Bailey provided NBC 5 with a copy of the two-page income tax cover sheets for his last five years worth of returns.
According to those documents, his Adjusted Gross Income in 2017 was $1,776. The following year, it increased to $211,000. In 2019, it declined slightly to $189,000.
Amid the COVID pandemic, Bailey reported a loss of $164,000, while in 2021 he reported a loss of $99,000.
Bailey cited the purchase of new equipment for businesses for reported losses of income.
During those two years, ProPublica reported that Bailey received more than $570,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans, and the Chicago Tribune reported that he received $280,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
…Adding… Pritzker will release his tax returns when he files next month, the Sun-Times tells us…
Pritzker’s campaign offered praise for the governor’s rival for peeling back the curtain on his federal tax obligations but questioned why Bailey withheld the release of his state tax returns for the period.
“We’re glad to see Bailey releasing his federal returns,” Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Natalie Edelstein said. “We look forward to the release of his state returns, as the governor has done every year.”
Q: While you’re in Chicago immersing yourself in the culture, do you plan to take public transportation?
Bailey: It’s a good idea. I hadn’t thought about that. I want to immerse myself in the culture. So thank you for that idea. That’s what makes this great. Let’s talk, let’s communicate. I need to know where I need to be, what I need to do. I love it.
You’re moving to Chicago … why? As a display of courage? You said, to immerse yourself in the culture. Fair enough, Darren Bailey, let’s get to it. You can’t just spend the next … umm … eight weeks rushing from the Hancock entrance, surrounded by a phalanx of linemen from Xenia Junior College into a pair of waiting black SUVs. What does that prove?
Nothing erodes fear like experience. We need to get you out on the town, over to the National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen. Founded by teachers, you know. C’mon, I’ll take you, and even pick up the admission (ote-nay oo-tay eaders-ray: ission-admay is ee-fray). Then lunch at 5 Rabanitos. I love that place. Or “5 Radishes” in Spanish. See? You’re learning already!
Nor will we limit ourselves to one part of the city. We’ll ride the L, we’ll wander around Bronzeville, unafraid. Over the past 35 years, I’ve pretty much ranged across the entire city. From South Avenue O, within spitting distance of the Indiana border, to streets below Lower Wacker Drive. And let me tell you a secret: You can go anywhere in Chicago. It’s OK. Back when there were high-rise public housing projects — the Robert Taylor Homes, Cabrini-Green — I visited them all. At night. You know who lived there? Not demons with pitchforks. People. Working folks. Women lugging groceries. Some places are more dangerous, some less, but my personal rule is: If people can live there, I can visit. Never got shot once.
* The Question: Any Chicago tips for candidate Bailey?
* Darren Bailey held a press conference in Washington Park on Chicago’s South Side today…
I’m sorry we have to be here today on such an occasion. It breaks my heart as well to see what’s happening across Chicago and especially what happened near here last night. Those affected by the senseless shootings in Washington Park, Garfield Park and the families of the more than the 500 people that have been killed in Chicago this year, I want you to know that I am fighting to end this bloodshed.
The Acclivus folks showed up to the presser and they were not pleased. At one point, two of the group’s leaders engaged with Bailey’s running mate, Stephanie Trussell…
“Our staff was on the frontlines out here last night,” Acclivus organizer Bamani Obadele told Trussell. “We’ve been running these games for five weeks without any incident happening. Last night was the first tragic incident happening. And so it’s shameful to use this as some type of political football on the deaths of innocent people. There are two lives that were lost, a young man and an elderly man who was out there watching the game with us. And so I get it, we’re in this space. But this is really Willie Horton-like tactics.”
Rev. Janette Wilson, who is a senior official at Operation PUSH and very active in the city, told Trussell that Bailey has “never been in this community before doing anything.” When Trussell asked Rev. Wilson when the last time Gov. Pritzker was in the community, Wilson and others said he’s been there several times. They weren’t wrong.
* Anyway, the Bailey press conference was interesting because the activists were also asking questions. Click here to listen. The activists held their own media availability, and Obadele told reporters, “He didn’t come here with any other solution. He’s living downtown in an ivory tower, talking to people here on the South Side. If he wants to impress us, move in to Washington Park.”
