*** UPDATE *** The Libertarian Party has sent out a press release saying they have provided documentation to the Attorney General and plan to soon file a complaint with the state’s attorney. The release is here.

[ *** End Of Update *** ]

* I had also heard this but have been so far unable to confirm…

Republican News Watch has learned that the Libertarian Party of Illinois lodged complaints on Thursday with both the Office of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and the Office of Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez over intimidation tactics employed in an attempt to prevent the Libertarian’s slate of statewide candidates from appearing on the November ballot. […]

“The Illinois Republican Party’s actions, by hiring a private investigation firm such as Morrison Security Corporation to engage in deceptive and coercive tactics against the Libertarian Party’s petition gatherers and signers, are beyond outrageous,” said Ben Koyl, Libertarian Party candidate for Illinois Attorney General. “The actions by the Republicans are calculated to deprive registered voters of Illinois of their right to free and open elections. These coercive and deceptive tactics have a chilling effect in that they discourage people from signing petitions and are in violation not only of Illinois election law, but also of our First Amendment rights,” added Koyl.
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The party did highlight the above story on its Facebook page, however.

* Meanwhile…

Bruce Rauner for the first time personally responded to Early & Often reports that private investigators were armed with guns while working for the Republican effort to remove the Libertarians from the November ballot.

Rauner said in a news availability that he was “outraged” and “appalled” by the behavior, but said it had nothing to do with himself or his campaign. […]

When asked about ties between the program and Rauner’s campaign, Rauner said: “One person did but that person as far as I know was not involved in the specific issue that was raised. That person who we paid for a specific project that was done, it was a discreet project, it had nothing to do with this other work that the state party had to do. That was completely disconnected. Our campaign has had nothing to do with the issues.”

* Video…

* The Quinn campaign offered up a “fact check”…

On the 51st anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, Republican billionaire Bruce Rauner found himself explaining yesterday why his campaign bankrolled armed operatives to intimidate voters recently at their homes, as first reported by the Chicago Sun-Times.

In the video… Rauner refused to apologize for his campaign’s unacceptable voter intimidation with guns, let alone take an iota of responsibility. Rauner also refused to say whether anyone was fired over this dangerous dirty trick.

Rauner’s responses range from false to evasive. Check it out:

Rauner Claim #1: “That program that was run - that was run by the state party.”

Reality: Seriously? You mean your so-called “voter integrity” program by your lawyer, with your staffer?

Rauner Claim #2: Only “one person” from my campaign was involved.

Reality: Uh, no. Rauner lawyer John Fogarty is the same lawyer leading the petition attack for the Illinois Republican Party. Furthermore, Morgan Kreitner - a notary for the Rauner-backed effort to knock the Libertarians off the ballot, is a salaried employee of the Rauner campaign. In addition, Rauner personally has donated $6,500 to the man carrying out this voter integrity initiative. And Rauner has donated millions of dollars to the Illinois Republican Party.

That’s three, at least, by our count, including the candidate himself.

Rauner Claim #3: “That person who we paid for a specific project that was done – it was a discreet project –it had nothing to do with this other work…it was completely disconnected.”

Reality: Wait, what? What’s this “discreet” project, exactly? Who did you pay to do what?

Rauner Claim #4: “Our campaign has nothing to do with the issues that you describe.”

Reality: Only you do. You bankrolled it. You’ve gone all over Illinois bragging about your so-called “voter integrity” efforts, your campaign has donated more than $2 million to the Illinois Republican Party to carry out these efforts and you personally donated $6,500 to the political organization of the man carrying out the gun intimidation effort. But now that your cronies have been caught red-handed, it’s hear-no-evil, see-no-evil, speak-no-evil. Is this the Rauner version of accountability?

* The Tribune editorial board also weighed in today…

We know, we know: Politics ain’t beanbag. But politics doesn’t have to be rotten and nefarious either.

Yet oodles of people who run for office in this state will tell you of strong-arm tactics they endured, sometimes from their own party, to get their names on an Illinois ballot.

It’s shameful. Sincere candidates who believe in public service spend months walking door-to-door collecting signatures — one of the purest elements of democratic elections — only to get kicked off the ballot through dishonest means.

The latest allegation of skulduggery accuses Republican Party leaders of trying to remove Libertarian Party candidates from the Nov. 4 ballot, ostensibly to protect GOP candidate for governor Bruce Rauner. Rauner would compete more easily in a one-on-one race with Gov. Pat Quinn with no Libertarian candidate siphoning off votes. Rauner says he knew nothing of the alleged intimidation: