Campaign notebook
Tuesday, Mar 15, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Mark Maxwell…
A Republican businessman running for governor says taxes are too high in Illinois. If he wins, Gary Rabine would take over a state agency that has unsuccessfully tried to collect more than $10,000 in delinquent taxes from one of his dissolved companies.
“My accounting firm is a great accounting firm, and we’re very seldom actually delinquent,” Rabine said in an interview.
Tax records show the Illinois Department of Employment Security filed a tax lien for $10,262 against Rabine Utility Pavements, LLC, in 2017. Rabine dissolved that company in 2019, according to records filed with the Illinois Secretary of State, but the bill remains unpaid.
When we asked Rabine to explain the delinquency, he said he was unaware of the outstanding debt until we asked him about it. His campaign aides claimed it never showed up in a rigorous financial background check.
“You found the needle in the haystack,” Rabine said in an emailed statement, before blaming the state for failing to properly notify him of his company’s debts.
* Politico on the Democratic state central committee races…
Pritzker doesn’t have a slate of candidates, per se, but he is expected to support Rep. Margaret Croke in the 5th District and lobbyist and political insider Liz Brown-Reeves in the 15th.
There are state reps running for central committee seats, too, including Rep. Delia Ramirez, who’s separately running for Congress in the new 3rd Congressional District.
In the central committee, Ramirez is challenging Cook County Clerk of the Court Iris Martinez, a longtime committee member who also has served on the Democratic National Committee’s Hispanic Caucus.
“I’m very disappointed that Delia would challenge me. It shows some disrespect for people like me who have opened doors for women,” Martinez told Playbook. “I’m ready for the fight. And it’s going to be a fight that spills into the 3rd Congressional District race.”
Ramirez countered in a separate interview, saying, “It’s sad that a woman in this seat for almost two decades is upset that another woman dares to run for that seat. We should be celebrating. We need more women to run.”
Other contested central committee seats: Senate President Don Harmon is challenging Rep. Danny Davis. And Rep. Bobby Rush, who is retiring from Congress but wants to keep his central committee seat, is being challenged by state Sen. Elgie Sims, state Reps. Marcus Evans and Lamont Robinson; and Anthony Hargrove.
* Sullivan looked silly trying to dodge these questions, but governors cannot “outlaw” cannabis or reverse minimum wage laws on their own…
Sullivan’s campaign subsequently walked back the minimum wage remarks.
* Speaking of Sullivan…
Sullivan, who was joined by his running mate, Kathleen Murphy, said the move to file on the last day was “strategic.”
“We had more than enough signatures at the beginning of this whole week,” the Petersburg resident told reporters outside the board’s headquarters, apparently meaning the beginning of the filing period.
“We decided that for strategic purposes, we wanted to hold off,” Sullivan said before entering the building. “We kept collecting signatures all the way to the end.”
Sure, Jan.
* Brenden Moore…
Two candidates, Terry Martin, a Republican, and Ellis Taylor, a Democrat, filed to run in the 13th Congressional District. Democrats Nikki Budzinski and David Palmer, and Republicans Regan Deering, Matt Hausman and Jesse Reising filed last week.
State Rep. Sandy Hamilton, R-Springfield, and businessman Bill Eddington filed to run as Republicans in the 48th Illinois Senate District. State Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, is running unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Springfield attorney Kent Gray, who was Illinois state director for former President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, filed to run against state Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, in the 95th Illinois House District Republican primary. […]
Democrat Sharon Chung, a member of the McLean County Board, filed Monday to run for the 91st Illinois House District. She will face Karla Bailey-Smith in the Democratic primary. Republicans Scott Preston, a member of the Normal Town Council, and James Fisher will face off in a primary.
Attorney Thomas DeVore, who has been at the center of several COVID-related lawsuits against the Pritzker administration, filed petitions to run for Illinois Attorney General. He will face Steve Kim and David Shestokas in the Republican primary. Incumbent Democrat Kwame Raoul is unopposed in the primary.
DeVore has been in Florida since last week. Sen. Jason Plummer filed his petitions for him.
* Press release…
Today, the Democratic Party of Illinois (DPI) and Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association (IDCCA) announced that applications are open for the inaugural Illinois Local Candidate Training Cohort. The Training Cohort is an intensive 12-week program run in partnership with the National Democratic Training Committee (NDTC) for Democratic candidates running at the countywide level or below to learn the skills necessary to win local elections and lead in their communities.
