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Question of the day
Thursday, Feb 13, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* It’s kinda late in the day for a “serious” question, so how about we lighten things up with a caption contest? Rep. Lou Lang and Gov. Pat Quinn share a moment…
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More like this, please
Thursday, Feb 13, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The oftentimes brutally confrontational, divisive and even mean-spirited Bruce Rauner talked like a reasonable human being for a change…
Does downstate Illinois get too big of a share of the state’s road fund? The Republican candidates for governor don’t think so.
Legislators from Chicago and its suburbs have complained that less populated parts of the state receive a disproportionate amount of transportation revenues. Currently, funds are divided in a 55/45 split, with the Chicago area getting the smaller chunk. Bruce Rauner thinks it’s an extension of a feud as old as the state itself.
“I’ve heard the debate about downstate versus metro Chicago,” Rauner said. “The fighting within our state is one of the problems we’ve got.”
The regional fighting will never go away, but it has to be toned down. For too many years, particularly in Downstate, politicians have spent millions of dollars ginning up regional hostilities to benefit their own political hides. People quite often take their cues from their leaders, so the campaign rhetoric is not helpful in the least.
* But if regional fighting is bad, as Rauner admits, what about his threats to set a torch to the Statehouse? Food for thought, Bruce.
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* There have been a rash of stories lately about various bills introduced to tweak or greatly modify the state’s new concealed carry law, which isn’t even fully operational yet. I’ve mostly been ignoring them.
Rep. Phelps is spot on…
State Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg, who was chief sponsor of the legislation that created the new concealed carry rules, said it’s too early for either side to be making changes.
“Everybody needs to take a deep breath,” [Phelps] said. “This is monumental legislation. Let’s let it go into effect and see what it’s like before we try to change it.
“I really believe that neither pro-gun nor anti-gun bills are going to see any movement in the legislature right now.”
Keep that in mind when you read the almost non-stop stories about how one legislator wants to enact more concealed carry restrictions or another legislator wants to loosen some restrictions. It’s all for show. Ain’t none of them moving very far unless they have an agreed bill.
*** UPDATE *** And while it pains me to say it, the same goes for medical marijuana…
State Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) said the state has to prove it can handle medical marijuana first after it was enacted last year.
“I would prefer to wait, just to make sure this rolls out correctly,” Lang said, after the huge tax revenues brought in by Colorado with the new year reignited the debate over legalization last week. “If this doesn’t roll out right, there’s no way full legalization is going to roll out.
“There will be some who want to jump the gun and propose it,” Lang added. “And there are some proposing a middle ground, where we don’t legalize it, necessarily, but we decriminalize it and make it a small misdemeanor. So there are a lot of different ideas out there.”
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Time to take a breath
Thursday, Feb 13, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Pat Gauen…
Returning from lunch during a murder trial one day, I rode a Madison County Courthouse elevator with the accused killer and two guards.
The shackled fellow recognized me as a reporter, and unloaded a loud but unconvincing earful about being railroaded. He capped it with a declaration that the prosecutor was a “ho-mo-sexual.” I write it now the way he said it then.
What, I wondered, was the point. Why would it matter? A prosecutor’s sexual orientation wouldn’t make the guy in chains any less guilty.
Then I realized from the rage in his eyes that “ho-mo-sexual” was the ugliest accusation this guy could imagine. It was the kind of thing he could hope would stick. […]
I don’t know that I ever heard anyone just shout out a gay accusation like that before. But I heard plenty of whispered sexual innuendos during years of writing about politics.
It’s a heckuva column and you should go read the whole thing.
* Which brings us to this Tribune story…
Rutherford shared rooms with assistant - Treasurer says practice a way to save money
State Treasurer Dan Rutherford routinely roomed overnight in hotels and a Chicago apartment with a low-level treasurer’s office employee whom he has given a 50 percent pay hike, raising questions about the workplace judgment of the Republican candidate for governor.
Rutherford said he has shared a room with his executive assistant, Joshua Lanning, scores of times since taking office in 2011, a practice he says is a way to save money for his campaign fund.
“We double-bunk in the campaign,” Rutherford said. “We always double-bunk when we can. Totally as a cost-saving measure.”
The Trib wasn’t as juvenile as the Sun-Times has been on this, but it suits the same purpose - to spread innuendo about the candidate.
* Bill Cameron follows up with Rutherford…
The innuendo of the Tribune story is obvious, but Rutherford is not taking the bait.
“This is hardball in Illinois and I understand people will do what they feel they need to do, but we’re moving forward with the campaign and we’re getting a tremendous amount of support and feedback,” Rutherford said.
When asked if the story perhaps says more about the Tribune than about him, Rutherford replied, “Well, I’ve always learned you don’t get into an argument with someone who buys ink by the barrel or someone who has a recording device that can go in as an item, so let’s just say that they’re out there doing what they feel they need to do and I’m moving forward. I have the ball and we’re moving ahead to get the nomination for Governor of Illinois.”
Good for Bill.
…Adding… Greg Hinz is also a must read today.
* The story is turning into a feeding frenzy. Fox 32 showed up at Ed Michalowski’s workplace…
It’s the news making waves this week as State Treasurer and Gubernatorial hopeful Dan Rutherford is slapped with a federal lawsuit. Ed Michalowski, a former lawyer and director in Rutherford’s office, claims Rutherford made inappropriate sexual advances and regularly forced him to do political work on state time. In tonight’s top story Fox News Correspondent Mark Flannery caught up with Ed Michalowski to find out what he had to say.
Flannery: We’d just like to ask you why you waited for two-and-a-half years before you filed a complaint?
Edmund P. Michalowski: I’m working right now. Per my work arrangement, I’m not supposed to be talking about any of this on state — on county time.
Flannery: You’re walking in a hallway. Why did you wait 2-1/2 years before you filed these complaints, made these allegations?
Michalowski: Sir!
Flannery: Why did you wait 2-1/2 years before filing these allegations?
Michalowski: Okay. You know what? I understand. You guys have a very important role in all of this, reporting all of these things. I’ve asked you to respect my work environment.
Security eventually had to step in. Watch the video.
* Meanwhile, tomorrow looks like it’ll be another busy day here…
A report from the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office about its internal investigation of allegations made by a former employee is expected to be released Friday.
The internal investigation has been conducted by a former IRS agent who has been paid $250 an hour in taxpayer funds to examine Michalowski’s allegations.
* Other stuff…
* Rutherford posts position papers letting public know where he stands
* Bill Brady weighs in on accusations against Rutherford: “I think those are personal attacks that shouldn’t take place in a primary. Talking about issues wins elections.”
* Editorial: Clarity hard to come by in claims against Rutherford
* Bernard Schoenburg: Rutherford’s long political climb suddenly tougher
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* Progress Illinois reports on a recent statewide Public Policy Polling survey on unemployment benefits…
In the poll of 506 registered Illinois voters, 63 percent said Congress should reinstate the unemployment benefits, which expired last year, while 31 percent were opposed to the idea. Of those in favor of reinstating the unemployment assistance, 83 percent were Democrats and 44 percent were Republicans.
