* Press release…

The People Who Play By The Rules PAC has launched new TV and radio ads, “Summer of Joy – Stop Chicago Violence From Coming To Your Town, Vote NO on JB Pritzker.”

Chicago violence is coming to the suburbs. Pritzker will set free those charged with, among other things: Burglary, Arson, Kidnapping, 2nd Degree Murder, Aggravated Battery, and more. And yet we have Mayor Lori Lightfoot calling it “The Summer Of Joy” in Chicago. It is anything but.

The ads will run statewide and are available on YouTube and the PBR PAC Facebook page.

–
:30 TV SPOT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCF4c9YoJ70

Chicago Mayor LORI LIGHTFOOT:
“It will be the summer of joy in Chicago”

VO:
Thanks to Governor Pritzker, the lawlessness of Chicago will soon be the law statewide.

JIM GLASGOW, Will County State’s Attorney:
“That law goes into effect, our hands will be tied. All their bonds will be extinguished on January 1st”

BOB BERLIN, DuPage County State’s Attorney:
“We’re going to have violent criminals out on the street.”

VO:
That’s why 100 of Illinois’ 102 Illinois State’s Attorneys oppose Pritzker’s mandatory release of violent criminals. Stop Chicago violence from coming to your town. Vote NO on Pritzker.

–

:60 RADIO SPOT Transcript:

Chicago Mayor LORI LIGHTFOOT:
“It will be the summer of joy in Chicago”

VO:
Instead, the trio of Pritzker, Lightfoot and Foxx have made this another summer of murder, mayhem and chaos.

Mother of murder victim Servando Hamros:
“My granddaughter called me to say ‘help me, my Daddy’s shot.’ And then they executed him in front of her. And then they shot her.”

VO:
Thanks to Governor Pritzker, the lawlessness of Chicago will soon be the law statewide. Pritzker’s so-called “SAFE-T” Act makes Illinois a safe haven for violent criminals. That’s why 100 of Illinois’ 102 County State’s Attorneys oppose Pritzker’s mandatory release of alleged murders, kidnappers and arsonists.

Prosecutors like Will County State’s Attorney Jim Glasgow:
“It’s going to be literally the end of days.”

And prosecutors like DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin:
“We’re going to have violent criminals out on the street.”

VO:
Stop Chicago violence from coming to your town. Vote NO on Pritzker. Paid for by People Who Play By The Rules PAC

* Barb Ickes at the Quad City Times…

In August of 2021, police say, Brittany Griswold, 35, of Geneseo, was behind the wheel of a stolen vehicle involved in a fatal collision in Rock Island. The head-on crash resulted in the death of Cecilia “Ceci” Nache, 49, of Rock Island.

Griswold was charged with two felony counts of aggravated driving under the influence, reckless homicide and aiding/abetting or possession of a stolen vehicle.

Her bail was set at $50,000, but she was released on her own recognizance. She was freed on a written promise to return, in other words, without posting bond.

Represented by former judge and prosecutor Larry Vandersnick, Griswold did not spend a day in jail. After multiple requests by a reporter for a copy of her jail mugshot, Griswold was fingerprinted and photographed — one year after the crash.

On March 27, 2019, police said, Armand Cannon, 27, of Grand Mound, was behind the wheel of a stolen vehicle involved in a fatal collision in Moline. The crash resulted in the death of Tammy Loos, 51, of Milan.

Cannon was charged with aggravated driving under the influence, aggravated reckless driving, reckless homicide and aiding/abetting or possession of a stolen vehicle.

His bond was set at $250,000. He was assigned a court-appointed attorney.

While Griswold never spent a day in jail, Cannon remained behind bars for the three years it took for his case to go to trial. In May, he was found guilty of all charges. […]

“It seems grossly inequitable that one person walks while the other cannot possibly come up with the cash bail, which the judge must have known, given the defense counsel was appointed,” [Ben Ruddell, director of criminal-justice policy for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, after being supplied with the basic details]. “How much money you have shouldn’t be a factor.” […]

Blanca Leal, one of three sisters of Ceci Nache, who died in the crash with Griswold, said someone from her family had attended every one of the court hearings. They were disappointed, she said, when they learned Griswold never was processed through the jail, and her high-profile attorney was able to get her released without serving a day.

Bail reform may result in pre-trial release of other defendants who face the same charges, Leal understands, but the inconsistent treatment, based on money, is a bitter pill.