“Local elected leaders are the backbone of the Democratic Party, and the DPI is committed to supporting Democratic candidates at every level,” said Rep. Robin Kelly, Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois. “Local candidates are often running for office for the first time and do not have the resources or capacity of state or federal campaigns. This Local Candidate Training Cohort is a way for us to build the bench in a sustainable, real-time way for candidates who are running for office right now. The DPI is proud to lead this critical effort along with our Democratic partners in Illinois.”
“The IDCCA recruits, trains, and elects Democratic candidates at every level throughout the state, but we know more can be done building the bench and ensuring good people who share our values are governing. This partner program dovetails with our efforts already underway to support local candidates, which includes our annual Boot Camp.” said Kristina Zahorik, President of the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association. “This expanded work with DPI will ensure our candidates get the best possible preparation to win in November. I am excited to partner with DPI because together, we are laying the foundation for the next generation of Democratic leaders in Illinois.”
“We’ve seen it time and time again: a strong investment in training local candidates yields big electoral dividends down the road,” said Kelly Dietrich, founder and CEO of the National Democratic Training Committee. “It is encouraging to see Illinois Democrats continue to invest in their local candidates, and we’re excited to bring this program to the Land of Lincoln.”
Candidates included in the training cohort must be actively running for office in the 2022 midterm elections and cannot be running in a primary against another Democrat. The free training program will cover all basic campaign strategies and tactics. It will take place online weekly in the evenings to give cohort members real-time feedback on the challenges and opportunities faced on the campaign trail. Candidates will continue to receive support after the cohort concludes through their victory in November.
More information about the program, including application information, is available at www.ildems.com/cohort. The application period closes April 1.
* More…
* As Candidate Filing Closes in Illinois, Some Want System Reformed: A candidate would approach a voter and ask if they’re a registered voter within that district. If the voter agrees to “do democracy a solid,” as Cassidy puts it, and agrees to sign the petition, “I hand you my tablet instead of my clipboard. I’ve just pulled you up in the voter file. You verify that that’s you, you check a box, you sign, it verifies that your signature is relatively the same — because we all know what we do on those electronic things too … and bada-bing, bada-boom.” Cassidy says it would mean elections attorneys would lose some business, and incumbents like her would see more competition.
* More Senate, congressional candidates file petitions on last day
* As race for Republican gubernatorial nominee begins in earnest, will endorsements matter?
* Jesse Sullivan rounds out governor’s candidates as filing ends
* DPI: QAnon Followers, Big Lie Believers, Trump Acolytes, January 6 Truthers Highlight 2022 ILGOP Line Up
* NARAL Endorses Nikki Budzinski in IL13: Today, NARAL announced their endorsement of Nikki Budzinski in Illinois’ 13th Congressional District. NARAL is a national organization that works to organize their 2.5 million members nationwide for a pro-choice, pro-reproductive freedom agenda. NARAL has 19,364 members in Illinois.
* DuPage County Board incumbents gearing up for primary competition: Contested Republican primary races are expected in three of the six county board districts. Democrats will have two competitive races on the spring ballot.
* Kane County Clerk, some board members face challengers in primary: Former Kane County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen, an Aurora Republican who also served in the state senate for 20 years, is running for county treasurer.
* Big field in Democratic primary for Lake County Board with eight races: With the weeklong filing period now closed, the primary race for sheriff will feature Democrat William C. King challenging incumbent John Idleburg. On the Republican side, Mark A. Vice II, John K. Van Dien II and Jonathan “Jon” Harlow will square off to represent the party in the November election. Only the race for Lake County sheriff will have primaries. The offices of Lake County treasurer, clerk and regional superintendent of schools also are up for contest this year, but none will have a primary race. One wrinkle in the Lake County clerk’s race is that incumbent Robin O’Connor switched parties and is running as a Republican. In November, she’ll face Democratic nominee Anthony Vega, Idleburg’s chief of staff.
…Adding… Press release…
State Representative Sam Yingling’s campaign for Illinois State Senate continues to gain momentum as the Illinois State Conference of the Transport Workers Union of America joins the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois with their endorsement.
“Ilinois’ Labor Unions built the middle class. The Transport Workers Union and the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois give their members a voice in their workplace, protects their rights, and make our communities stronger. I will continue to be a strong voice for Illinois Labor in the State Senate. I am honored to have their support,” said Yingling.