* I’ve received two blast emails from the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association asking for money to fund a TV ad in the governor’s race. Excerpt from one…
Our team is ALREADY working on a TV commercial that will EXPOSE Darren Bailey as the true danger to Illinois that he is, but we need to raise $10,000 by tomorrow night in order to get it up and running.
Can you please rush a donation of $5 before midnight tomorrow to help us fight like hell against Darren and his millionaire mega-donors? We need to counter any TV ads that this conservative group has planned, as well as any commercials that will come directly from Darren’s campaign.
Wait. The governor is a billionaire and has plenty of dough while down-ballot candidates could use some help, so what the heck? “The ILDCCA is gonna air TV ads in the governor’s race?,” I asked an official with the association. His emailed reply…
Former President Trump endorsed Bailey before the primary, but would you welcome President Trump again back in Illinois before the November 8th election?
You know, President Trump is not on the ballot.
He wasn’t on the ballot in June when he campaigned for Bailey.
ProPublica first reported that Bailey received nearly $570,000 in PPP loans. The Chicago Tribune also notes there was another $280,000 from the USDA for farmers, and since 1995 his farming operation has received $2.1 million in federal subsidies.
“It is the federal government that’s pretty well in charge of export and import, demand, embargos. They control these prices,” he said.
States like Wisconsin and Georgia have recently removed hundreds of thousands of names off their voter lists, in what critics are calling “voter purges.” And in preparation for the 2020 election, the Ohio secretary of state removed nearly half a million names, thousands erroneously.
Election officials in those states say they are cleaning up their voter lists, deleting voters who are inactive, have moved or passed away. But voting rights groups say voter purges are often flawed and states should instead implement same-day voter registration.
So where does Illinois fall in all of this? According to Matt Dietrich with the Illinois Board of Elections, it’s very hard for eligible voters to get kicked off the lists here. Even if voters are removed, eligible Illinois voters still have many ways to ensure that their ballot is cast.
* SoS race…
Illinois Republican Dan Brady today announced that as the next Secretary of State he will reduce all Illinois motor vehicle license plate fees by $50 for one year to provide relief to economically hard-hit Illinois families.
“Illinois citizens have been sucker-punched by skyrocketing food, housing and medical care costs, and enough is enough,” Brady said. “That extra $50 per vehicle may help families to pay for groceries, gasoline, school books or their utility bills. Taxpayers have wondered for years where their money goes in Springfield, and it’s about time it went back to them.”
Brady cited the 8.3 percent increase over the past 12 months in the Consumer Price Index as evidence that costs are rising at a higher rate than many people can afford.
“How many Illinois residents get an 8.3 percent raise each year? How are they supposed to keep their heads above water?” Brady said. “Admittedly my plan is only a $50 reduction per vehicle, but $50 still means something today.”
Under the Brady Plan, standard license plate renewal fees for 2023 would be reduced from $151 to $101; personalized plate renewals would drop from $158 to $108; and vanity license plates, currently at $164, would be $114 next year. The current license plate renewal rates would return in 2024.
“The streamlining and efficiency measures I plan to make as Secretary of State will help to absorb the cost of this one-year reduction in license plate fees,” Brady said. “Illinois residents are tightening their belts during these tough times, and we should do the same in state government.”
Brady’s license plate fee reduction plan is in line with other inflation-fighting measures enacted by the Illinois General Assembly. The legislature has frozen the one percent grocery tax, postponed the state’s gasoline tax increase until January 2023, and is providing a $50 income tax rebate to Illinois taxpayers.
…Adding… Alexi Giannoulias’ campaign…
Alexi is committed to saving Illinoisans time and money as the next Secretary of State. However this proposal lacks significant details. Not by coincidence, Dan conveniently leaves out how he intends to make up for the revenue losses in the state budget or who will sponsor it. Furthermore, it’s interesting that as a career politician, Dan is just now coming up with this half-baked idea just 55 days before the election after having more than 20 years to push for it as a member of the Illinois General Assembly.
America used to be stronger, safer and more prosperous. Not anymore. How do these career politicians keep getting away with this? I’m Regan Deering. I’m running for Congress to put people first and restore the American Dream. I’m a fighter who will cut wasteful spending and hold politicians accountable. I’ll fight to reduce the cost of gas and make America energy independent. And I will always defend the police. I’m Regan Deering, I approve this message. Together, we’ll fight the political insiders and put families first.
