* Background is here if you need it. From Mark Maxwell…

A Chicago man charged Wednesday for storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6th is also heavily involved in the campaign to elect state Senator Darren Bailey governor. […]

Gary Rabine, who is running against Bailey in the Republican primary contest, reacted to the news of Ligas’ arrest in an emailed statement.

“What happened on January 6th is not acceptable. Anyone convicted beyond a reasonable doubt of a crime on January 6th should be prosecuted,” Rabine said through a spokesman. “Standing up for law and order should unify – not divide – Democrats and Republicans.”

The campaigns for Republican primary hopefuls Jesse Sullivan and Paul Schimpf did not respond to requests for comment about Ligas’ involvement in the January 6 riot.

Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger, who has said he’s considering a potential run for governor, condemned the rioters and suggested Bailey is not fit to lead the state.

“The angry mob that stormed the United States Capitol on January 6 attacked our democracy and they deserve to be held accountable,” Kinzinger said. “Those who would encourage these perpetrators and continue to embrace the Big Lie are not equipped to serve as serious leaders.”

The morning after the insurrection, Bailey told his Facebook followers in a livestream video that he didn’t know who was behind the raid, despite overwhelming video evidence the rioters were Trump supporters.

…Adding… And yes, Rabine seems a bit unclear on this whole prosecution before conviction concept.

*** UPDATE *** I missed this in the Sun-Times coverage…

Bailey campaign spokesman Joe DeBose said in a statement the campaign is “shocked by this news and we do not condone any illegal activities.”

“[Ligas] has never been a member of our campaign staff,” DeBose said. “We support law and order and trust the court system to ensure anyone breaking the law is held accountable for their actions.”

…Adding… DPI…

Yesterday, news broke that Lawrence Ligas, a Chicago man arrested for his actions at the Capitol during the January 6 insurrection, was also on the campaign team of Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey. New reporting now shows Ligas was also paid by the Illinois Republican Party for campaign work in 2014.

None of the Republican candidates for governor have forcefully condemned the events that took place on January 6 and several of them refused to weigh in on Ligas’ traitorous, anti-democratic actions at all. The Illinois Republican Party, which previously employed Ligas for campaign work, has cowardly decided to not take a stand, calling into question whether they condone Ligas’ dangerous behavior in their party.

“Why is it so difficult for Illinois Republicans to say that the January 6 attack on our democracy was wrong?” said Democratic Party of Illinois Deputy Director Jake Lewis. “Instead of speaking out against those who attacked the U.S. Capitol Police and attempted to overthrow a free and fair election, Illinois Republicans seem to have gone into hiding. Again, we call on the Illinois Republican Party and all Republican candidates for governor to condemn Mr. Ligas’ actions and say that the failed coup on January 6 was wrong. This shouldn’t be that hard.”

…Adding… The ILGOP responded to the DPI release by pointing to its January 6 statement…

ILGOP Chairman Schneider: “Republicans stand for law and order. To support what is happening in DC today is to violate that principle. Supporting violence and rioting is Anti-American. The ILGOP condemns any and all violence towards our government officials and law enforcement.”