“On behalf of the thousands of Transport Workers Union members in the great state of Illinois, we officially endorse Sam Yingling’s candidacy for the Illinois State Senate. We believe he is the right choice for working men and women because of his continued efforts to protect working families in Illinois. We proudly endorse his candidacy and recognize his advocacy for working families.”
“Our members and their families are under increasing pressure to make ends meet in the face of worsening economic pressures. Having elected officials who understand these challenges and will fight to ease the burden on workers is central to our success. We are confident that Sam Yingling will continue to work for our members and their families, as he has previously done in the past working with our Transport Workers Union Locals in Illinois,” said Terry Daniels, Illinois State Conference Director Transport Workers Union.
“Sam Yingling’s support of issues affecting professional firefighters in Illinois has earned our endorsement. The Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois (AFFI) represents more than 15,000 professional firefighters in 224 affiliates across the State. We wish him the best in his campaign and look forward to working with him in the months and years ahead,” said Chuck Sullivan, President of the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois.
…Adding… Press release…
Norma Hernandez submits the most signatures in the 77th House District
Melrose Park, IL - Norma Hernandez released the following statement after filing the most signatures for Illinois’ 77th House District. Her campaign submitted over 1,200 signatures in the first day of filing; three times the amount required.
“After yesterday’s close to the filing period, we confirmed that we have the greatest momentum in the field. We went door-to-door and connected with the most voters, and collected the most signatures of any other campaign in the 77th. I am ready to become the first Latina to represent Illinois’ 77th House District! With Latinos making up almost 60% of the population in the district, it is important they have the opportunity to elect someone who understands them, speaks their language and shares their experience. We are looking forward to the next phase of the campaign.”
Hernandez was amongst the first in line at the board of elections on the first day of filing. Also submitting on the first day, incumbent Representative, Kathleen Willis (D-Addison) who turned in 936 signatures. The two will have their names drawn next week to decide ballot position in the Democratic ticket. Later in the week, perennial Republican candidate Anthony Airdo submitted 1,000 signatures.
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* I told subscribers about this yesterday. Politico…
Two incumbent state senators appear ready to retire, conveniently leaving their seats open for close friends and family members who turned in petition signatures on the last filing day yesterday.
State Sens. Antonio Muñoz and Steve Landek are listed as candidates for the 1st and the 11th districts, respectively, but so are two of their buddies.
Muñoz’s son-in-law and former campaign manager Javier Loera Cervantes, filed at the last minute to run for the 1st District seat that his father-in-law has held since 1999.
Political insiders call it a shrewd move that would see Muñoz drop out of the race, allowing Cervantes to get on the ballot with no competition for the June 28 primary.
Cervantes, who was taken aback that Playbook would point out the icky optics of him sliding into Muñoz’s seat, said: “Everybody has their opinion. I’m just looking forward to serving if that comes my way.”
Similarly, Landek is expected to step aside to allow his chief of staff, Mike Porfirio, who also filed signatures on the last day, to win the seat. Neither Landek nor Muñoz returned Playbook’s calls or texts for comment.
Political insiders expect the veteran lawmakers want out of politics after seeing their associates operate close to the legal edge.
Bill Lipinski dropped out after the primary and had his kid appointed to the ballot. I don’t recall yesterday’s maneuver being used in the past, but maybe some of y’all have seen this before. As long as no other candidate files, it’s kinda foolproof. And the reformers are gonna absolutely hate this, but I’m not sure you can create a rule to stop this from happening.
Your thoughts?
*** UPDATE *** This has happened at least once before. Sen. Chuck Weaver (R-Peoria) filed to run for reelection on November 25, 2019, the same day that his Republican friend Win Stoller filed his petitions. No other Republican filed in the district before petition filing season closed on December 2, 2019. In January, Sen. Weaver announced his retirement and the local media never batted a single eyelash…
State Sen. Chuck Weaver (R-Peoria) announced Thursday he’s retiring at the end of his term.
In his place, Widmer Fabrics CEO Win Stoller will fill the Republican nomination for the district, which stretches from Peoria to Galesburg.
“With Central Illinois at a turning point, everyone must serve where they can cause positive change,” Weaver said in a statement. “I believe I can now make the most positive impact closer to home by serving my community in a different position of service.”
Weaver then maxed out to Stoller with a $53,700 contribution.