OK, it’s pretty popular. But is it really an issue that will drive votes one way or another? Meh…
Of those polled, 40 percent said Kirk’s vote makes them less likely to support the senator in the future, while 31 percent think they would be more likely to support him. Twenty-four percent of respondents cited that Kirk’s vote makes “no difference” on whether or not they would support him in the future, while 5 percent said they were not sure.
That 40 percent number isn’t really high enough to matter all that much.
* And if you look at the crosstabs, just 33 percent of African-Americans and 37 percent of independents said they’d be less likely to vote for Sen. Kirk because of that vote.
* I did find this of some interest, however…
Do you approve or disapprove of Senator Mark Kirk’s job performance?
Approve ………………………………………… 28%
Disapprove …………………………………….. 32%
Not sure ………………………………………… 39%
He was out of the public eye for so long after his stroke that he doesn’t seem to be on a whole lot of voters’ radar screens. 48 percent of women have no opinion of him, as do 44 percent of Democrats.
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* Remember Travis Loyd? He’s the former deputy director at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources who was given the heave-ho after news outlets started calling about a months-long sick leave he took last year. Loyd participated in several fishing tournaments while on leave and even posted photos to his Facebook page.
DNR told me Monday that Loyd was on a “physician-approved” family medical leave. And Loyd says his doctor recommended that he go fishing. No joke…
Loyd said he took the time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act, or FMLA. He insisted DNR officials, including director Marc Miller, knew full well where he was and what he was doing.
“For them to indicate that they didn’t know I was out at fishing tournaments, baloney!” Loyd said. “This was them knee-jerking. I did absolutely nothing wrong.”
Loyd’s doctor, Tricia Warner of Mount Vernon, said in an email to Loyd she did indeed recommend he attend fishing tournaments while on leave in order to reduce stress. She copied the BGA and NBC 5 on that email at Loyd’s request.
“We discussed hobbies and activities that might alleviate stress,” Warner wrote. “You mentioned fishing and being involved in fishing tournaments as very enjoyable and relaxing for you. I encouraged your participation in these activities.”
Loyd insists his superiors were given that information when they approved his leave.
Hilarious.
Not.
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Poll has Oberweis leading 52-15
Thursday, Feb 13, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Tribune’s poll of Republican primary voters has a wholly unsurprising result for the US Senate race…
* Jim Oberweis: 52%
* Doug Truax: 15%
* Undecided: 32%
* From the Trib…
Though he has yet to spend much money this time out, Oberweis has 88 percent name recognition among Republican voters. That’s due to not only the family’s namesake dairy stores, but also the millions of his own money that Oberweis spent during one campaign for governor and two U.S. Senate bids that date to 2002. Oberweis also lost special and general election bids for Congress before breaking through with a state Senate win in November 2012. […]
Despite that, the poll indicated little voter fatigue among Republicans over Oberweis’ ambitious and frequent attempts to win public office and the sometimes controversial gaffes he committed along the way. Overall, 40 percent viewed Oberweis favorably while 9 percent looked upon him unfavorably. Another 39 percent had no opinion of him. […]
Truax has yet to introduce himself to many Republican voters — 52 percent said they have never heard of the military veteran and a managing partner and co-owner of Oak Brook-based Veritas Risk Services. Of those who said they were familiar with Truax, 36 percent had no opinion of him while only 11 percent viewed him favorably and 1 percent had an unfavorable view.
The Truax campaign has been almost solely about the candidate’s public speaking engagements. He’s everywhere and he’s received some local party support for his efforts. That often gives candidates the sense that they’re gaining some traction. But in a race like this, you gotta get your name out there.
If the choice is between a guy they know and someone they’ve never even heard of (who could be anybody, even a disguised Democrat, for that matter), voters will almost always go with the guy they know. And since Truax has almost zero cash on hand, he has no resources to get himself known.
It’s gonna take a miracle for Truax to pull this one off.
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* Today is a state holiday, but I forgot to shut down comments. Oops. Sorry about that. Instead of a song, here’s a story from Greg Hinz about how Bruce Rauner’s campaign already has a response ad on the airwaves…
The response ad says suggestions that Mr. Rauner profited from his connections to convicted political fixer Stuart Levine — who was on the payroll of a company partially owned by Mr. Rauner’s firm, at $25,000 a month — have been “dismissed” by the Chicago Tribune, which took a look at them.
These “false attacks come from ‘allies’ of incumbent Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn “and Springfield insiders, so you know they must be worried,” the ad proclaims. But the Rauner critics “are right” that he’ll cut wasteful spending and push term limits, Mr. Rauner himself declares in the spot.
The Tribune did indeed label some charges involving Mr. Rauner and Mr. Levine “tenuous at best.” But other reporters, including this one, have questioned whether Mr. Rauner really didn’t know he was paying Mr. Levine at the same time that Mr. Rauner personally solicited investment work from a huge state pension fund on whose board Mr. Levine served.
* The ad, which we’ll talk about tomorrow…
…Adding… Discuss away.
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* The same Illinois legislator who wanted the state government to regulate blog comments has a new idea: Ban Google Glass while driving…
Google’s new computerized glasses aren’t on sale to the general public yet, but the devices already have lawmakers in Illinois and several other states concerned that they’ll become the latest deadly distraction for drivers.
Illinois state Sen. Ira Silverstein filed legislation Tuesday to bar motorists from using the Google Glass devices, which allow wearers to search the Internet, make phone calls and check email.
“It’s just another way people will be distracted,” the Chicago Democrat told the Springfield bureau of Lee Enterprises newspapers. “People’s attention to the road should not be interrupted.”
* But…
At the moment, the only Illinois law that would regulate Google Glass usage in cars is related to operating a motor vehicle while watching a video monitor. That law forbids drivers from watching entertainment, like movies and television shows, on a video display while driving.
However, the display can show the driver information about the automobile’s performance, GPS-enabled directions within mapping software and the feed from a rear-mounted camera.
Hypothetically, Google Glass could display any of this information while driving and potentially enhance the driving experience. As a potential solution to appease lawmakers, Google could create some form of driving mode for Google Glass that locks out other distracting applications from use while operating a vehicle. However, it would likely be up to the driver to activate this mode before entering the vehicle.
* And…
However, one application being promoted by [Google] appears to promote the wearing of the glasses while driving.
The company has developed a system in which wearers can direct the glasses to translate road signs into different languages, suggesting that a motorist driving in a foreign country could wear them and still find their way around.
I always have to keep telling myself, this is just a bill. It isn’t a law.
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Mark Brown writes Dan Rutherford’s political obituary…
Rutherford’s entire political future rests on him being able to successfully rebut the allegations of a now former employee who contends the treasurer sexually harassed him and forced him to do political work on state time.
