assessments, poses another problem. The task force recommended that building owners submit the income and expense data for their business properties to give assessors more accurate information.
More accurate assessments at the front end should reduce the staggering number of assessment appeals. But the report said higher standards should apply to appeals. Outside data, it said, have indicated that appeals often result in much greater reductions for high-value properties than lower-valued ones, relative to cash value.
To put that number into context, state government revenues totaled about $41 billion last fiscal year, which isn’t much more than the locals collected.
Illinois State Police officials are working on a new service to reduce a backlog of more than 60,000 new, changed or renewal requests for Firearm Owners’ Identification cards, but it’s expensive and will take time.
The Illinois State Police posted an update on the agency’s Facebook page Saturday that said it has about “62,000 FOID applications under review which includes new, renewals and changes.”
We currently have approximately 62,000 FOID applications under review which includes new, renewals and changes.
FOID card holders will remain valid throughout the renewal process, as long as they apply for their card renewal prior to the expiration date on their FOID card.
The ISP’s FSB is currently working on implementing a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) solution to provide improvements and efficiencies to the call center. The State of Illinois vendor contract with Presidio has an estimated implementation cost of $750,000 with a recurring monthly cost of $10,000; these costs are being paid for through the State Police Firearm Services Fund. The new VoIP system allows for not only automated processes, such as completing an application without having to speak to an agent, it is also interactive. It will work in conjunction with the existing system and agents to populate their computer with information ahead of receiving a caller, to better and more quickly assist them.
The call flow allows callers to select their specific issues and potentially resolve them independent of an agent. The system will also enable a person to request a call back without having to remain on the line. In addition, it will provide callers the ability to renew a FOID card or Concealed Carry License (CCL) with no address change over the phone, including payment, without speaking to a live agent.
Until improvements in the call center are completed, there are four methods for obtaining assistance with FOID/CCL related issues. Applicants may call (217) 782-7980; they can visit the Illinois State Police home page and click the Firearms tab to the left where they will find a section related directly to FOID/CCL, complete with a FAQ section: https://www.ispfsb.com/; for video tutorials related to FOID/CCL, they can visit https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqmvVzpfjsojFnd50HndO5A; or they can email the FSB at ISP.ASKFOID@illinois.gov where a customer service agent can provide assistance.
“The new system will allow for not only an automated process of an application, such as completing an application without having to an agent, but it will also be interactive,” ISP Sgt. Jacqueline Cepeda said.
She said that the service will also allow applicants to pay fees without speaking to a live operator.
There is no timeline for completion of the automation program, Cepeda said.
The visionary urban planner chosen by Mayor Lori Lightfoot to lead the Chicago Department of Transportation on Tuesday embraced the red-light camera program that motorists love to hate, saying Chicago has turned the page from a $2 million bribery scandal. […]
Gia Biagi told aldermen at her confirmation hearing that Chicago’s 300 red-light cameras have served their purpose in improving driver safety and must remain in place.
“Both red-light and speed zone indicators — through a study we did with Northwestern, I think, in 2017 — we know that they are a deterrent. Speeds do reduce [by] anywhere from 10% to 11%, particularly in areas around parks and schools,” Biagi told the City Council’s Transportation Committee.
“On the corruption side, we feel like we’ve reformed our program and think it’s pretty tight. But we’ll take a look at it and make sure that everything’s kosher.” […]
Mayor Lori Lightfoot campaigned on a promise to audit the city’s network of red-light cameras and “sunset those cameras that are only being used for revenue — not safety.”
Illinois lawmakers on Tuesday grilled officials about the practice of locking kids in “seclusion rooms” in schools. It’s the first legislative hearing since a news report brought attention to the practice late last year.
The story, from ProPublica Illinois and the Chicago Tribune, revealed thousands of incidents in which kids with special needs were locked away, usually alone, and often for reasons that broke the law.
Venessa Fawley, the mother of a 9-year-old on the autism spectrum, told lawmakers she wasn’t shocked by the report, “but what really angered me is that such criminal abuse went on for so long with little accountability.”
“Where was the oversight?” she asked. “Who was in charge?”