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* Tribune…
Richard Cieski for years received care at the veterans home in downstate LaSalle that his family recalled as “amazing.” The 89-year-old decorated Korean War Army veteran schmoozed with friends, participated in an array of activities and excelled in an environment even as he coped with escalating dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
“They had church. They had animals that came in. They had coffee and conversation. They had haircuts. Physical therapy. Everything. He was clean. His hair was combed. He had his room and it was clean,” a granddaughter, Lindsay Lamb of Lockport, said. “He was thriving in there until it happened.”
That was in November 2020, when the COVID-19 coronavirus began to sweep through the state-run, long-term-care facility for veterans. As the coronavirus ran its deadly course through the LaSalle veterans home, the outbreak led to the deaths of Cieski and 35 other veterans.
“Six of the men ate lunch with my dad and his whole table died. There’s no one left that ate lunch with my dad. They all died within a week of each other,” said one of his daughters, Leslie Lamb of Seneca. “It could have been prevented if protocol was followed.”
The deaths have prompted a series of individual lawsuits against the state on behalf of the families of 26 veterans who died of COVID-19 or coronavirus-related illnesses. The lawsuits, which began being filed last week in LaSalle County, allege negligence and wrongful death and could cost the state millions of dollars.
* Press release…
Levin & Perconti filed lawsuits for the families of 27 veterans who contracted COVID-19 due to a preventable outbreak at LaSalle Veterans’ Home in late 2020. Twenty-six of those veterans needlessly died and suffered painful deaths isolated from their families according to the lawsuits. The families filed lawsuits against the state of Illinois, the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, LaSalle Veterans’ Home and several senior administrative, medical and nursing staff members at the long-term care facility. The lawsuits allege although COVID-19 safety protocols were well known by the time of the outbreak, LaSalle Veterans’ Home did not have a comprehensive COVID-19 plan nor did staff members abide by even the most basic safety protocols.
The outbreak began November 1, 2020, when two residents and two employees tested positive for COVID-19. By the end of the month, more than 200 people had tested positive. In all, 36 veterans died. According to the lawsuits, various LaSalle employees — including nurses, nursing assistants and nurses’ aides — attended an off-site party on October 31, 2020. As residents and staff tested positive for COVID-19 in the following days, nursing staff continued to report to work and care for residents and veterans who tested positive were not isolated from other residents. Staff members were not following safety protocols, such as wearing masks, temperature checks, or washing their hands. The facility did not even have effective hand sanitizer according to the complaints.
“It’s not like they did something and did it wrong. It’s not like they took action that turned out to be wrong in light of greater knowledge. They did little to nothing. That is what is so shocking,” said Levin & Perconti founder and senior partner, Steven Levin. “Many of these veterans died alone, suffering from air
hunger and respiratory failure. It is true human suffering to be unable to breathe, alone and frightened, without any comfort or support.”
In a scathing report, by the Illinois Inspector General, state investigators called staff’s handling of the outbreak “inefficient, reactive and chaotic” and found a lack of preparation “contributed to the scope of the outbreak.” According to the report, LaSalle leadership failed to effectively communicate, train and educate employees. Many staffers acted like they were unaware of basic infection control protocols.
“The state investigated itself and found itself guilty. The state of Illinois now must take accountability and do the right thing for the families of the victims,” said Levin & Perconti managing partner Michael Bonamarte. “When families learned about the extent of the negligence at LaSalle, it was particularly shocking and devastating and made the loss of their loved ones so much more painful. These men chose to spend their final years at LaSalle Veterans’ Home because they trusted they would be safe. The state betrayed that trust.”
Ironically, the families of the victims were following established COVID-19 protocols. They were not allowed inside the veterans’ home to see their loved ones in an effort to keep them safe from the virus. By late 2020, many of the veterans’ families thought there was light at the end of the tunnel. They had kept safe distances, communicating through windows. Vaccines were about to become widely available.
Plaintiff David Liesse’s father. Jerome Liesse, tested positive for COVID-19 on a Friday in November 2020, and died the following Tuesday. Liesse was a World War II veteran who earned three medals for his service.
“My dad died before he should have. Someone had to bring COVID into his room and it was not the families. It didn’t jump through the window,” said David Liesse. “How can you have an administration that allows people to run a veterans home with such lax security and scrutiny over what’s happening? Someone needs to be responsible for what was done, what wasn’t done and what was supposed to be done.”