* Gov. Pritzker on Friday when asked about the Trump raid…

Well, I’m shocked and dismayed, honestly, that Republicans across Illinois haven’t stood up for law enforcement, haven’t stood up for law and order. And instead are standing with somebody that clearly, there is something afoot here that may lead to a prosecution. It seems like, you know, Republicans say that they’re anti crime. And yet here they are standing up for somebody who seems to have committed one.

On the other hand, there’s a presumption of innocence that the governor also talks a lot about. But he does have some nuance…

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday called on authorities to “quickly and thoroughly” complete their investigation into potential influence peddling involving a police body-camera manufacturer and a state senator who spearheaded a massive criminal justice reform bill approved last year.

The Tribune reported on Monday that state Sen. Elgie Sims, a Chicago Democrat, was approached in the spring by federal authorities looking into whether Axon Enterprise Inc. either directly or through other lobbying entities improperly tried to influence Sims. The criminal justice legislation he championed and was enacted in 2021 included a slew of reforms, including requiring every police officer in the state to wear a body camera by 2025.

“On this matter, I encourage authorities to act quickly and thoroughly and to hold anyone accountable who should be held accountable,” Pritzker said Monday at an unrelated news conference on Chicago’s South Side.

* Crain’s…

Local Republicans have been fairly quiet so far about the still-unfolding Mar-a-Lago raid. But not the National Republican Senatorial Committee, whose national finance co-chair is Chicago corporado Ron Gidwitz.

In a weekend note to contributors, the fund-raising committee for Republican senators and nominees pushed all sorts of buttons. “Why did the Biden administration’s DOJ raid Mar-a-Lago? This has NEVER happened before, and it’s a DISGRACE,” the fund-raising pitch stated. “Could Biden be using the government power to potentially PUT PRESIDENT TRUMP IN JAIL?”

It continued: “The ONLY way to STOP this potential ABUSE OF POWER is by taking our critical Election Year poll so we can WIN this November and RESTORE TRUMP’S Majority.”

There was no immediate response from Gidwitz to a request for comment.

* Pritzker campaign…

Darren Bailey has spent his entire political career cozying up to Donald Trump, breathlessly repeating his dangerous rhetoric and promising to enact his harmful agenda. As MAGA loyalists at every level of government wage a relentless campaign to delegitimize the Federal Bureau of Investigation following a search of Donald Trump’s Florida home, Bailey must answer for whether or not he believes the FBI should be defunded.

Republicans wasted no time sowing distrust in law enforcement in an attempt to please the former president, and Bailey quickly questioned the department’s motives, demanding the FBI “immediately explain their actions.”

Voters deserve to know: Does Bailey agree with his party’s radical right-wing comments discrediting the FBI?

• Mary Miller’s declaration that “The “Deep State” DOJ hates President Trump because he is an outsider who won in 2016 by attacking the DC Swamp for failing the American people.”
• Marjorie Taylor Greene’s call to “DEFUND THE FBI!”
• Lauren Boebert’s claim that the “Dept of Injustice” Raiding Mar-a-Lago “Is Gestapo Crap”
• Josh Hawley’s demand that “Garland must resign or be impeached. The search warrant must be published. Christoper Wray must be removed. And the FBI reformed top to bottom.”
• Rand Paul’s assertion the FBI may have planted evidence

“Working families deserve better than a MAGA apologist who chooses a twice-impeached disgraced former president over accountability, justice, and democracy itself,” said JB for Governor Press Secretary Eliza Glezer.“Bailey must be honest about his party’s attempt to hinder a federal investigation and come clean about why he is more loyal to Donald Trump than a U.S. institution vital to democracy.”

* DuPage County board chair Republican candidate Greg Hart…

Safety and security from crime is a top concern of voters. That is why I am so honored to earn the endorsement of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police for DuPage County Board Chairman. The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police is the largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers in the state, and represents over 33,000 active duty and retired police officers.

The Illinois FOP endorsement was given because I fully support our police and the rule of law. My opponent, Deb Conroy, chose to stand with criminals and the radical defund the police movement when she voted for the disastrous SAFE-T Act. The Safe-T Act eliminates cash bail, allowing for the release of violent criminals onto our streets.

DuPage County remains a destination location to live, work, and raise a family because of our safe communities. Keeping our communities safe is my number one priority once elected as DuPage County Board Chairman.