While Rutherford was forceful and assured in his strenuous denials, much more so than in his unusual pre-emptive strike 10 days earlier, I’m afraid he will continue to find that such accusations are more easily made than laid to rest. […]
Before his campaign was sidetracked by Michalowski’s allegations, Rutherford was telling reporters he was in the best position to challenge Rauner’s frontrunner status, an argument he repeated Monday.
Fair or not, it doesn’t look that way from here.
* Yepsen also weighs in…
David Yepsen with the Paul Simon Institute says Rutherford was viewed as the alternative to businessman Bruce Rauner in a four man Republican governor’s race.
“This could be motivated by all kinds of things. Politics, money, personal spite; It doesn’t matter. It’s a very damaging charge,” Yepsen said.
He says the political damage may be too much to overcome.
“It’s such a stain, such a black eye that there’s not really time to get it laundered out before the election,” conceded Yepsen.
* The Tribune editorial board isn’t so sure…
There is little that the rest of us can do right now other than step back, draw deep breaths, and see where the evidence leads us. That’s not so hard:
Illinois voters are steely veterans of political scandals, public corruption and lurid allegations variously true and false. Republican primary voters have some time to wait for more information before deciding whether they’ll nominate Rutherford for governor.
* Greg Hinz also looks at the future…
Is [Rutherford’s response] enough to put Mr. Rutherford back on the political high ground, the innocent guy who fought back? Probably not — especially if the charges that he coerced aides to perform political chores turn out to have merit. But I can’t say that for sure.
Nor is it likely that either of the other two Republicans in the race, state Sens. Kirk Dillard and Bill Brady, will gain from the carnage, though a Rutherford exit or effective exit could allow Mr. Brady, who lives in Bloomington, to consolidate the downstate vote. Both are too far back and have too little money to fight with to make up much ground, I suspect. Unless, that is, Mr. Rutherford can roll out more proof that Mr. Rauner is behind it all.
It’s going to take a few days for all this to settle.
* Understatement of the week…
Northern Illinois University Political Science Chair Matt Streb says the lawsuit will be a big distraction from the Chenoa Republican’s main message.
* The Question: How would you describe Dan Rutherford’s campaign troubles right now? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
panel management
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Sun-Times remains on the low road
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* At least Ben was up front about it…
ABC7 Reporter Ben Bradley: “The elephant in the room. Are you gay?”
Rutherford: “No. Next question.”
Rutherford points out his accuser Ed Michalowski never filed a formal complaint about inappropriate sexual advances, or any other wrong doing, until now, weeks before an election. But yes, Rutherford says, the two did share a hotel room with his male subordinate Ed Michalowski on at least two occasions.
“This is something you do in small business, in the NFL, NHL. It’s something you do to save resources,” said Rutherford.
* But, once again, the Sun-Times sticks solely with the innuendo…
In the midst of defending against sexual harassment allegations by one male employee, state Treasurer Dan Rutherford acknowledged that he had shared a hotel room with a different male employee on state time — “to save resources.” […]
Another reporter queried Rutherford: “But I don’t share a hotel room with my boss.”
This is the second time in a week that the Sun-Times has tried to get cutesy with the Rutherford story. It’s beneath them.
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Site update
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* We’ve had some site response issues recently, particularly yesterday. I apologize for that. My web hosting service sent me this e-mail today…
Last night we upgraded your site to use to MariaDB instead of MySQL. It looks like your site is performing well but I would imagine you are not getting the same load on the site. We will keep monitoring load to see if this helps.
Keep your fingers crossed.
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An examination of the he said/he said
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I thought Treasurer Dan Rutherford’s performance at yesterday’s press conference was pretty good. But not all of his claims totally hold up.
For instance, this is from Rutherford’s press release…
Michalowski claims that he was harassed at “an overnight retreat” at the Treasurer’s home in Chenoa on April 2, 2011. However, a travel voucher submitted and signed by Michalowski for the date of April 2, 2011 shows he traveled home from Pontiac (not Chenoa) at 2 in the afternoon. Most importantly, contrary to his claim that he planned to stay the night and that he was harassed in the evening, the voucher indicates Michalowski returned to his residence in Chicago by 4 in the afternoon that day. An email written by Michalowski to another co-worker confirms that he traveled to Pontiac and returned home the same day.
* But…
In an interview with the Tribune, Michalowski acknowledged what the travel voucher showed but said he filled it out inaccurately at the time because he was embarrassed about what happened and Rutherford told him not to expense an overnight trip because they were going to be discussing politics.
Not expensing an overnight trip because of campaign work is common practice in government.
* Then again, some of the claims made by the accuser just seem bizarre. This is from Ed Michalowski’s lawsuit…
The stress and anxiety suffered by Plaintiff from Defendants’ conduct has manifested itself physically.
In November 2012, Plaintiff was admitted to the hospital with severe headaches. After numerous hospitalizations and tests, Plaintiff was diagnosed with leakage of cerebral spinal fluid in the brain for which he has undergone four blood patches and one occipital nerve block as a result of Defendants’ conduct.
Plaintiff has missed time from work for these hospitalizations throughout 2013 as a result of Defendants’ conduct.
Plaintiff has incurred over $100,000.00 in medical bills related to these hospital stays as a result of Defendants’ conduct.
Really? Dan Rutherford caused “leakage of cerebral spinal fluid”? I really find that hard to believe without any solid evidence.
* Back to Rutherford’s press release…
Michalowski has never suffered any demotion or decrease in salary, which was substantial; his $99,000 annual salary placed him among the six highest salaries at the treasurer’s office. He was never promised any promotion or position. The text messages produced to our office by Michalowski show continual civility, camaraderie, appreciation, and support from the treasurer and other co-workers for Michalowski and from Michalowski to the treasurer and other co-workers. This is true both pre- and post- the alleged harassment.
* But…
Michalowski also claims he was promoted twice – first from deputy director to director of community affairs and later to director of the merged community affairs and marketing departments – with no pay increase. His lawsuit claims his salary stayed the same throughout his tenure at the treasurer’s office.
Rutherford is pretty cheap, so that might explain it.
* Timing is also an issue. From Rutherford’s press release…
The alleged incidents of harassment started in 2011 and 2012, well beyond the statutes of limitations provided under state law and federal law for Equal Employment Opportunity claims. Only today does Michalowski raise incidents occurring in 2013 as a way to make these allegations seem timely. Like the timing of the claims, this is very convenient for Michalowski.
Likewise, the political activity is alleged to have primarily occurred in 2011 and 2012. Michalowski, like every Illinois State Treasurer’s Office employee, receives Ethics Training annually, and employees are instructed to report any allegations of prohibited political activity or other misconduct to the Office of Executive Inspector General. However, there is a one-year statute of limitations for the Office of Executive Inspector General to open investigations. These allegations were never reported to the Executive Inspector General at the tim
Sometimes, victims of these sorts of things just don’t act or speak up right away. It happens.
