Campaign notebook
Wednesday, Aug 24, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Vote Yes for Workers’ Rights is now up on broadcast TV in Chicago with an ad bolstering its proposed constitutional amendment that had been running on cable TV for the past couple of weeks. The group has already purcahsed about $4 million in TV ads in advance.
* Today at the Illinois Farm Bureau’s candidate forum, Sen. Darren Bailey was asked about whether he’d keep the Livestock Management Facilities Act in place. His answer…
I spread about 16,000 ton of chicken manure each year. So I know the advantage and the importance of you know, the regulatory process. I believe it’s working. A lot of people come, especially in the, being in the minority chair on Ag, people come and say, Well, what new laws, what are you thinking about?
My answer is always the same. You know, our current problem in Illinois that when we think about our elected officials, we think about new laws. Our state representatives and senators, they shouldn’t be writing new laws. They should be really representing you in helping us work through these laws and these problems.
We don’t need any more laws, especially where we’re at with agriculture. As far as I know, everything’s fine. Leave it alone, government stay out. I’ll even look to places that we can reduce regulation.
“We don’t need any more laws.” OK.
* Background is here. From a Tribune story on Gov. Pritzker’s recent campaign contributions…
The funding from Pritzker comes after Welch earlier this month made two contributions totaling $5 million to the state party from his individual campaign fund. Pritzker in June gave the state party three contributions totaling $1.5 million. Representatives from the Democrats for the Illinois House committee did not return requests for comment.
I checked and was told that money was a pre-payment for mailers. That Pritzker money was also for mailers in order to receive the postage discount.
* Raja…
Today, a bipartisan group of eleven Mayors launched the “Mayors for Raja” coalition and endorsed Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi’s re-election campaign to continue to represent Illinois’ 8th Congressional District in the U.S. Congress. The growing list of elected leaders in the 8th Congressional District included:
• Addison Mayor Richard Veenstra
• Carol Stream Village Mayor Frank Saverino
• Elgin Mayor Dave Kaptain
• Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson
• Hanover Park Village President Rod Craig
• Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod
• Itsasca Village President Jeff Pruyn
• Oak Brook Village President Gopal Lalmalani
• Schaumburg Village President Tom Dailly
• Roselle Mayor David Pileski
• Villa Park President Nick Cuzzone
* CD11…
* Press release…
Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs was unanimously elected president of a bipartisan organization that brings together state finance officials to address government financial management issues.
Frerichs’ Democratic and Republican colleagues from across the country picked him to be president of the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers (NASACT), the group announced today.
“It’s such an honor that my peers chose me to lead this bipartisan organization that works to solve the challenges of government,” said Frerichs, who had been the organization’s treasurer. “Making sure state governments work for the people is not a Republican or Democratic issue, and I’m especially proud that colleagues across the aisle supported my election as NASACT president.”
The election caps Frerichs’ ascension within the organization. After less than a year as Illinois State Treasurer, Frerichs’ peers selected him in 2015 to join the NASACT Executive Committee. In 2016, Frerichs received the NASACT president’s award. The late Judy Baar Topinka, a popular former Republican Illinois state treasurer and comptroller, received that same award in 2015.
In addition to his NASACT role, Treasurer Frerichs was elected by his bipartisan peers to serve as secretary-treasurer of the National Association of State Treasurers (NAST) in 2021. He serves on the NAST Executive, Long-Range Planning, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committees.
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* Press Release…
Two Illinois men, who are brothers, were arrested today on felony and misdemeanor charges for their actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Their actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
Daniel Leyden, 55, of Chicago, was arrested along with his brother, Joseph Leyden, 56, of La Grange. Daniel Leyden is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with the felony offense of assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers with a dangerous weapon. Joseph Leyden is charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers.
Both also are charged with the felony offense of interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder, as well as four related misdemeanor offenses. Daniel Leyden was arrested in Chicago and his brother was arrested in La Grange. They are to make their initial court appearances today in the Northern District of Illinois.
According to court documents, Daniel and Joseph Leyden were among the rioters who were illegally on the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021. Shortly after 12:50 p.m., Daniel Leyden was in a crowd that confronted law enforcement officers at metal barricades near the Peace Circle. Daniel Leyden and other rioters repeatedly lifted and pushed a metal barricade.