* ILGOP…
Mary K. O’Brien’s and Elizabeth Rochford’s candidacies for the Illinois Supreme Court reflect the latest iteration of one of Illinois’ oldest and saddest political axioms. For decades, there has been one constant catalyst in the election of justices: the Madigan Machine promotes its own.
Case-in-point, the careers of outgoing Chief Justice Anne Burke and former Justice Tom Kilbride, who lost his retention race in a historic judicial election in 2020. Both Burke and Kilbride were backed by the Madigan Machine.
For decades, the most reliable way of being appointed judge was Mike Madigan and Ed Burke’s stamp of approval. According to a Chicago Tribune article from April 17th, 2011 “Madigan’s List”:
“…Many of those full circuit judges were publicly elected with the help of the Democratic Party that Madigan controls — and the judicial slating committee run by Ald. Edward Burke, 14th. While the party wields overt power in those elections, the process of picking associate judges is touted as a way for talented lawyers to make the bench without bowing to political bosses or wooing uninformed and uninterested voters. But politicking for the coveted associate judgeships is rampant in Chicago’s legal community, and the Tribune found one of the best ways to win a spot is to be on what is widely referred to as ‘Madigan’s list.’”
Now, two more machine judges - Mary K. O’Brien and Elizabeth Rochford - are rising through the ranks of the Madigan Machine, seeking spots on the State’s highest court.
O’Brien was appointed as an Appellate Court Justice during her final year in the Illinois General Assembly after voting with Madigan 93.6% of the time. O’Brien also “Helped Madigan Regain The Speakership,” according to the State-Journal Register article “Wishing for some goodies for public officials in 1998” from December 28th, 1997. O’Brien also received over $200,000 in political contributions from political groups led by Madigan over the course of her career.
Rochford was also appointed, not elected, to her judgeship. Rochford served for over two decades on the Illinois Court of Claims, which has long been noted as a proving ground of political patronage. Rochford has given over $15,000 to indicted machine boss and Alderman Ed Burke since 1999. She also gave Burke $1,500 just a month after Burke was charged with 14 counts of corruption. When asked about the contribution, Rochford justified it, calling Burke “a longtime friend of the family”.
“Mary K. O’Brien and Elizabeth Rochford are the latest chapter in Illinois’ sad history of Madigan Machine-backed judges rising through the ranks of Illinois’ judicial system. Illinois voters can’t afford any more Madigan-backed judges who block anti-corruption reforms. We must elect justices to our state’s highest court who are loyal to the rule of law and the people of Illinois, not to indicted party bosses like Mike Madigan and Ed Burke,” said Illinois Republican Party Executive Director Shaun McCabe.
* ILGOP…
Since the allegations against State Senator Michael Hastings first came to light, one thing has been consistent throughout the entire saga, crickets from the Governor, Senate President, and Hastings’ Democrat colleagues in the Illinois State Legislature.
According to WBEZ, “For more than two years, lawyers for the state of Illinois fought against a lawsuit filed by the former chief of staff to powerful Sen. Michael Hastings. But earlier this year, the state paid $100,000 to the ex-chief of staff to Hastings and her lawyer to settle the case, which included accusations of racial and gender discrimination against the Democratic lawmaker.”
To date, Hastings’ scandals have left Illinois taxpayers on the hook for nearly $150,000 in legal bills and settlements. In addition to using taxpayer money to settle his harassment claims, Hastings faces very serious allegations of domestic abuse from his wife.
According to the police report obtained by the Edgar County Watchdogs earlier this year, “Hastings treated his wife poorly for the past 8 months being emotionally and verbally abusive” and “That he battered her, by placing her in a choke hold/neck restraint, and slammed her body into a door multiple times”.
Meanwhile, Hastings’ spokesperson lashed-out at the longtime Director of the Illinois Environmental Council who accused Hastings of having “had serious issues with anger management that aren’t appropriate for the workplace where we are making laws for the state of Illinois”. Hastings’ spokesperson called her a “bully” and accused her of lying.
One prominent Democrat has spoken out. State Senator Napoleon Harris actually came to Hastings’ defense saying that he has “known Mike Hastings to be one of the most upstanding, professional, and honest legislators in the Illinois Senate.”
