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*** UPDATED x1 *** Freshman takes to Twitter to repeatedly demand Mautino step aside

Friday, Jun 17, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This began on June 2nd…

Auditor General Mautino must take unpaid leave while under state and federal investigation.https://t.co/7HRc8Tp5DZ

— Rep. Grant Wehrli (@GrantWehrli) June 2, 2016

* And then he started trolling media outlets and Democratic legislators, to no avail…

Auditor General Mautino needs to put the people of Illinois ahead of himself. His silence is unacceptable. https://t.co/p1QlXmkiMu

— Rep. Grant Wehrli (@GrantWehrli) June 3, 2016

The silence on AG Mautino from my Democrat colleagues is deafening. This is about ethics, not politics. #twill

— Rep. Grant Wehrli (@GrantWehrli) June 3, 2016

Jobs! Jobs! Jobs! Come see us starting at 10am today! @ Proviso… https://t.co/lZy1Z5pNTD

— Emanuel Chris Welch (@RepChrisWelch) June 4, 2016

Maybe someone who is qualified to be Auditor General will avail themselves. https://t.co/hX6ned7FkS

— Rep. Grant Wehrli (@GrantWehrli) June 4, 2016

We'll be walking w/ @Mathis95th in tomorrow's Black Diamond Days Parade in #Gillespie! Join us! #Macoupin https://t.co/USaOfFi2zt

— Andy Manar (@AndyManar) June 4, 2016

Hope people along the parade route ask if you both stand with Auditor General Mautino who is under Fed investigation https://t.co/7c38WErQsa

— Rep. Grant Wehrli (@GrantWehrli) June 4, 2016

Join me tomorrow at 3pm central on Reddit for my first AMA! #Reddit #QandA #AskMeAnything pic.twitter.com/U5v0aWmbJH

— Rep. Carol Ammons (@StateRepAmmons) June 5, 2016

Do you stand by Auditor General Mautino while he is under federal investigation? https://t.co/1t4kAXOn6n

— Rep. Grant Wehrli (@GrantWehrli) June 5, 2016

@cljmitchell Plenty of disappointment to go around… Like in our Auditor general not stepping aside while under federal investigation.

— Rep. Grant Wehrli (@GrantWehrli) June 7, 2016

Illinois is a ship without a captain: @DonHarmonIL https://t.co/iIMUuqVWH0

— IL Senate Democrats (@ILSenDems) June 12, 2016

Democrats created a fiscal mess for years and our Auditor General is under federal investigation. Fixed that for you https://t.co/gnwCULIevt

— Rep. Grant Wehrli (@GrantWehrli) June 12, 2016

* Today, somebody finally responded…

@cljmitchell Fantasyland like having an Auditor General who didn't cook his own books?

— Rep. Grant Wehrli (@GrantWehrli) June 17, 2016

@cljmitchell I thought anything was possible in fantasyland! Is it not a land where Mautino can balance books? Not possible even there?

— Rep. Grant Wehrli (@GrantWehrli) June 17, 2016

@cljmitchell That and we are not using Mautino's calculator to figure it out. It's broken.

— Rep. Grant Wehrli (@GrantWehrli) June 17, 2016

@cljmitchell Yes. But he should step aside interim. Would you keep a teacher in place who was a suspected predator? I certainly wouldn't.

— Rep. Grant Wehrli (@GrantWehrli) June 17, 2016

@cljmitchell No. I'm comparing people placed in public trust. 2 examples of people who should step aside while under criminal investigation

— Rep. Grant Wehrli (@GrantWehrli) June 17, 2016

* And then a Democrat hit him with some kindness…

@RepChrisWelch Did you update them on our Auditor General who is under federal investigation?

— Rep. Grant Wehrli (@GrantWehrli) June 17, 2016

@RepChrisWelch Yes.

— Rep. Grant Wehrli (@GrantWehrli) June 17, 2016

*** UPDATE *** He’s still at it, and Rep. Mitchell is not amused…

@GrantWehrli Wait a sec - you have evidence of corruption by the Aud. Gen during his tenure as AG? I'd advise coming 4ward 2 avoid liability

— Christian Mitchell (@cljmitchell) June 17, 2016

47 Comments

*** UPDATED x1 *** Claps stepping down

Friday, Jun 17, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From an internal IDHR e-mail…

Dear Colleagues:

I have had the profound privilege and honor to serve as Director of the Illinois Department of Human Rights for over thirteen years. It is, I readily admit, bittersweet, as I announce today that I will be leaving IDHR on June 30th.

Working together we have had many, many achievements in those thirteen years. I have been most heartened by the depth of kindness and support you have all shown me as Director–and I hope that you have felt the same in return. I have said it dozens of times in the past—I am deeply proud of your collective work, professionalism and ability to help people—people who come to our Agency for assistance when they need it the most.

I hope that you will continue to support the next Director, who will be announced later this afternoon, as the new Director undertakes this important role. I can think of no one better suited for this job and to lead the agency that I, honestly, very much love.

I wish you all the very best—and please know my kind thoughts and prayers are with each of you!

Sincerely,

Rocco Claps

Claps was a Quinn holdover, but I’m told this was a mutual decision. No ill will.

*** UPDATE *** Claps just confirmed that he’s heading to Hillary Clinton’s campaign.

17 Comments

Flooding the zone

Friday, Jun 17, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The Illinois Policy Institute is ramping up its rhetoric in support of remap reform and tronc has published two of its recent op-eds, including this one entitled “How Madigan became king”…

Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan’s first political splash had nothing to do with policy. It wasn’t a blueprint for a better state. It wasn’t middle-class jobs growth. It wasn’t a successful welfare program.

It was cartography.

Political mapmaking is how Madigan first took hold of a position he’s held for 31 of the past 33 years: speaker of the House. For comparison’s sake, the median age in the Land of Lincoln is 36, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

While Madigan has endured a few legislative embarrassments over the years, he’s never lost the vote he desires most from House Democrats. His caucus has elected him speaker 16 times in a row.

It’s not that I disagree with the premise or the history, it’s just that the rhetoric at tronc is really getting over the top, including today’s “king” reference.

Last week, they ran a cartoon describing the play “Hamilton” as “Powerful Democrats scheme and plot. Some people get shot.” Another person in the cartoon asks “Then shouldn’t it be called ‘Illinois’?”

This past Sunday, the Chicago Tribune’s main editorial headline was “Sniper alert: Why Chicago and Illinois pols are firing on one another.” After Sunday’s Orlando massacre, the paper thankfully changed the online title to “Chicago and Illinois politicians are losing to financial reality. And they’re miserable.”

Whew.

* Anyway, on to the second remap reform piece written by ~~an Illinois Policy Institute staffer~~ [Sorry, it just looked like an Illinois Policy Institute piece. It’s actually a tronc guy. All apologies.] and published by tronc…

The current legal challenge to the Independent Map Amendment claims having an independent commission decide redistricting would be unconstitutional.

To me, calling this citizen-led reform effort unconstitutional is like saying voting is undemocratic or flying the flag is unpatriotic.

Amendment supporters are only asking for the chance to put the question to voters. If opponents can muster enough support to defeat the question at polls, then so be it. But it’s only fair to give voters a chance to decide.

If the state’s Constitution didn’t have such strict ballot access requirements for popular referenda, I’d fully agree. But it does. And I’m sure they must know this.

35 Comments

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