* Jodi S. Cohen, ProPublica Illinois, and Jennifer Smith Richards, Chicago Tribune…
“Schools have become very punitive in how they’re dealing with students with disabilities. This is their go-to method for not doing homework, not putting their shirttail in. You’re just seeing some very abusive use,” said Zena Naiditch, CEO of the disabilities watchdog group Equip for Equality. […]
At Tuesday’s hearing, some lawmakers questioned whether there are times when schools should be able to use seclusion “therapeutically,” including when a staff member is with a student.
“There’s no evidence that shows seclusion rooms are effective for disciplinary actions nor for therapeutic intervention — like, zero,” Kyle Hillman, director of legislative affairs for the National Association of Social Workers, told legislators. He urged the lawmakers to ban seclusion altogether rather than making exceptions or special allowances.
“If a single mother, particularly of color, was locking their child in a closet, standing outside while the child was screaming, defecating itself repeatedly, this body would be asking for criminal charges,” Hillman said. “This is happening in our schools and we’re looking for ways to still make this possible for them to do it.”
Instead, state officials should be adding social workers, behavioral experts and other trained staff to schools, and requiring more and better training on how to help students in crisis, according to educators, advocates and a parent who spoke at the hearing. […]
The agency’s proposed rules would require that staff members receive eight hours of training annually that includes de-escalation and trauma-informed care. Some educators said that’s not enough.
“We see that as wholly insufficient,” said Dan Montgomery, president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers. “When you are not trained fully, repeatedly, consistently over time, when bad things happen, emotions kick in and that’s when things really go haywire.”
Officials from the Illinois Statewide School Management Alliance, which advocates for school administrators and school boards, suggested that seclusion is appropriate for some types of children and told legislators that the schools spotlighted in “The Quiet Rooms” weren’t representative of most schools. That drew a rebuke from Rep. Jonathan Carroll, D-Northbrook, who shared a personal story of his own traumatic experience with seclusion as a child.
Rep. Jonathan Carroll, a Northbrook Democrat, is sponsoring a bill to ban the practice of “seclusion,” which is defined as “a discipline management practice or behavior management technique in which a student is confined in an enclosed space that is designed solely to seclude a person, regardless of space or dimension, whether it is a box, a closet, a room, or any other specially designated locked or unlocked space.”
He said the matter was personal to him, as he said he was physically restrained and placed in such a room as a child.
“It was horrible that we treat children with special needs the same way we treat our most hardened criminals, and this is something that needs to stop now, and this is something that we have to stop both as a legislative body and as a state,” he said.
* Background is here if you need it. Not much out there, but this is what I found…
And let’s stop pretending he’s a “former” anything. This is the guy who for decades has been seen as the most powerful lobbyist in the state and remains incredibly close to the Speaker.
Stunning and incredibly disturbing to read about the callous dismissal of a rape and its coverup. Anyone involved must be held accountable and an investigation should be conducted immediately. No one is above the law. https://t.co/ulc58GNy08
Pritzker's office on the alleged rape, says "the administration’s general counsel referred this email to the appropriate investigatory authority, who will make a determination about what next steps can be taken." https://t.co/hZInr23zRi
State Rep. Kelly Cassidy and high profile sexual harassment victims Alaina Hampton and Sherri Garrett issued the following statement on Wednesday in response to a WBEZ report on an email from powerful Springfield ComEd lobbyist Michael McClain indicating a possible cover-up of a rape in Champaign:
“According to the WBEZ report, Mr. McClain “sought leniency for a state worker in a disciplinary case by arguing that the worker ‘kept his mouth shut’ about an unspecified rape downstate.” This isn’t the first disgusting, dangerous and brazen display of misogyny we’ve seen from Mr. McClain, but that doesn’t make it any less outrageous. If the reports are even partially true, this represents a conspiracy to conceal a criminal sexual assault at the highest levels of state government.