“Since Senator Hastings won’t address the allegations against himself by other means than lawsuits and name-calling tantamount to victim-blaming, Governor Pritzker, Senate President Harmon, along with Senator Hastings’ colleagues in the legislature have some explaining to do. They must be called to answer questions about where they stand on Senator Hastings’ domestic abuse allegations, history of inappropriate workplace behavior, taxpayer-funded legal settlement, and if they feel he is still fit to serve in the Illinois Senate,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy. “Their silence in the name of political expediency is deafening.”
* ILGOP…
For the last two years, Illinois voters have continually been denied clear answers from Mike Frerichs on a host of issues, led by his comments supporting taxing retirement income. Frerichs’ continual ducking and hiding from any challenge to his policies and statements have been made clear by ignoring Treasurer Candidate Tom Demmer’s invitation for a series of public debates between the two candidates.
Returning back to October of 2020, nearly four months after commenting in support of a retirement tax, Treasurer Frerichs announced and then proceeded to abruptly cancel a press conference on the topic. Unfortunately, his record of impeding voters’ request for more transparency doesn’t end there.
Fast forward to 2022 and Treasurer Frerichs continues to ignore an invitation from State Representative Tom Demmer to participate in a series of public debates to discuss the retirement tax and other issues pertinent to state fiscal policy.
The people of Illinois deserve a leader who will stand up for Illinois families, protect their hard-earned savings, and refuse to run away when challenged to produce facts on their record. Treasurer Frerichs owes nothing less to every resident of Illinois than the opportunity to hear an open and honest exchange of ideas before the November 8 election.
“While Frerichs ducks, deflects, and dodges, Tom Demmer has been fully transparent about his agenda to safeguard taxpayer dollars and serve as a fiscal watchdog, not a tax-and-spend Pritzker lapdog. Meanwhile, Treasurer Frerichs has repeatedly ignored opportunities to face the voters and explain his past support for taxing retirement income. Voters of Illinois deserve the opportunity to hear open, honest, and transparent debates,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy.
* Mayor Lori Lightfoot today about the way Texas is transporting asylum seekers to Chicago…
I believe that they have been misled and the only option for them that they’ve been presented to by the folks in Texas is a free bus ride, because they’re not providing any other option to them to go elsewhere into the country where many of them would prefer to go.
* Gov. Pritzker was then asked whether the Texas governor’s actions could be considered human trafficking or even kidnapping…
Pritzker: Well, we are still examining and interviewing the folks who have come to Illinois and listening to their stories about whether or not they willingly got on these buses, knew where they were going or given the information appropriate. And the legal authorities in the state of Illinois, specifically our Attorney General, the General Counsel’s Office in the governor’s office, the Corporation Council for the City of Chicago, all looking into whether or not there is criminal liability for what they’ve done.
Q: Well, we heard that they signed waivers, they knew exactly where they’re going. Some wanted to go to Chicago, because they had family members in the surrounding states. So you’re saying that some might have been kidnapped?
Pritzker: I’m suggesting to you that someone signed a piece of paper, if it was in English and they don’t speak English, if it was in Spanish and they don’t read or write, that’s not an appropriate way for the governor of Texas to release himself from liability.
Q: [Paraphrasing because audio was poor: Is there any type of legal action the state could take to stop the governor of Texas from sending migrants here?]
Pritzker: We’re absolutely looking into all of those options. But let’s be clear, we are going to take care of the people who are on the buses when they arrive in Illinois. The question of what consequence comes to the governor of Texas or to the state of Texas is another question together, but we’re working on it.
* Anyway, on to the press release…
Governor JB Pritzker today issued an emergency disaster proclamation and activated approximately 75 members of the Illinois National Guard to ensure all state resources are available to support asylum seekers arriving nearly daily to Chicago from the State of Texas. The proclamation enables the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and other state agencies, in close coordination with the City of Chicago, Cook County, and other local governments, to ensure the individuals and families receive the assistance they need. This includes transport, emergency shelter and housing, food, health screenings, medical assessments, treatments, and other necessary care and services.
“Today, I signed a disaster proclamation allowing the state to speed up the procurement of the immediate resources needed to help Chicago, Cook County, and other jurisdictions provide humanitarian assistance to the asylum seekers who are being sent to our state with no official advance notice by the Governor of Texas,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Let me be clear: while other states may be treating these vulnerable families as pawns, here in Illinois, we are treating them as people.”