* And there’s the money angle…
Public records show that Michalowski is in the midst of an on-going bankruptcy proceeding in which Michalowski is delinquent in making payments as of May 2013, with a hearing scheduled on the delinquency for January 23, 2014—the date his attorney first contacted the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office. His home was foreclosed upon in April 2013. In October 2013, Michalowski filed for divorce.
Lots of people have had financial troubles, particularly those who go through divorces. That doesn’t make them dishonest.
* Finally, this allegation may have looked salacious at first…
On July 24, 2011, Treasurer’s Office employee and Rutherford political Chief of Staff Curt Conrad texted Plaintiff the following: “The treasurer specifically asked that you wear a tank top. Totally your decision if you want to ignore. I am just a messenger.”
* Rutherford’s response…
Details such as a July 24, 2011 text from a staffer that the treasurer asked that Michalowski wear a “tank top” are deliberately taken out of context. Michalowski provided to the treasurer’s office what he claims to be the entire string of texts, which shows that Michalowski was engaging in light-hearted conversation with the staffer about appropriate dress.
* The full exchange…
Curt: No coat and tie required tomorrow. Business casual fine.
Ed: What about my toupee, should I bring my business casual one?
Curt: The treasurer specifically asked that you wear a tank top. Totally your decision if you want to ignore. I am just a messenger.
Ed: OK. Sounds like a plan.
This is clearly all a joke. They don’t call Conrad “Monkey” for nothing.
However, there is most definitely a noticeable undercurrent here. Yes, this was in fun, but you don’t need a compass to know that the joke points in a definite direction.
* And this more than implies that Michalowski has a witness…
In December 2013, Rutherford allegedly went over to Michalowski at an office party, rubbed his shoulders and said to him, “You need a full body massage.”
“That was creepy,” said another person who witnessed what happened, according to the lawsuit.
* Related…
* Dan Rutherford: ‘I’m going to continue on’
* Rutherford fires back at allegations of sexual harassment, political pressure
* Rutherford denies sex harassment charges: ‘This thing smells of politics’
* Rutherford Responds to Sexual Harassment Suit
* Former employee alleges Illinois treasurer sexually harassed him
* Rutherford denies sexual harassment, political coercion allegations in lawsuit filed by ex-employee
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Today’s quotables
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From last night’s gubernatorial candidates forum that Bruce Rauner skipped…
The candidates were allowed the opportunity to ask one another questions and Dillard began by saying he regretted having to ask this of the state treasurer.
“Are there any more allegations of sexual harassment coming at you from anyone else?” Dillard said.
The question seemed to hang in the air as the crowd numbering in the hundreds booed and grumbled.
Appearing taken aback by the question, Rutherford offered a long pause, staring right at Dillard at first.
“Sen. Dillard, I believe that was inappropriate,” Rutherford responded and the room erupted in applause.
Dillard later defended his question, saying he wanted to make sure that whoever wins the Republican nomination would not be derailed in a contest against Democratic incumbent Gov. Pat Quinn.
Like it or not, that was a fair question by Dillard.
Nobody in the GOP wants to see a repeat of the Jack Ryan insanity. The possibility that the state party might have to look for a replacement gubernatorial candidate is scaring the daylights outta some folks.
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A closer look at that new Tribune poll
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The new Tribune poll shows pretty much what my polling has shown since last year, but with one big difference…
The survey showed Rauner at 40 percent support, more than his top two rivals combined. State Sen. Bill Brady pulled 20 percent and Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford was at 13 percent. State Sen. Kirk Dillard had 11 percent.
Notice Treasurer Rutherford’s numbers?
All previous polling has shown Brady and Rutherford within a point or twoish of each other, even back when Rauner was trailing the pack. Rutherford trailing Brady by seven points in this new poll is not good news whatsoever.
The new Tribune poll appears to show some real damage to Rutherford. The Trib’s poll was taken Wednesday through Sunday, which means the pollster was in the field after the allegations against Rutherford surfaced.
Then again, Rauner’s two-to one lead (which We Ask America has been showing for quite a while now), is the real problem for those who don’t want to see Rauner nominated.
* The poll shows that huge numbers of voters have no opinion of or haven’t heard of three of the four candidates.
61 percent don’t have an opinion of Dillard or haven’t heard of him (49 and 12, respectively), 58 percent don’t have an opinion or never heard of Rutherford (49 and 9) and 45 percent don’t have an opinion or never heard of Brady (42 and 3).
Time definitely fades memories. And even statewide officeholders on a lower rung aren’t that well known to voters.
Rauner, however, has been running ads since last summer. He has a 48 percent favorable rating, just a 10 percent unfavorable rating, 28 percent had no opinion of him and 14 percent never heard of him, the poll found.
* Another question…
Bruce Rauner says his personal wealth makes him independent of special interests. His opponents say he is trying to buy the Republican nomination for governor. Who do you side with….Rauner or his Opponents?
The results…
* Side with Rauner 54 percent
* Side with opponents 20 percent
* Don’t know 26 percent
* More…
Dillard had complained that he was denied the Republican nomination last time because the crowded field split up his home base of support in Republican-rich DuPage County. But the poll found Rauner leading in the six-county area, which holds the bulk of the GOP primary vote, 43 percent to 18 percent for Brady. Dillard had support of 15 percent of voters in the area, while Rutherford had 11.
At the same time, Brady and Rutherford were expected to look to Downstate for a core base. While the contest tightens outside the Chicago area, the poll found that Rauner led Downstate with 35 percent to 23 percent for Brady. The poll found Rutherford had 15 percent and Dillard had 6 percent among Downstate Republicans, with 20 percent undecided.
Rauner’s opponents also have sought to attack his ideology by noting his relationship with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, former Mayor Richard M. Daley and other Democrats nationally. But among voters who call themselves conservatives, Rauner leads with 42 percent compared with 19 percent for Brady.
If there is an area for weakness for Rauner, it is a slight gap between men and women. Republican men prefer Rauner 44 percent to 19 percent for Brady, while GOP women backed Rauner 35 percent to 22 percent for Brady.
* Methodology…
This Chicago Tribune/WGN-TV poll is based on a sample of 600 confirmed registered voters in Illinois likely to vote in the March 18th Republican primary. The potential margin of error for a sample of 600 is +/- 4% at the 95% level of confidence. Interviewing was conducted by phone with live interviewers from Wednesday - Friday evenings and Saturday daytime, February 5-8.
Registered voters are screened to determine voting likelihood - registered to vote where they now live, absolutely or fairly sure will vote, and voted in one of last two GOP state primary elections. Illinois is one of the states that do not have party registration. Self-described party identification is a variable.
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* Labor unions funding a new campaign committee, Illinois Freedom PAC, have unveiled their first TV ad. Subscribers know more about the buy’s cost and reach and flight length, but this is basically a statewide buy and backed by big bucks. Rate it…
* Script…
Bruce Rauner says he’d shake up Springfield.
Hmm.
News reports tie Rauner to Stu Levine. Remember him? He’s the Blagojevich crony now in prison.