* The brothers were captured on police body cameras which were used to identify them…
* NBC Chicago…
Federal prosecutors say Daniel Leyden was part of a crowd that assaulted Capitol police officers as they broke through one of the first lines of defense near Peace Monument on the West Side of the grounds, knocking one officer unconscious with a concussion.
That took place in the same area where Officer Caroline Edwards testified before the Jan. 6 special congressional committee that she was pinned down under a bike rack. […]
Both are charged with a variety of felony and misdemeanor charges. They appeared in court Tuesday afternoon and were released on bond.
Attorneys for the Leyden brothers confirmed that the two are both electricians but declined to comment on the case.
* The two brothers are among more than 30 Illinois residents to be charged in the Capitol breach. Tribune…
[Daniel Leyden] and other rioters repeatedly lifted and pushed a metal barricade that ultimately toppled and pinned an officer and the barricade was also used to attack other officers, including one who was knocked unconscious and suffered a concussion, according to the statement.
“Daniel Leyden’s actions contributed to injuries that these officers sustained and prevented officers from defending themselves and providing aid to one another,” the statement said.
His brother was also charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement officers.
“Joseph Leyden advanced and rushed toward an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department. He then lunged at and pushed the officer,” according to the statement.
* A former Chicago police officer also charged is refusing a plea deal, NBC Chicago reported …
A former Chicago police officer is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday for his alleged role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, according to authorities.
And while court records show that a plea deal is on the table for the former officer, he has so far rejected it.
Officer Karol Chwiesiuk, 29, faces a slew of charges including entering a restricted building without lawful authority, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, according to a criminal complaint against him. […]
Chwiesiuk, a 2.5-year member of CPD’s force, was relieved of his police powers on June 2, 2021, according to Supt. David Brown.
* WBEZ…
Chwiesiuk was on medical leave from CPD when he traveled to Washington to attend a Jan. 6, 2021, rally supporting then-President Donald Trump, according to a criminal complaint filed in June that year.
The police officer said in a text to a friend that he was going “to save the nation” and was “busy planning how to [expletive] up commies.”
Inside the Capitol, Chwiesiuk texted photos of himself while wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with a Chicago Police Department logo, according to prosecutors.
Chwiesiuk was also part of a mob that broke into the office of Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, prosecutors alleged. The office ended up trashed.
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* NBC…
Mayor Lori Lightfoot is calling out a conservative super PAC over a new attack ad aimed at Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, accusing the group of using “racist tropes” to create a scary image of Black Chicago and altering her skin to appear darker in the ad.
The ad opens with Lightfoot, who is Black, saying, “This will be the summer of joy in Chicago.” It then cuts to sounds of gunshots, screams and scenes of shadowy figures in the streets shooting. The words “Chicago violence is coming to the suburbs” appear on the screen. The clip of Lightfoot, a fellow Democrat, is from a speech she gave to the City Club of Chicago in April. Her skin color appears noticeably darker in the ad compared to the original video.
“News flash. I’m Black and I’m proud. Everyone knows it. No need to use cheap tricks to darken my skin and try to scare voters with false narratives about Chicago,” Lightfoot said in a statement to NBC News.
The ad was run by the People Who Play By the Rules super PAC, which is fronted by longtime Illinois conservative operative Dan Proft and largely funded by billionaire GOP financier Richard Uihlein. The PAC supports Pritzker’s Republican opponent, Darren Bailey, for governor in this fall’s election. Uihlein, who did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment, has given the PAC at least $26 million so far this year. The ad is filled with scenes of live shooting, sometimes prompting a warning on YouTube before it can be viewed. Three unaffiliated political ad makers — two who work mainly with Democrats, one who works with Republicans — who reviewed the ad after being contacted by NBC News said the mayor’s skin appeared noticeably darker than in the original video.
* The video was pulled from Lightfoot’s City Club of Chicago speech, here is a side-by-side comparison of both videos…
* Since the ad debuted Aug. 15, the People Who Play By The Rules PAC has reported spending more than $1 million on TV ads according to state campaign finance records. The video is age restricted on YouTube so click here for the link.
* The Sun Times…
Pritzker’s campaign said GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey should demand that “his allies” take the ad off the air.