“We call upon law enforcement leaders, including Champaign County State’s Attorney Julie Rietz and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, if appropriate, to immediately open an investigation into these allegations, and, if necessary, to impanel a grand jury. Mr. McClain, relevant members of the Quinn administration and anyone else who had knowledge of this possible rape must be compelled, via subpoena if necessary, to disclose this information to law enforcement to ensure that any possible rapist is brought to justice. If the State’s Attorney won’t take action, a special prosecutor should be appointed who will. The only way to end the rape culture that has fully infected our politics in Illinois is to take bold, unequivocal action to root it out, right now.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** Rep. Deb Conroy…
Like so many others I am still trying to process the horror of anyone covering up a rape. No one is above the law and anyone who thinks they can cover up something to preserve their power has sold their soul to the devil. #WhenWillItStop
Shocked and angered by a possible sexual assault political cover-up, State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) is asking anyone with information to come forward.
The request comes in response to a WBEZ article regarding a 2012 email to officials within then-Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration that references someone keeping quiet about “the rape in Champaign.”
“This is frightening and disturbing. Sexual assault allegations need to be taken seriously. If anyone has any information about this crime, please get in touch with authorities. This needs to be investigated and prosecuted. The public needs answers, people need to be held accountable and somewhere there’s a victim who deserves justice. The conduct I read in that email is disgusting and will not be tolerated,” Senator Bennett said.
If you have information please contact:
• Champaign County State’s Attorney, 217-384-3733
• Illinois State Police, 217-278-5000
• Illinois Executive Inspector General, 312-814-5600
* Senate Women’s Caucus…
Outraged by a possible sexual assault cover-up, the Illinois Senate Women’s Caucus is asking anyone with information to come forward.
The request comes in response to a WBEZ article regarding a 2012 email to officials within then-Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration that references someone keeping quiet about “the rape in Champaign.”
“That email is horrifying. If anyone has any information about this crime, please contact authorities. Sexual assault will not be tolerated. We need to get to the bottom of this and hold people accountable,” said Sen. Linda Holmes, an Aurora Democrat and co-chair of the Senate Women’s Caucus.
“I am stunned and disturbed that keeping quiet about a rape was so casually offered up as proof of loyalty. This needs to be investigated thoroughly and anyone who helped cover it up needs to face the consequences. Please, if you know anything at all about this incident, contact the appropriate authorities,” said Sen. Sue Rezin, a Morris Republican and co-chair of the Senate Women’s Caucus.
*** UPDATE 2 *** I missed this one from last night…
State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview, released the following statement in response to a WBEZ report uncovering emails between a former statehouse lobbyist and high-level employees of the Quinn administration that allude to a possible cover-up of rape by state employees:
“I am shocked, horrified, and disgusted to learn about emails from lobbyist Mike McClain that indicate he was aware of, or possibly complicit in, covering up a rape in Champaign, Illinois. We cannot and must not tolerate unethical and potentially criminal behavior involving those with influence in state government.
“Those in positions of public trust who have broken the law must be held accountable – this applies to everyone equally and without prejudice, no matter who they are. Our entire justice system is predicated on the idea that no one is above the law.
“As a legislator, a human rights attorney, and an advocate for victims of sexual violence, I demand that the questions of misconduct raised by these emails be investigated fully and, if found credible, prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
“This must end. I share in the sentiments expressed by my colleagues who have spoken out. I too am sickened by what I’ve learned. Anyone who has violated their ethical duty to serve the public in good faith should go – the sooner, the better. It’s time to end the toxic ‘old boys’ club’ culture wherein women are disposable, ethics only apply to some, and accountability for the powerful is nonexistent. A full investigation and appropriate subsequent legal action is the only way to truly address this issue.”
Message from the Governor of the Great State of Illinois, JB Pritzker:
To the Families and Service Members of the Illinois National Guard,
Tonight, there are nearly 700 Illinois National Guard Soldiers and Airmen deployed around the world and thousands of service members in every branch of our military who call Illinois home. And tonight, there are Illinois military families in every corner of our state who are praying for those they love who are in harm’s way. MK and I join these families in offering our prayers for the wellbeing and safety of our brave service members.
As news breaks of the Iranian attack against al Asad Air Base and U.S. forces in Erbil, I also want you to know that the entire state of Illinois stands behind you. We stand in awe of those who have answered the call to serve, those who knew the risks and still bravely deployed overseas so we remain safe at home. Know that you have the gratitude and the strength of your fellow Illinoisans, and we are ready to welcome you home when your work is done.
May God bless the heroes who risk their lives to preserve our freedom and God bless the United States of America.
Sincerely,