Levin testified that a company financed by Rauner’s firm gave him $1 million to get state contracts by “whatever means,” including payoffs.
At the same time, Levine voted to help Rauner’s firm get $50 million in state pension funds.
Trust Bruce Rauner to shake up Springfield? He’s tied to people who shook it down.
* The new committee describes itself on its website thusly…
Illinois Freedom is dedicated to educating Illinois families about the important issues at stake in this election.
* The accompanying press release…
Illinois Freedom PAC launched a new television ad today holding gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner accountable for his insider ties to Stuart Levine, a Blagojevich crony now in prison. The ad and the facts can be viewed at www.IllinoisFreedom.com.
“Bruce Rauner says he is an outsider who can shake up Springfield, but nothing could be further from the truth,” says Michael Murray, spokesman for Illinois Freedom. “A company co-owned by Rauner’s firm paid Blagojevich crony Stuart Levine $25,000 a month at the same time that Levine, who sat on the Illinois Teacher Retirement System board, voted to give Rauner’s firm tens of millions of dollars in state pension funds. Bruce Rauner isn’t who he says he is. As a businessman he made a fortune using his Springfield ties; just think what he’d do as governor.”
Representing hundreds of thousands of working families in Illinois, Illinois Freedom is dedicated to educating Illinois voters about the important issues at stake in this election. The ad is supported by an initial weeklong buy worth more than $1 million in the Chicago, Champaign, Peoria, and Rockford media markets as well as online.
Check the facts:
• In 1981, Bruce Rauner helped found the private equity firm GTCR. Rauner worked at GTCR for more than 30 years before retiring as the firm’s chairman in 2012 as he prepared to run for governor. [Chicago Tribune, 10.19.12[articles.chicagotribune.com]]
• Rauner’s firm GTCR had an ownership stake in a company called CompBenefits Corp., that retained Stuart Levine who has been called a “notorious political fixer, federal felon and corrupt Springfield insider who helped bring down Rod Blagojevich.” [Crain’s, 3.11.13[chicagobusiness.com]]
• According to Levine, the company paid him $25,000 per month to get city and state contracts by whatever means necessary, including payoffs. Levine even admitted to paying a bribe to get a $15 million city contract for the company. [Crain’s, 3.11.13[chicagobusiness.com] & Sun-Times, 8.25.05[blogs.suntimes.com]]
• At the same time Levine was being paid by the company that Rauner’s firm partially owned, he voted to award Rauner’s firm $50 million from the state teachers pension fund. [Sun-Times, 1.14.14][parkridge.suntimes.com]
• In January 2014, Greg Hinz, a columnist for Crain’s wrote, “I’d like to report that Mr. Rauner and his campaign have forthrightly answered the questions [about his relationship with Stuart Levine]. But I still can’t… How can Mr. Rauner be trusted to clean up corrupt Springfield when he won’t fully explain how and why Mr. Levine made $25,000 a month trying to get government business for a company owned in part by Mr. Rauner?” [Crain’s. 1.15.14[chicagobusiness.com]]
I’ll post the Rauner campaign’s response as soon as I get it. Check back soon.
…Adding… Here’s the Rauner campaign’s response…
Fact Check: New Attack Ad Gets It Wrong
- - Chicago Tribune Analysis Finds No Real Link Between Rauner, Levine - -
Supporters of Pat Quinn launched advertisements today in attempt to hijack the Republican primary and defeat Bruce Rauner. The ads are based on a de-bunked theory that tries to connect Bruce to Stuart Levine.
“This ad is irresponsible and shortchanges the truth in a desperate attempt to smear Bruce Rauner,” said Chip Englander, campaign manager for Bruce Rauner. “Pat Quinn’s special interest allies will say anything to try to stop Bruce, even peddling allegations that have been debunked by the media and they know aren’t true.”
Fact Sheet:
“[A] closer look at the available details suggests any such connection is tenuous at best.” – Chicago Tribune, 1/31/14
“[R]ecords cast doubt on any strong link between GOP candidate, convicted power broker.” – Chicago Tribune, 1/31/14
Bruce Rauner never hired Stuart Levine
Records show Rauner’s firm, GTCR Golder Rauner, took its ownership stake in CompDent in 1999 — three years after CompDent’s arrangement with Levine was inked.” - Chicago Tribune, 1/31/14
2003 Vote to Invest in GTCR was Unanimous
“Roll call resulted in affirmative voice votes from Trustees Bruner, Cleveland, Glennon, Klickna, Leggett, Levine, O’Neill, Phalen, Schmidt, and Schiller. Motion CARRIED.” (Illinois Teacher Retirement System, “Board of Trustee Minutes,”http://trs.illinois.gov/subsections/trustees/2003minutes/5_23_03.pdf, 5/23/03)
TRS Investments in GTCR Have Performed Exceptionally Well
Average rate of return by GTCR funds invested in by TRS is 25%.
o Fund VII: 26%
o Fund VIII: 24%
(Lynne Marek, www.chicagobusiness.com, 4/8/13)
Attack Fueled by Pat Quinn’s Special Interest Allies With Links to Levine
2003 TRS Motion to Invest Was Made by Cinda Klickna, President of the Illinois Education Association (IEA)
“On a motion by Cinda Klickna, seconded by Sharon Leggett, it was resolved: To allocate $50 million in GTCR Fund VIII, L.P., subject to satisfactory completion of contract and fee negotiations. Source of funds shall be the TRS Cash Flow account. - Illinois Teacher Retirement System, “Board of Trustee Minutes,” http://trs.illinois.gov/subsections/trustees/2003minutes/5_23_03.pdf, 5/23/03
IEA Directly Linked to “Illinois Freedom PAC”
Jean Luft is listed as chairman and treasurer of the “Illinois Freedom PAC.” – Illinois State Board of Elections, Accessed 2/10/14
Jean Luft is also President of the District 65 Educators’ Council, an affiliate of the Illinois Education Association. – District 65 Educators’ Council Website, Accessed 2/10/14
*** UPDATE *** The response to Rauner’s response…
Like I said before, you can’t trust Bruce Rauner. Levine said he was paid to secure contracts by whatever means necessary and Rauner wants us to believe that Levine changing his vote to give Rauner’s company $50 mil was just a coincidence?
Mr. Rauner just can’t be trusted. He says he’s an outsider but he’s tied to corrupt insiders like Levine. He gushed about how involved he was with ALL his companies but now pretends he knew nothing about one of the highest paid employees of one of those companies. He can’t have it both ways — that’s an insult to the intelligence of Illinois voters.