“It is disappointing but unsurprising to see Republicans relying on dangerous dog whistles to deflect from their own miserable records,” Pritzker spokeswoman Natalie Edelstein said. “Instead of insulting elected officials and Illinois’ economic engine, members of the GOP ought to figure out why they have to keep apologizing for everything that comes out of their mouths.” […]
Lightfoot accused “Bailey and his ilk” of using “dog-whistle tactics.”
“Darren Bailey says he wants to represent the whole state? Well then, enough of these dog-whistle tactics,” Lightfoot said in a statement. “He cannot be the governor of this great state by using racist tropes against Black Chicago. Real leadership addresses the root causes of violence and proposes solutions that bring people together. Darren Bailey and his ilk have proven once again he’s not the man for the job.”
* President of People Who Play By The Rules PAC Dan Proft’s official statement in response to Lightfoot…
“The assertions by Pritzker and Lightfoot as to Lightfoot’s presentation in the ad are insane–and par for the course from inveterate race hustlers like Lightfoot and Pritzker who are trying to misdirect attention away from the fact that she has turned the city over to repeat, violent predators and he aims to do the same statewide with his elimination of cash bail.
How are people enjoying Lightfoot’s ‘Summer of Joy’ so far? 1186 shot. 213 murdered. Most of the victims? Black residents of Chicago.
We did nothing to Lightfoot’s pigmentation in the ad just as we did nothing to the pigmentation of our pasty blowhard of a governor. The video of Lightfoot was pulled from the web from her City Club speech.
We are not ’scaring’ suburbanites. Are suburban prosecutors like Jim Glasgow and Bob Berlin also ’scaring’ suburbanites?
In fact, we are warning them about what is to come if they don’t make changes to the leadership of the city and state.
The two of them, Pritzker and Lightfoot, are two of the worst human beings on the planet who together have accomplished nothing other than to abdicate their collective, primary responsibility to provide for the physical safety of law-abiding families.”
* The Chicago Tribune…
Uihlein gave the PAC $8 million during the Republican primary, much of which was spent aiding Bailey by attacking the GOP credentials of Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, one of Bailey’s top opponents in the six-man race. While the PAC is prohibited from coordinating directly with any candidate, Uihlein also gave more than $9 million directly to Bailey’s campaign.
Since the primary, the Uline packaging supplies founder has given $20 million to Proft’s committee but nothing to Bailey’s campaign, state records show.
Despite the committee supporting Bailey’s candidacy, his campaign noted in a statement Tuesday that it has “no communication with or control” over the PAC.
Bailey spokesman Joe DeBose said Pritzker and Lightfoot have control over crime afflicting Chicago “and they should be more concerned with the people being killed and set on fire in the city.” […]
According to the ad, criminal suspects will be “set free” if they’re charged with myriad violent offenses, including kidnapping and robbery. But proponents of that provision say the ad’s claim is “patently not true.”
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* Mike Miletich…
Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) said keeping kids in school is the first step of his education agenda in his battle against Gov. JB Pritzker. Bailey said Pritzker’s COVID-19 lockdowns “decimated” education in Illinois. Bailey challenged the governor over his COVID executive orders and the closing of schools during the worst period of the pandemic.
Now, Bailey said Illinois children suffered without in-person learning, and he will keep them in school if elected governor this fall. The Republican gubernatorial nominee also said Pritzker should apologize to students and parents for moving schools to virtual learning early into the pandemic.
Bailey argues that Illinois should provide scholarships to students in school districts that require remote or virtual learning. His campaign said Monday night that the change could allow children to have other learning options regardless of their economic status.
Data from the Illinois State Board of Education show students struggled with their English and math courses throughout the 2021 school year and younger students saw significant drops in proficiency.
“While Pritzker can more than afford to hire private tutors or pay for private schooling, many hardworking Illinois families don’t have that option,” Bailey said. “When their children fall behind, they have nowhere to turn which is shameful.”
* Pritzker campaign…
“Darren Bailey’s so-called ‘education agenda’ is yet another desperate attempt to cover up the fact that he has no coherent policies or plans. His only real agenda is regurgitating the far-right, ultra-MAGA talking points he gets from Donald Trump,” said JB for Governor Press Secretary Eliza Glezer. “From his comments downplaying the severity of COVID-19 during the height of the pandemic, to his votes against increased funding for education across the state, Bailey has proven time and time again that he doesn’t have Illinois students’ backs. Our kids, parents, and educators deserve better.”