Will you join the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police and help keep this momentum going?

…Adding… Rep. Deb Conroy…

While Greg Hart is trying to exaggerate the facts and scare residents I was doing my job and in a meeting with Director Brendan Kelly and John Thompson discussing the white flag law.

* ILGOP…

In case you missed it, Democrats in the Senate just passed a bill to help bring SOCIALISM to America by hiring OVER 80,000 IRS AGENTS to harass Americans!

Make no mistake, if Democrats continue to hold power, things will only get worse. They’re ready to implement MORE tax hikes, more government regulations, and more attacks on our way of life.

We’re fighting back against Democrats’ extreme socialistic policies. We’re working to build a state and a country where citizens can succeed, but we’re up against a wall.

Democrats are raising MILLIONS and MILLIONS to push the socialist agenda. With the election less than 90 days out, we need to keep up!

Rich, can you RUSH a quick donation before our mid-month deadline so that we can DEFEAT SOCIALISM this November?

The US can never be a socialist country. We’re counting on you to help us out.

* From a US Rep. Jan Schakowsky press release…

For far too long, billionaires have enjoyed their mega yachts and trips to space, while hardworking Americans are left struggling to provide for their families. The Inflation Reduction Act will implement a 15% minimum corporate tax so that our richest corporations start to pay their fair share. The bill will also provide funding for the IRS to go after ultra-wealthy tax evaders and will raise at least $124 billion from these tax cheats. Finally, this bill will not raise taxes on any family making $400,000 or less per year, and there will be no new taxes on small businesses. This bill yet again puts people over politics and finally goes after the super rich and corporations.

* From Ben Bradley’s interview of US Rep Adam Kinzinger…

Kinzinger was a rare republican critic of Trump during his time in the White House. He says the final fracture, his breaking point, came on Election Night 2020 when Trump called for an early end to the vote count while he was ahead.

“We talk about democracy – Republicans love to talk about the Constitution – and yet we’re openly violating it now,” he said.

…Adding… Tribune…

An analysis last year of Chicago Police Department deployment data appears to raise questions about whether Chicago police officers are consistently on the street at times when most shootings happen in the city. […]

The separate “GPS Analysis by Time of Day and Day of Week” included a 10-year review of shooting data, which examined days of the week. It showed that on weekdays, shooting incidents peak during the 9 p.m. hour. But on weekends, shooting incidents rise until 2 a.m. and then start declining.

The analysis further examined GPS data for three types of patrol responses in the so-called Tier 1 and Tier 2 districts, where most shootings happen — non-tactical district units, tactical district units and the citywide Community Safety Teams, which were launched by Brown as part of his crime-fighting strategy.

The analysis period was between June 2020 and February 2021. In all three categories, the number of officers working in the field, or on the street, appeared out of sync with the number of shootings on the weekends, according to the report.

* CWBChicago…

The city had 167 carjackings last month, up 11% from last July. There were 149 cases in July 2020 and 53 in July 2019.

City records show that Chicago police have made arrests in slightly less than 7% of this year’s hijackings. The arrest rate for 2021 carjackings is 13%. It’s important to note that arrest rates for previous years are typically higher than current periods because police have had more time to identify offenders and secure charges from the state’s attorney’s office.

In 2021, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office approved charges in 75% of the carjacking cases that Chicago police brought in, according to the prosecutor’s office data.

…ADDING… Media advisory…

ADVISORY: 9:15 a.m. Tomorrow Aug. 16

Sen. Villa, Rep. Stava-Murray, Community Leaders, Advocates Attend Public Court Watching in Support of Ending Money Bond

Pretrial Fairness Act is law and will go into effect January 2023

WHO:

State Sen. Karina Villa, (D-West Chicago)

State Representative Stava- Murray, (D-Downers Grove)

Katrina Baugh, The People’s Lobby

George Gutierrez, formerly incarcerated community member

Pastor Nathan Perrin, Lombard Mennonite Church

Reverend Dwight Stewart, United Methodist Church

WHAT:

Elected officials, community members and activists will attend public bond court hearings followed by a press conference where they will discuss their support of the Pretrial Fairness Act, which eliminates money bond in Illinois.

WHEN:

9:15 a.m. tomorrow

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

WHERE:

Dupage County Courthouse

505 N County Farm Rd.

Wheaton, IL 60187