JUNE 17, 1999: GTCR And TA Funds Completed Its LBO Of CompDent. “CompDent Corporation (Nasdaq: CPDN), a leader in providing total dental benefits, announced today that it has completed its merger with the newly formed company, TAGTCR Acquisition, Inc., which was organized at the direction of Golder, Thoma, Cressey, Rauner, Inc. (”GTCR”) and TA Associates, Inc. (”TA”). Under the terms of the merger, CompDent was recapitalized and each outstanding share of CompDent’s common stock, other than certain shares held by management and other investors, was converted into the right to receive $15.00 in cash, and the existing funded indebtedness of CompDent was refinanced. The merger became effective June 17, 1999.” [CompDent Press Release, 6/18/99]
· AUGUST 9, 1999: Rauner: “We Spend A Lot Of Time Living With Our Companies On A Week-To-Week Basis, Understanding What’s Going On, And Being In The Flow Of Information, So We Can Be Helpful And Knowledgeable About The Operation.” Rauner said in an interview with The Wall Street Transcript, “We spend a lot of time living with our companies on a week-to-week basis, understanding what’s going on, and being in the flow of information, so we can be helpful and knowledgeable about the operation.” [Rauner Interview, The Wall Street Transcript, 8/9/99]
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* Floodgates are now open…
A former high-ranking employee for Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford dropped bombshell allegations in federal court Monday – charging that Rutherford sexually harassed him and used his state office to further his political aspirations.
The employee, Ed Michalowski, charged that Rutherford has made unwanted sexual advances against him since 2011. In one instance, Michalowski claims that in 2011 Rutherford held an overnight office retreat at Rutherford’s Pontiac home, entered Michalowski’s bedroom and grabbed his genitals.
Michalowski, 43, served as Rutherford’s Director of Community Affairs and Marketing. He resigned last week, telling the Sun-Times he felt intimidated by a news conference Rutherford held promising to combat the allegations while flanked by former federal agents. […]
In August of 2011, at D.H. Brown’s, a bar in Springfield, Michalowski alleges that Rutherford approached him and said: “If you go home with me you can have anything you want in the office.”
Michalowski further alleges that Rutherford demanded that he go through his personal list of past clients and ask them to donate to Rutherford’s campaign fund.
Michalowski’s attorney said on Monday that her client kept some text messages as corroboration but concedes there were likely no witnesses to the alleged incidents.
Michalowski worked for the secretary of state’s office before Rutherford hired him.
*** UPDATE *** Rutherford spokesperson Judy Pardonnet told Eric Zorn this today…
I would say the chances of anyone else coming forward is very unlikely.
Denial runs awful deep in that office.
*** UPDATE 2 *** The lawsuit can be read by clicking here.
*** UPDATE 3 *** From Rutherford’s office…
Treasurer Rutherford will hold a media availability this afternoon to address an ex-employee’s complaint.
Date: Monday, February 10, 2014
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Location: Hyatt Regency, 1800 E. Golf Rd., Schaumburg
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* From Fox 32…
A deputy director at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources resigned Thursday just hours after FOX 32 confronted DNR officials with evidence that he needed a gone fishin’ sign on his door last summer, while he was claiming to be sick. […]
Last year, according to the Illinois comptroller’s office, he earned $92,809.04 in his full-time job as Deputy Director for the Department of Natural Resources.
So, how did he manage to squeeze in four-day fishing tournaments in Florida, Alabama Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Michigan and still handle his state job?
Using the Freedom of Information Act, FOX 32 obtained Loyd’s time sheets. They show that between May 1 and mid-August last summer, about three and half months, the deputy director put in just seven and half hours working for the state.
He took 12 and a half vacation days in May, no problem there, but then claimed he was on sick leave for 44 consecutive days, not including weekends.
According to the WALMART FLW fishing tournament website, on five specific days when Loyd was using sick leave he was fishing for dollars in those tournaments.
Loyd had accumulated his unused sick days during his four years with the DNR, but state regulations say, “sick leave may be used for illness, disability, or injury of the employee, appointments with the doctor, dentist or other professional medical practitioner.”
There’s no mention of going fishing.
He was a deputy director. So, how did the DNR director not know about this? It just seems awful weird that a top official would essentially disappear for months and nobody bothers to wonder why.
*** UPDATE *** A DNR spokesman says Loyd was on a “physician-approved” family medical leave.
Still, the guy is posting pics all over his Facebook page and nobody at the office notices?
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A meatball right over the plate
Monday, Feb 10, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* In listening to Christine Svenson’s interview on WLS from earlier this morning, I heard a very easy push-back talking point for Dan Rutherford.
Svenson’s client said that after Rutherford made inappropriate advances, her client twice took his complaints to Rutherford’s chief of staff. The chief of staff then allegedly said “At least we have job security,” and claimed Rutherford had done similar things to him.
Look, I don’t know Rutherford’s chief of staff well, but I know him well enough to know that there is no way on God’s Green Earth that he will ever say that Rutherford did the same thing to him. Period.
In fact, in my discussions with the chief, he has said that he’s never witnessed anything of the kind.
So, a forceful and absolute denial by Rutherford’s chief could undermine some of the accuser’s claims.
* However, there’s still all those other Rutherford employees who are talking to the internal investigator.
* Also, Svenson said this about how she got the case…
SVENSON: About a month ago, two individuals, none of whom is my client, came to my office to tell me that they were on a “list” called the “Gang of Thirteen.” This “Gang of Thirteen” who were employees in the treasurer’s office was rumored to have been terminated by Treasurer Rutherford for not engaging in sufficient political activity and or were just people who he didn’t like in the office. He came up with this list with his chief of staff and perhaps one other person.
PROFT: You mean they were going to be terminated.
SVENSON: Going to be terminated. Correct.
SVENSON: So these two individuals that came into my office about a month ago were on this list and they came to me for advice and I still am giving them advice regarding their situations and they may have claims, who knows, at some point.
PROFT: What about the person who you’re representing…?
SVENSON: Right. So, those two individuals after talking to me went back to the office and talked to the other individuals that had been on the list. This individual, my current client, his name is Ed, was one of those people. They told Ed about me. So, then Ed came to me a couple of days later, so it would’ve been perhaps three and a half weeks ago. And his set of circumstances [were] even more unusual and troubling, frankly.
She wouldn’t reveal Ed’s last name.
* Full audio…
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Attorney sets clients up on dates
Monday, Feb 10, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Christine Svenson is the attorney representing Dan Rutherford’s chief accuser. This is from an article posted on her firm’s website about events she coordinates…
Svenson said she has divorce clients that she also helps with employment and family law issues. She sometimes sets her clients up on dates, and she thought the event would help lift their spirits.
“It really was a great way for women to feel good about themselves again,” Svenson said. “I’m helping [my clients] not only get back on their feet financially, but also back into the social scene.
“I only take cases from individuals that I actually personally believe in and like because you have this bond with your client. You want to help them not just with the financial implications of what they’re going through. I want to see the aftermath. I want them to have a good outcome five year or ten years down the road.” [Emphasis added.]
A full service law firm, eh?
[Hat tip to a commenter]
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Question of the day
Monday, Feb 10, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The AP has the umpteen millionth annual story on why this could be the year that gaming expansion is approved…
[Sen. Terry Link] said this year’s bill would include ample money for oversight. He also promised it would be much more streamlined than the 500-page previous version that Gaming Board Chairman Aaron Jaffe has called a “Christmas tree bill.”