* IEA President Kathi Griffin…
We have yet to see any plan from Sen. Bailey on how he plans to enhance public education and enrich our students’ lives. What we have seen is Gov. Pritzker in action. He has always put our students’ and communties’ health and safety above all else. During the height of the pandemic, he made difficult decisions to keep us all safe. When the pandemic started there were no vaccines, no medication, no testing and our hospitals were being pushed to their limits. When testing, vaccines and treatments became available and hospitals began to recover, the policies changed. Then, individual school districts were able to decide when to open. We are thankful the governor looked out for the health of our students, their families and those who work in our schools.
We are looking forward to this new school year and all the possibilities it brings for both our members and our students. We believe every student has the right to a high-quality public education, and we are glad Gov. Pritzker shares that vision.
The IFT chose not to comment.
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* You’ve probably already heard about this…
* Sophie Rodgers digs into the numbers for Crain’s…
On average, Illinois student loan borrowers owe $38,526, the seventh-highest average debt in the United States. This statistic is not alarming to Constantine Yannelis, associate professor of finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. “Illinois, like New York, is an area which is dominated by one metro area where you disproportionately see a lot of young, educated people living. This is why you have high student loan debt.” […]
Recent graduates in Illinois age 25 to 34 … owe an average of $36,806. […]
But younger borrowers in Illinois are not among those hit hardest by student loan debt. On average, of Illinois student loan borrowers, those age 50 to 61 owe the most: $50,757. Those age 62 and up owe an average of $46,959. […]
And this outstanding debt will almost certainly negatively impact their retirement. “They can’t even get out of that debt by defaulting because, due to court rulings, Social Security income can be garnished,” Yannelis said. As a result, older Illinois borrowers still deeply in student loan debt might delay retirement and will consume less in retirement, which will affect the overall economy.
Discuss.
…Adding… LG Stratton…
Today, millions of people are receiving news about long-awaited financial relief. With President Joe Biden’s announcement to forgive thousands of dollars in student loan debt for most borrowers, a burden is being eased.
As part of my office’s initiative to build a strong, diverse teacher pipeline, I traveled across Illinois to hear from leaders and students at our state colleges and universities.
On these campuses, I heard and felt the deep concern people in all fields had about the looming presence of student loan debt and how it would not only impact their careers, but also their quality of life.
This student loan plan takes major steps to address that. Up to $20,000 in debt relief for Pell Grant recipients ensures that forgiveness intentionally uplifts those from lower-income backgrounds. Additionally, restructuring the repayment system will provide increased borrower support after the freeze on payments ends. More needs to be done, but this is a historic move forward that will change the lives of millions.
I commend the administration for these tremendous efforts. May this drive us to continue the work for equitable, affordable education in Illinois and across the nation.
* Sen. Durbin…
U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after President Joe Biden announced his Administration’s plan to eliminate $10,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers making less than $125,000 a year and to extend the student loan payment freeze until December 31:
“Tens of millions of Americans are plagued by student loan debt in pursuit of a quality education. Today’s announcement by President Biden is a crucial step to enable low- and middle-income borrowers—especially communities of color—to eliminate their debt so they can buy a home, start a business, save for emergencies, and fully participate in our economy. President Biden and Congressional Democrats are delivering on our promises and focused on lifting up working families and the economy.”
Today’s announcement also allocates up to $20,000 of debt cancellation for Pell Grant recipients. On average, Illinois students owe $38,526 in debt after graduation.
Durbin has long been an advocate for widespread student debt relief. In August 2021, Durbin introduced the bipartisan FRESH START Through Bankruptcy Act, which would restore the ability for struggling borrowers to seek a bankruptcy discharge for federal student loans after a waiting period of ten years. Unlike most other types of debt, student loans are not dischargeable in bankruptcy except in rare circumstances.
* AG Raoul…
Attorney General Kwame Raoul today issued the following statement regarding the announcement from President Joe Biden’s administration that it plans to cancel $10,000 in debt for borrowers who earn less than $125,000 per year and $20,000 in debt for Pell grant recipients.