The proclamation is necessary to ensure sufficient capacity to meet the needs of more than 500 asylum seekers who have arrived already, with more buses arriving nearly every day. The robust statewide response will include IEMA, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). IEMA has also established a Unified Area Command in Chicago to quickly deploy resources to support the operations.
The groups of migrants arriving via Texas are residing in the United States legally, proceeding through the legal immigration and asylum seeking process. They are often fleeing dangerous and perilous situations, and mostly coming from Central and South America.
At the southern border, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol conducts biometric screenings – including facial and fingerprints – that are cross-checked against terrorist watch lists and criminal databases. New arrivals also undergo health screenings at the border as well as additional screenings once they reach Chicago.
Many of the families and individuals seeking asylum, who began arriving in Chicago on August 31, faced long and difficult journeys from their homes. Some require medical care, including pre-natal care for pregnant women; treatment for malnourishment, dehydration, and asthma in children; foot injury and wound care; vaccinations; and chronic health condition management. They are also in need of mental health assessments and care to begin to recover from the traumas experienced on their journey.
“Illinois is a welcoming beacon of hope for all who are seeking a home and stability here,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “The asylum seekers arriving to our state deserve care, compassion, and dignity, because that is what any person pursuing a better life for themselves and their families would want. We will stand with them by continuing efforts to provide the care and services they need to move forward.”
To date, the State of Texas has been transporting asylum-seeking families and individuals to Illinois with no advance notice and with no coordination with the State of Illinois or the City of Chicago. The buses have been directed to drop their passengers at Union Station in Downtown Chicago despite requests from State and City officials that travelers be brought to Welcome Centers. Gov. Pritzker has repeatedly called on Texas to treat these asylum seekers with dignity, to open the lines of communication with his office, and to stop trying to manufacture chaos for political purposes.
* My associate Isabel Miller was at today’s Pritzker press conference today and asked the governor if anything needs to be changed in the SAFE-T Act before January 1st and if he wanted any specific changes. His response…
Well, let’s just set the record straight with everybody. The SAFE-T Act is designed to keep murderers, domestic abusers, violent criminals in jail. And to address that, the problem of the current system, which allows those people, murderers, domestic abusers, and so on, to buy their way out of jail by just paying bail.
So what we’re addressing the problem that exists today, making sure that we’re also addressing the problem of a single mother who shoplifted diapers for her baby who is put in jail and kept there for six months because she doesn’t have a couple of hundred dollars to pay for bail. So that’s what the SAFE-T Act is about.
Are there changes or adjustments that need to be, of course. And there have been adjustments made and there will continue to be. Laws are not immutable. They are not, you know, there with no change that’s ever made to them. Of course, of course.
And then the press conference ended.
…Adding… House Republican Leader Jim Durkin…
Yesterday, once again, Governor Pritzker claimed that the SAFE-T Act wasn’t a rushed disaster of a law. Today, he admits that his SAFE-T Acts needs a fourth trailer bill but is unable to explain how the law needs to be changed. How can anyone trust this governor when he talks about crime and the SAFE-T Act?
Republican governor candidate Darren Bailey is out with a new ad that leans hard on his role as a farmer, showing him working his farm in southern Illinois as Paul Harvey’s famous speech, “So God Made a Farmer,” plays. The ad ends with a frame that says, “Illinois needs a farmer.”
But, whatever, here’s the non-campaign affiliated video anyway…
To mark the start of Hispanic Heritage Month tomorrow, the Democratic Party of Illinois today launched a new ad campaign featuring its first-ever Spanish-language ads.
“These unprecedented Spanish-language ads are the first of many efforts to expand voter outreach under my leadership at the Democratic Party of Illinois,” said Chair Lisa Hernandez. “The Party is committed to new approaches and innovative ideas that will engage underrepresented communities leading up to the general election in November and beyond.”
“This is a big deal. With this early investment in its first-ever Spanish-language ads, the Democratic Party of Illinois is demonstrating its deep commitment to Latino communities in Chicago and across Illinois,” said U.S. Representative and State Central Committeeperson Chuy García. “Initiatives like these are exactly how we’ll connect with voters in every corner of our state ahead of the November election. I look forward to working with DPI to do just that in the months ahead.”