“It can get so top heavy that nobody wants to be a supporter,” Link said. “… Everyone thinks we’re going to be making billions of dollars off of this. The whole point of this is to try to get money for schools and possibly a capital development bill.”
Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno of Lemont wants even more limits in place and a better evaluation of the impact of video gaming machines at restaurants and bars around the state. Yet, with Democrats’ current veto-proof majorities in the House and Senate, Radogno said she expects the proposal will be pushed this year.
“It’s a perennial issue, but I think what will drive it (this time) is the fact that Democrats have not done what they need to do to get spending under control and they’re looking for revenue,” she said.
She might be right, though, even if it is an election year.
* The Question: Do you think some form of gaming expansion will happen this spring? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
survey tools
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Cross harshly criticizes own party
Monday, Feb 10, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From Bernie’s latest column about Rep. Tom Cross…
“I think we have to be cognizant of the fact that we got our clocks cleaned in the last … presidential race,” he said, “and we have done, I think, a very miserable job of reaching out to young people. I think we scare women. I think we sometimes scare men. And I think we need to be cognizant of that as a party.
“And I think we’ve done a pretty lousy job on outreach to minorities,” he added. “In the last presidential race, Hispanic, Latino, voters went 80-20 against us. … We need to learn from all of it.”
Cross is running in the primary for treasurer against DuPage County Auditor Bob Grogran. Grogan opposes same-sex marriage, but Cross voted for it when it passed in the fall.
“It was the right thing to do,” Cross said. “You have a different role in life when you’re not the House Republican leader.” He had earlier opposed legalizing gay marriage.
“Personal decisions are important to people,” he said last week, “and I’m an advocate for that and will continue to be.”
Discuss.
…Adding… From a Daily Herald story about a weekend Indian-American candidates’ forum…
“We see the best and brightest students come to the United States for a college education and then go back home,” said community member Amol Shelat. “There is a perception among Indian Americans that Republicans are anti-immigration, so why should we vote for your party?”
Rutherford contended that the problem is more of perception than reality.
“The Republican Party has a brand problem right now from the national scene. It is perceived to be intolerant,” Rutherford said.
“We need to have a reasonable Republican, one that understands that there are people from different backgrounds who make up our state.”
Dillard said he voted for the Illinois version of the DREAM Act and would be welcoming to immigrants.
Brady said it actually the Democratic Party that is labeling Republicans as anti-immigration.
“We want to keep the doors open. For national security reasons we need to protect our country’s borders, but this state’s strength lies in immigration,” Brady said.
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Caption contest!
Monday, Feb 10, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a Sunday press release…
Governor Quinn today was joined by Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka at Pets Are Worth Saving (PAWS) Chicago to encourage all Illinois residents to consider adopting a pet this year. Today’s event is a part of Governor Quinn’s commitment to protect pets and their owners, while ensuring that all animals in Illinois are treated ethically and responsibly.
“Pets are part of our families and we want to make 2014 the Year of Animal Rescue,” Governor Quinn said. “It is important that we try our hardest to find loving homes for these displaced animals and make sure they get the care and attention they need. Rosie – the first dog of Illinois – came from PAWS and the other animals here today would make fine additions to many families.”
“I thank Judy Baar Topinka for her lifelong commitment to protecting pets and promoting animal rights. She is one-of-a-kind,” the Governor added.
“I am thrilled to have Governor Quinn as a partner in finding homes for these pets and thank him for all his efforts,” Comptroller Topinka said. “I also love that he personally rescued another animal through the adoption of his new dog, Rosie. And that’s what this effort is all about – introducing critters to the right people.”
Wanna bet that Quinn’s lieutenant governor wasn’t exactly thrilled about the governor appearing with her November opponent?
* Audio from the event…
* And a photo of Quinn, Rosie and Topinka…
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Lisa Madigan finally wins a contest
Monday, Feb 10, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I get some weird press releases sometimes…
Hi Rich,
The Illinois General Election is still a few months away, but the results of a recent poll comparing Illinois politicians have Attorney General Lisa Madigan grinning from ear to ear.
In a survey of more than 250 member dentists from the Chicago Dental Society, when asked which Illinois politician has the best smile, the state’s first female attorney general (headshot attached) received the highest marks with 53 percent of the vote.
Here are the complete results:
1. Lisa Madigan (53%) – Illinois Attorney General
2. Jesse White (26%) – Illinois Secretary of State
3. Toni Preckwinkle (5.8%) – Cook County Board President
4. Rahm Emanuel (5.4%) – Chicago Mayor
5. Judy Baar Topinka (5%) – Illinois State Comptroller
6. Pat Quinn (3%) – Illinois Governor
The state AG’s oral regiment should make her dentist proud. A model patient, Madigan says she brushes her teeth at least twice a day and flosses regularly in order to keep her pearly whites ready for the public eye.
“The dentist is my most favorite doctor to visit,” Madigan said. “I am almost religious about seeing my dentist every six months and taking care of my teeth.”
The survey was conducted in preparation for the Chicago Dental Society’s 149th Midwinter Meeting, which will welcome more than 30,000 dentists to McCormick Place from February 20-22.
I’m surprised she didn’t withdraw from the competition before it was over.
Just sayin…
Also, “The dentist is my most favorite doctor to visit”? Pandering like that could get her nicknamed Kirk Dillard.
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Behind the scenes
Monday, Feb 10, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
One of the reasons why people near Treasurer Dan Rutherford are so nervous these days is because of the possibility that other employees might come out of the woodwork with even more allegations.
As I write this, the publicly revealed facts are still quite thin. A now former employee of Rutherford’s has claimed, without producing any hard evidence as of this writing, that he was sexually harassed and told to do political fundraising work. Rutherford has flatly denied the allegations, claiming they are politically motivated and part of a shakedown attempt that’s being pushed by his Republican gubernatorial primary opponent Bruce Rauner. The former employee, Rutherford claims, demanded $300,000 through his attorney to remain quiet. Rauner has denied any involvement.
The treasurer’s office has negotiated two previous severance agreements, a fact that the accuser’s lawyer alluded to last week when she told WLS Radio’s Dan Proft “Their standard MO [mode of operation] is to work out standard severance agreements. That’s what they do, and they’ve been doing that the last two or three years with employees.”
But a top Rutherford aide completely and adamantly denied last week that the prior severance agreements had anything to do with any sort of allegations of misconduct by Rutherford whatsoever. So, Rutherford’s allies can probably rest easy on that potential problem because it likely doesn’t exist.
Rutherford has a reputation among his friends and acquaintances as being a pleasant, positive, somewhat quirky, but almost always upbeat guy. You can’t help but like the man. He’s one of the truly nice guys in this state’s political world.