“Higher education should be within reach for all Illinoisans without the fear that they will be saddled with lifelong debt. The administration’s announcement today is a clear acknowledgment of the burden student loan debt imposes, and a response to repayment and forgiveness programs that have been historically and systemically flawed.
“While long-term reforms to the student loan system in this country are desperately needed, I commend the Biden administration for offering some immediate relief to millions of student loan borrowers.”
Attorney General Raoul has long advocated for protections for student loan borrowers. In May, Raoul called upon President Biden to cancel federal student loan debt, and he was joined by other attorneys general. Earlier this month, Raoul led a coalition of attorneys general calling on the U.S. Department of Education to give public servants more opportunities for loan forgiveness.
The Illinois Attorney General’s office continues to be a national leader in investigating and enforcing consumer protection violations in the higher education field. In 2022, Raoul’s office led a nationwide settlement against Navient, the country’s largest student loan servicer, that resulted in $5 million in restitution, and more than $133 million in debt cancelation, for Illinois borrowers. In 2021, Raoul’s Know Before You Owe legislation was enacted, ensuring that Illinois student borrowers have information about their federal aid eligibility before they turn to more costly private loans. And along with overseeing the rollout of the state’s first Student Loan Ombudsman, a position created by the Student Loan Servicing Rights Act to provide resources for borrowers who are struggling to make payments, Raoul’s office has recently provided $14 million in relief to private student loan borrowers who attended ITT.
Student borrowers who have questions or are in need of assistance can call the Attorney General’s Student Loan Helpline at 1-800-455-2456. Borrowers can also file complaints on the Attorney General’s website.
* US Rep. Mary Miller…
CONGRESSWOMAN MARY MILLER (R-IL) released the following statement on President Biden’s announcement on student loan “forgiveness”:
“Today, Joe Biden announced a $300 billion taxpayer-funded bailout for leftist colleges and universities that prey upon young people by selling them worthless “humanities” degrees so they can become foot soldiers in the Marxist revolution destroying America,” Miller said. “In the midst of the Biden Recession, Joe Biden is using working class taxpayers to pay off his donors and voters at a time of historic debt, and record inflation.”
“The blue-collar working class is now saddled with the cost of paying off “elite” institutions with billion dollar endowments. They defrauded young people by exaggerating their future earning power that would enable them to pay back those loans.”
“Parents sacrificed for years to save for their children’s college expenses and many students forfeited going to the school of their choice and instead choose community college or instate tuition. Some didn’t go to college because it was unaffordable and didn’t want to pay back loans. Many people worked full time and lived at home to pay for college and lots of graduates have been making college loan payments for YEARS! President Biden’s decision to bailout colleges and universities adds insult to injury and is completely irresponsible.”
“A new majority in Congress must investigate the staggering increase in costs for college degrees, the disconnect between those rising costs and the job prospects of graduates who cannot pay back these loans, and the corrupt endowment system! The U.S. Department of Education’s role is to protect and defend the TAXPAYERS, not the leftist colleges and universities with billion dollar endowments that prey upon borrowers! It’s time to defund and eliminate the U.S. Dept. of Education.”
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* From the end of an Illinois Times story about how “A New Berlin man who admitted to pointing a handgun at state Sen. Elgie Sims as the two were driving separate vehicles in Springfield in March 2021 was sentenced to nine months of probation on Aug. 17″….
The Chicago Tribune reported in early August that Sims was approached by the FBI in its investigation of potential “influence peddling” by Axon Enterprise Inc. The Tribune reported that Axon, an Arizona law-enforcement technology company, hired law firm Foley & Lardner LLP to lobby the legislature. Sims is an of-counsel attorney at Foley.
According to the Tribune, “Investigators are looking into whether Axon – either directly or through other lobbying entities – improperly tried to influence Sims in his official duties as a member of the Illinois Legislature working on the criminal-justice legislation.”
Sims declined comment on the Tribune story.
His attorney, Thomas Anthony Durkin, said in a statement to IT: “There is a good reason federal investigations are required by law to be secret. It is to protect people who have not committed crimes. Senator Sims has committed no crime and has not been charged with any crime. Obviously, someone not happy with this historic and long overdue crime-reform bill – and many in law enforcement are unhappy – is baselessly attempting to smear Senator Sims’ good name and hard work by leaking this investigation.”