The broader campaign, focused on minimum wage and support for working families, consists of six 16-second digital videos running on YouTube. The Spanish-language ads, titled “Para Nosotros” and “Ninguno,” specifically target Latino voter-heavy zip codes across the state, with an additional version playing in the 25th Senate district in support of State Senator Karina Villa.
With this key initiative, the Democratic Party of Illinois is working to reach and mobilize traditionally underrepresented voters. DPI will continue to invest in ads in a variety of languages — focusing next on Asian American communities — to connect with diverse groups of voters in the home stretch leading up to the November election.
* A September 4 letter to US Rep. Sean Casten from Awake IL…
Re: Cease and Desist - Defamation
Dear Sir:
This is written on behalf of Awake IL, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Illinois. Awake IL engages in social welfare advocacy on behalf of communities across the state.
It has come to our attention that you, Sean Casten, are unlawfully exploiting the mission of Awake Illinois with defamatory claims per the common law elements of “defamation” (see attachments).
Accordingly, Awake IL demands that you immediately cease and desist from further acts of defamation to any third party and remove committed acts of defamation from any third-party sites to which defamatory statements have been posted (e.g. https://castenforcongress.com, Daily Herald, etc).
Please contact us upon your receipt of this letter to confirm that you will comply with these demands and to discuss an appropriate resolution. In the event we do not receive the foregoing from you within ten (10) days from the date hereof, Awake IL will take additional steps necessary to protect its rights and/or seek all remedies available under applicable laws as a result of your unlawful acts of defamation.
Awake IL may file a civil action in local state court requesting damages and attorney’s fees wherever applicable.
The foregoing is not intended to be a complete recitation of the facts pertaining to your infringement. Nothing herein shall be deemed an admission or waiver of any of Awake IL’s rights or remedies, all of which are expressly reserved.
Sincerely,
Shannon Adcock
President, Awake IL
Josh McBroom
Vice President, Awake IL
Steve Lucie
Director, Awake IL
CC:
Attorney Thomas DeVore
Silverlake Law Group
* The Casten campaign issued a press release on today’s “deadline”…
Last week, after U.S. Congressman Sean Casten called on Keith Pekau to disavow Awake Illinois and the award Pekau received from them, Casten received a cease and desist from Pekau’s allies at Awake Illinois.
Rep. Casten has released the following statement:
“I will not cease nor desist in supporting the interests of everybody in the community I represent and making sure that there’s space for decency and kindness and love,” said Rep. Casten. “Keith Pekau and Awake Illinois should be ashamed of themselves for the unsafe environment they have created in our community. They have used their platform to promote hatred, homophobia, and bigotry.”
Tom Devore, the Republican nominee for Attorney General in Illinois, was CC’d on the cease and desist.
This week, the Downers Grove Public Library announced it was canceling an upcoming Drag Queen Bingo program after it received severe threats regarding the event, including calls to bring weapons to the event. These threats occurred after Keith Pekau and Awake Illinois issued a call-to-action to their supporters.
In July, Uprising Bakery in Lake in the Hills was attacked after it announced it was hosting a kid-friendly drag show. This occurred after Awake Illinois and Members of the Proud Boys’ Northern Illinois chapter promoted a protest of the event.
In January, the St. Charles Public Library was forced to temporarily close due to threats after Awake Illinois publicly criticized the library’s COVID-19 safety measures.
Geoffrey Stone, a First Amendment scholar at the University of Chicago Law School, said the statements included with Awake Illinois’ letter provide no legal backing for a claim of defamation.
“They are just ordinary political statements that are fully protected by the First Amendment,” Stone wrote in an email. “Only factually false statements made can constitute defamation, and even then they have to be either negligently or recklessly made.”
* Darren Bailey held up a copy of the Sun-Times front page today during his daily Facebook live video and said…
Last night at Washington Park, nine were shot on a drive-by shooting. Two were killed. The victims range from 19 to 46. Why isn’t that the headline? Why aren’t the press reporting on the failures of JB Pritzker, Lori Lightfoot and Kim Foxx? I think that it’s appalling that, uh, they’re not, you know, last night, just within minutes after one of these massive shootings, Lori Lightfoot tweeted that, Hey, Darren Bailey, welcome to Chicago, leave your woke ideas and, and thank you for your, your tax money. Why isn’t that the headline? I think we should demand more out of our press. I think we should demand more out of the people that are reporting this. And if they won’t do it, then boycott ‘em. Push ‘em to the side. Get away from the TV, get away from these news sources that won’t report the truth because these need to be the headlines.