Working for Rutherford, however, is sometimes anything but a pleasant experience. He is, like many in politics, a man driven by ambition who has long aimed his sights at a higher office. He works almost nonstop, and he doesn’t care for those who can’t keep up with him or don’t meet his standards.
For instance, several weeks ago, Rutherford, an aide and a driver were on the road. Rutherford was not happy with the driver’s performance at an event. As punishment, Rutherford ordered the driver to remain in the car while he and the other aide went into a restaurant. Rutherford also reportedly took the car keys with him into the restaurant. The devastated young man called his sister and had her pick him up and quit on the spot.
A top aide to Rutherford confirmed the story the other day, but brushed it off, explaining that everybody has their bad moments. We all do, indeed, have our bad moments which shouldn’t wind up being used to judge our complete character.
While admittedly on the extreme end of his personality spectrum, it’s that sort of behavior which has Rutherford’s allies worried about what some other employees might say to a lawyer or a reporter. And there are a dozen or more stories of a similar nature. The treasurer, to put it bluntly, has more than a few disgruntled people in his office.
But potential trouble from revenge-minded employees represents only a small part of the storm facing the treasurer. Word from inside is that the folks who say they can corroborate allegations of sexual harassment and pressure to raise campaign funds by Treasurer Dan Rutherford were telling their full stories last week to the independent investigator appointed by Rutherford to get to the bottom of the story. We’ll see if those stories hold up to scrutiny.
The very real possibility of a Rutherford political collapse has not yet completely deterred labor groups from pushing ahead with their plan to attack Bruce Rauner via negative TV ads. However, they don’t seem as confident as they were a month ago that the strategy will work.
One top labor official said last week that he never thought they had more than a 25 percent chance of defeating Rauner in the Republican primary, even though a month ago he appeared quite confident they could throw a knockout punch.
The fallback plan appears to be to tarnish Rauner enough in the next month or so that he doesn’t start off with a huge and insurmountable lead over Gov. Pat Quinn after the primary ends. Quinn is already trailing all four of his Republican opponents by eight to ten points, so, barring a knockout, they want to stop any further Quinn erosion and knock Rauner back on his heels a bit.
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* From last October…
-Former Chicago Bear Brian Urlacher’s brother is a Lake County mayor, and now the former middle linebacker himself is stepping up his own involvement in politics by helping launch the re-election effort of Republican downstate U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock.
The three-term, Peoria congressman’s campaign put out word Wednesday morning that Urlacher would be the headliner at Schock’s Nov. 15 re-election announcement at a $50-a-ticket event dubbed Schocktoberfest at Brewers Distributing in Peoria. […]
“My family understands the important role of public service. My brother Casey Urlacher was elected mayor of Lake County’s Mettawa, IL earlier this year. In Peoria, he was fullback-linebacker for the Peoria Pirates. So we’re both looking forward to visiting our friends in central Illinois,” Urlacher said.
* But Urlacher didn’t make that appearance totally out of the goodness of his heart. Roll Call…
Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Ill., spent $25,000 last fall for a former Chicago Bears linebacker to headline his re-election campaign’s kick-off fundraising event, according to a report filed with the Federal Elections Commission. […]
An event appearance fee was paid to B.U. Enterprises, according to the Schock Victory Committee’s year-end filing. Illinois public records show B.U. Enterprises is a company registered to Urlacher. […]
While the $25,000 appearance fee is perfectly legal, it’s unusual to see such a hefty sum for an event appearance on a campaign finance filing.
“Generally speaking, the rule of thumb seems to be that outreach to smaller donors costs more than raising money from bigger donors, who tend to be insiders,” said Bill Allison, a campaign finance expert with the Sunlight Foundation. “Insiders don’t need a former Bears player there to show up — they go to a fundraiser to talk to the member.”
* Schock is an expert at raising money, and he’s being tapped for bigger things in DC…
Rep. Aaron Schock R-Ill. is the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee March fundraising dinner here, one of the major events to raise campaign cash for the House GOP political operation. Schock faces no opponent in the March Illinois primary, leaving him free to work on the March 26 dinner. Schock already raised $1.1 million for the dinner, the NRCC said on Tuesday, and pledged to raise another $1 million by March 26.
So, featuring a popular ex-Bear at his fundraiser got him notice, which is what he wants in order to help move him up. Trouble is, fundraising is supposed to be a bit more discrete than this.
* And Schock’s fundraising committees have, indeed, caught the eye of the media lately, but not in a good way. New York Times…
After some time in the hot tub, an evening cocktail reception and a two-and-a-half-hour dinner in a private dining room named Out of Bounds, Representative Adrian Smith, Republican of Nebraska, made one last stop, visiting the lounge at the Four Seasons Resort hotel here to spend more time with the lobbyists and other donors who had jetted in from Washington, D.C., to join him for the weekend getaway. […]
This is the world of destination fund-raisers, where business interests blend with pleasure in exclusive vacation venues. Lobbyists go to build relationships with lawmakers, Democrats and Republicans alike, seeking action — and often inaction — in Washington for their clients and companies, with millions of dollars at stake. While approval ratings are at historic lows for members of Congress, their allure to those seeking influence in the nation’s capital is as strong as ever. […]
The fund-raising events that are not in the lawmakers’ home states often dovetail with their hobbies. Representative Aaron Schock, Republican of Illinois and an avid skier, made the trip this month to Vail, for example
* Tribune…
Rep. Aaron Schock’s campaign spent more than $2,600 on cuff links, paid $390 to a seaplane company based in the British Virgin Islands and spent more than $1,500 on concert tickets.
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* The treasurer’s office says they haven’t seen anything yet, and pointed out that the attorney didn’t even know in what court she was filing the charges, but say they’re ready to rebut and refute. They’d better be…
Attorney Christine Svenson, who represents a former employee of the treasurer’s office, and was on with Bruce and Dan Monday morning, says the allegations lay out the employee being forced to do political work on state time as well as sexual harassment.
Svenson detailed points in which she says her client was allegedly harassed by Rutherford, including an incident at an overnight retreat at Rutherford’s home in 2011.
Svenson told Bruce and Dan, “Mr. Rutherford entered my client’s bedroom and grabbed at his genital area. My client immediately forced him off of him, gathered his belongings and left. He went to go talk to the chief of staff about it, and the chief of staff said quote…’at least we have job security’…unquote, and that it had happened to him as well.”
Svenson says complaints are also being filed against Rutherford’s chief of staff.
Oy.
This story has been going around for a bit, and at least some people have said that it appeared to change over time. So, let’s all reserve judgement on this for a while.
Also, in my opinion, Svenson ought to be doing her talking in court from now on.
*** UPDATE *** Sun-Times…
“Obviously the allegations are false. If there is a lawsuit filed today then the Treasurer will respond,” his spokeswoman Mary Frances Bragiel said. “He’ll possibly have a media avail if something is filed today.”
That’ll probably be the wildest presser since the Jack Ryan death march.
*** UPDATE 2 *** The full audio has now been posted…
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