Plaintiff Mary Beth Schomas said no one from the VA notified her that her father died after contracting COVID-19 during the LaSalle outbreak. She learned about his death from the hospital where he passed. Her father, U.S. Army veteran Bernard Schomas, served as a medic in World War II under General George S. Patton. Schomas was at the Battle of the Bulge and earned numerous medals.
“When I went to LaSalle to pick up his stuff, they just acted like it was no big deal. Here it is. Go. He was one of the healthiest old guys there. There was no reason for him to die had they taken care of him,” said Mary Beth Schomas.
“We gave them our trust to take care of him and that was betrayed,” said Lindsay Lamb. Her grandfather, Richard Cieski served during the Korean War. He earned three service medals and entered LaSalle Veterans’ Home in 2017 due to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. He suffered without morphine for some of the final hours of his life as he struggled to breath because the home ran out of it.
“These men served our country and protected us and probably experienced things that we could never understand. And they weren’t treated correctly. They weren’t given the same type of respect that they gave us, and it’s not fair. To be left alone to die is even worse,” said Lamb.
Making matters more frustrating for the families is that, starting in 2015, a series of similarly mishandled outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease occurred at Quincy Veterans’ Home in downstate Illinois. At least 14 deaths were linked to the preventable, water-borne illness. The state was sued by multiple families and paid out millions in settlements.
Governor JB Pritzker referred to the outbreaks as “fatal mismanagement,” at the time when he was running against incumbent Governor Bruce Rauner for governor. In the aftermath of the Legionnaires’ outbreak at the Quincy Veterans’ Home, a third-party audit in 2019 made recommendations for improvement of the infection control policies at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home. “These recommendations were ignored and disregarded. Neither the state nor the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs learned from their previous mistakes,” Bonamarte said.
“The families’ hope in bringing these lawsuits is to effectuate change and garner the attention of the people in power to prevent a tragedy like this from happening again,” Levin said.
“It is time for the state of Illinois to finally be accountable and make our veterans homes a model for the nation rather than a poster child for how not to treat those who have given our nation so much.”
There’s a press conference this morning to discuss the case further.
* Gary Rabine…
Over the last several days, multiple lawsuits have been filed on behalf of the veterans who died from COVID at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home. They describe in detail the gross negligence and utter neglect by the Pritzker Administration in caring for these veterans. As JB continues to do his victory lap on his handling of the COVID pandemic, the truth is now revealed; while he was ordering businesses to shut their doors and issuing mask mandates, he was also ignoring veterans dying on his watch. JB can’t pass the buck to the former Illinois Director of Veterans Affairs any longer. He needs to be brought before the legislature and explain how and why he ignored our veterans and let them die horrific deaths on his watch. JB needs to be held accountable.
…Adding… Jesse Sullivan…
“Today’s lawsuit confirms the tragic reality of what we already knew: The Pritzker administration’s incompetence and abdication of duty cost Illinois veterans their lives. These families deserve justice in court. If state government cannot guarantee the safety of our heroes, it needs to get out of the business of managing these facilities altogether.”
…Adding… ILGOP…
“Our nation’s heroes deserve nothing but the best care,” said ILGOP Executive Director Shaun McCabe. “But under Pritzker, they got our worst. And sadly, many succumbed to preventable deaths. These families deserve to be heard and the Governor must be held accountable.”
…Adding… Richard Irvin…
“These veterans put our freedom first when they proudly and selflessly served our country. Extreme negligence and incompetence by the Pritzker Administration led to their tragic deaths. Their families deserve swift justice, and we must ensure this travesty never happens again.”
*** UPDATE *** From the governor’s office…
Every life lost to coronavirus weighs heavily on the hearts of the Governor and all members of his administration. That’s why Gov. Pritzker implemented public health strategies like mandatory mask use and indoor gathering limits to prevent the spread of COVID and protect the state’s most vulnerable residents. The Governor appealed to members of various communities who fought against proven mitigation strategies to think of their family, neighbors and friends that were more susceptible to the worst outcomes of COVID, urging everyone to comply. While IDVA was working to address the COVID outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans Home, the state conducted a thorough transparent review of the response to identify shortcomings, immediately take corrective actions and hold those who fell short of expectations accountable. The Governor has appointed a new director of IDVA who has a medical background with years of experience running veterans homes and has worked to implement new policies and procedures to keep residents healthy and safe.
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