This may be a nitpick, but any time someone uses the word “truth,” I cringe. Truth is from a deity. Facts are from humans.
2 killed, 7 others wounded by gunfire in Washington Park: ‘It’s another tragic incident’
At least nine people were shot, two of them fatally, when gunfire erupted Tuesday night during a pickup softball game at Washington Park on the South Side.
An argument broke out between two groups and escalated into an exchange of gunfire around 7:45 p.m. at 5531 S. King Drive, Deputy Chief Fred Melean said during a news conference at the nearby University of Chicago Medical Center.
Curious whether he’ll still attend the debates, since they’ll be hosted by a TV news outlet.
…Adding… This is what Lightfoot actually tweeted…
Hi Darren. Welcome to Chicago. If you need help finding a clue, here’s a map. In the meantime, we welcome your tourism dollars. Check out the architectural boat tour. But do the other passengers a favor—leave your right wing nonsense at the dock. https://t.co/UivKhoJ6Ndpic.twitter.com/b0Xwaq0kRD
Lori, this may be a joke to you but there are people dying everyday on your streets because of your dangerous policies and failed leadership. You’re laughing, but there are at least 13 families crying tonight because of a shooting in Washington Park. Shame on you. https://t.co/vdNGHnWlqQ
This morning our office was attacked. Security footage shows a brick was thrown through one of our windows around 5 am by an individual who then fled northbound towards Bryn Mawr. Police are investigating. Board up is on the way and we will still be here to help our constituents. pic.twitter.com/T8GvnSFcSX
— Illinois State Representative Kelly Cassidy (@ILRepCassidy) September 14, 2022
…Adding… The tweet was deleted and replaced by this one because the footage suggests the brick-thrower was a woman.
NBC5’s Charlie Wojciechowski reported Tuesday night that our PAC’s latest television ad has been removed from NBC5’s broadcasts because “a number of people complained.”
“NBC ran the same video on its newscasts. This is the new standard? So if the sane complain that they’re traumatized by Pritzker’s incendiary pro-abort ads, NBC Chicago will pull his ads? Of course not. But if the Leftist borg objects, corporate news outlets are happy to do its bidding.”
As of 9:19PM Tuesday night, the same video that appears in our ad still appears on NBC’s own website.
Reporting news is quite a bit different than using an assault purely to score political points. Just sayin.
* Also, while we’re on this topic, from a Chicago Tribune reporter…
Probably not hypothetical. “The Scream” ad that credited video of a woman in Lakeview being mugged to CWB seemed to alter the video.
Advertisers added sound (dogs barking, birds chirping), moved screaming sounds earlier & took out the victim saying “What do you want? My phone?” https://t.co/Awl1y2ufdv
CLAIM: Anyone charged with a “non-detainable offense” will be released immediately after arrest. See graphic below, which is making the rounds on social media.
FACT: The SAFE-T Act does not create any “non-detainable offenses.” Illinois law has no such thing.
Certain crimes, including forcible felonies, stalking, and domestic abuse, guarantee the revocation of pretrial release; meaning, they will not be released after arrest. This is outlined in the act’s section 110-6.1.a.
Some of the crimes listed in the graphic will lead to revocation pretrial release, such as arson and kidnapping. These are defined as forcible felonies by Illinois law.
However, that does not mean perpetrators of other crimes are guaranteed to be let out of jail free. A judge may revoke pretrial release from ANY perpetrator who “poses a specific, real and present threat to any person or the community.” That can include perpetrators of any of the crimes listed in the image above.
Keep in mind: pretrial release is just that–release before a person’s trial. An alleged criminal is not free forever. Once they are tried, they are either found guilty and sentenced or found innocent and released.
[Story has been updated with a small change in the fourth graf.]
As I told you yesterday, there’s lots of Democratic talk behind the scenes about changing the law because there are some significant problems with it. But none of the proponents have wanted to admit this in public. That’s a huge mistake, IMHO.
First, let's check out this "news story." Notice how it is a "staff report," and doesn't include a reporter's name. Only in very rare instances will a reputable publication do this, and that's often to protect sources who have risked their own safety. Not the case here. Red flag. pic.twitter.com/o45onTUYyh