That’s a bold move.
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Good news is always, always, always somehow bad
Wednesday, Aug 24, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Illinois Policy Institute…
A Truth in Accounting report argued state authorities should have used billions in federal aid to pay down interest on existing pension debt rather than save it for a rainy day. Experts warn this could lead to more state borrowing.
Um, what?
The governor’s office pointed to this Federal Register passage from the US Treasury Department…
For all recipients except Tribal governments, funds may not be used for deposits into a pension fund. […]
Subsection 602(c)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act provides that ‘‘[n]o State or territory may use funds made available under this section for deposit into any pension fund.’’ Similarly, subsection 603(c)(2) of the Social Security Act provides that ‘‘[n]o metropolitan city, nonentitlement unit of local government, or county may use funds made available under this section for deposit into any pension fund.’’
For purposes of this restriction on pension deposits, the interim final rule defined deposit to mean ‘‘an extraordinary payment of an accrued, unfunded liability.’’
* From the reported cited by the IPI…
On the heels of credit rating upgrades, Illinois has sold $1.6 billion worth of bonds to fund a pension buyout program and construction projects. As the Chicago Tribune reported, Gov. J.B. Pritzker touted the upgrades lauding Democratic leaders for their work “to make sure that we’re back in good fiscal order, that the state is building its fiscal foundations for the road ahead.” But as Hetty Chang of Moody has stated, ratings are not “public policy report cards, although politicians may use them as such.” Credit ratings do not focus on the overall financial condition of the state; they focus on the likelihood of bonds being paid.
And if the state is in such “good fiscal order,” then why did it need to borrow money?
You don’t spend cash to buy a house, and you don’t spend cash to fix a bridge, build a transit line or fund a pension buyout program, which would’ve put more immediate pressure on the state budget for no good reason.
* And Jordan Abudayyeh pointed to some past instances when IPI denounced the state for its essentially non-existent rainy day fund…
The state also kicked in $500 million for extra pension payments on top of what the state was obligated to pay by statute.
…Adding… When Senate President Don Harmon asked for a federal bailout of its pension funds, IPI and others freaked out…
* IPI: Why Congress should reject Illinois’ $44 billion bailout request
* Wirepoints: Illinois Senate Democrats Seek Massive Federal Bailout for State, Going Far Beyond Coronavirus Impact
* Sun-Times: GOP Illinois congressmen blister state senate Democrats for using COVID-19 coronavirus as excuse for pension bailout request
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* Center Square…
Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey, the GOP gubernatorial candidate who got Trump’s endorsement, said he saw the Trump raid as a bad sign.
“I find it very upsetting,” Bailey told WMAY. “I personally look at this, I believe it is political. And I want to tell you what, watching this all unfold, I am very concerned about the future of our country.”
Audio is here.
* Related…
* U.S. National Archives identified 700-plus pages of classified records at Trump’s home: “Among the materials in the boxes are over 100 documents with classification markings, comprising more than 700 pages. Some include the highest levels of classification, including Special Access Program (SAP) materials,” Wall’s letter said, referring to security protocols reserved for some of the country’s most closely held secrets. … The letter shows that Trump’s legal team repeatedly tried to stall the Archives from letting the FBI and intelligence officials review the materials, saying that he needed more time to determine if any of the records were covered by a doctrine called executive privilege that enables a president to shield some records.
* Documents recovered at Mar-a-Lago were among government’s most classified, letter shows: “I mean, if he had actual special access programs — do you know how extraordinarily sensitive that is? That’s very, very sensitive. If that were actually at his residence, that would be a problem,” said Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah), a member of the House Intelligence Committee.
* FBI’s Mar-a-Lago search followed months of resistance, delay by Trump: Trump’s lawyers do not appear to have argued to Steidel Wall that Trump had declassified the documents that bore classified markings before he left office. While presidents have widespread authority to declassify documents, there is a process for doing so, and even declassified documents are required by the Presidential Records Act to remain in Archives custody.
…Adding… Good point…
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Open thread
Wednesday, Aug 24, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Have at it, but keep it about Illinois, please. Thanks.
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Live coverage
Wednesday, Aug 24, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
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