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Cicero pol resigns from Republican post, feud ensues

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Illinois

* Cicero’s Craig Pesek has resigned from the Republican State Central Committee….

A young, once rising figure in the Illinois Republican party has quit the committee that runs the state party after the Sun-Times revealed the man’s ties to an Outlaw motorcycle gang member and a convicted wholesale drug dealer.

Craig Pesek, 34, is a key supporter and adviser to Cicero Town President Larry Dominick and a consultant to the town. A high school graduate who has managed a hot dog stand and a nightclub, Pesek was hired to oversee economic development in town and major building projects there.

Pesek and his older brother Jeff, 38, were caught on FBI surveillance in 2007 talking with Mark Polchan, an Outlaw motorcycle gang member, about Polchan’s fear he would be arrested for a mob-ordered bombing and whether the Peseks would post bond for him.

Last year, at Polchan’s federal criminal trial, a convicted drug dealer, Enrique “Henry” Rendon, testified that he was a silent investor in the Chicago nightclub, Ontourage. Craig Pesek is listed as the sole owner of the nightclub. Jeff Pesek testified under a grant of immunity from prosecution at Polchan’s trial that there were other people who helped Craig Pesek out with the club at the start, but that Craig Pesek never declared them as investors with the City of Chicago. […]

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady said Craig Pesek had done “nothing wrong” but that Pesek offered his resignation Thursday from his seat on the state central committee representing the 4th Congressional District to avoid creating distractions for the party.

Perhaps Brady shouldn’t have been so quick to say that Pesek had done “nothing wrong.” That could come back to bite him.

* Former Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica used the opportunity to blast the county party and call for direct election of central committee members…

The resignation of Craig Pesek as GOP State Central Committeeman (3rd Dist.) is yet another example of the decay in the Cook County GOP which could not win even one aldermanic seat, the governor’s race, or any state rep/senate seats in Cook County that matter.

Embarrassing allegations about Craig Pesek lend yet even more credence to the argument for direct election of GOP State Central Committee members. Conservatives and Tea Party members need to use this embarrassment as a clarion call for even greater hands-on action at the grass root level to elect candidates we can be proud of.

* Cook County GOP Chairman Lee Roupas responded…

“The irony of Mr. Peraica’s comment is that he took tens of thousands of dollars of campaign contributions from Craig Pesek, hosted campaign events at Mr. Pesek’s night club, introduced Mr. Pesek to Republican Party leaders, and then fought tooth and nail to ensure that Mr. Pesek won a seat on the State Central Committee. If Republicans are embarrassed over these recent allegations, they should call Tony Peraica and thank him.”

Oof.

* But Peraica isn’t the only one complaining about the Republican Party these days. So is former Chicago Ald. Brian Doherty…

“They didn’t offer any assistance to us at all, I think shows very poorly on the Republican leadership in the state level, county level,” Doherty said Wednesday.

Doherty said party officials did not return phone calls during the campaign, but the heads of the state and county parties said Wednesday they never got those calls.

“We think it’s important that we do field candidates in these city council races, and we need more Republican representation on the city council,” said Pat Brady, chair of the Illinois GOP. “And that’s what we’re working towards.”

As for resources, Brady said there is only so much money to go around. […]

The head of the Cook County Republican Party, Lee Roupas, noted that his group did get involved in a different aldermanic race. Roupas said it donated $500 and recruited volunteers for 45th Ward candidate John Garrido. Garrido ended up losing by fewer than 30 votes.

* As for Peraica’s call for the passage of legislation to provide for the direct election of state central committee members, the bill passed the Senate the other day on a unanimous roll call. It’s passed the Senate before, but was held up in the House, where House Republican Leader Tom Cross is opposed. Democratic Rep. Lou Lang has picked up sponsorship.

The legislation is in the Executive Committee.

The House Democrats have used this legislation in the past as a club against the Republicans. That could happen again this year as well.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Apr 15, 11 @ 11:20 am

Comments

Brady’s way too quick on the draw, and Peraica’s way too cute.

Everyone knows that the Cicero GOP organization has been mobbed up since the Capone days. To pretend otherwise is to act like the old Dem. 1st Ward organization was just interested in getting the best judges on the Cook County bench.

Who appointed Pesek to the party post, anyway?

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Apr 15, 11 @ 11:33 am
Hey did that genuis Bernie Schoenberg just compared to Karl Rove because of all his skills have a hand in this disaster?

Should we tell Mr and Mrs Roger Keats to turn that moving van around?

Wherer is Tugboat Andy McKenna when we need him?
Can Tugboat Annie Topinka return to the wheelhouse?

Looks like Gags Brady may be on the ropes.
Too bad he and NoTaxBill were Quinn;s best weapons
Fire.Aim, Ready!

Comment by CircularFiringSquad Friday, Apr 15, 11 @ 12:07 pm
It would be more accurate to say the House Democrats have used the direct election legislation as a club against DUMB Republicans.

Regular Republicans want that legislation and that direct vote. It’s not their fault Tom Cross still has a leadership title and is completely inept. Only Tom Cross could be so clueless as to allow a bill that would actually help him as much as anyone, to be used as a sword against him.

But it is funny to watch sometimes.

Comment by too obvious Friday, Apr 15, 11 @ 12:09 pm
>>Who appointed Pesek to the party post, anyway?>>

The elected Committeemen in a weighted vote out of the 4th Congressional District.

Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Friday, Apr 15, 11 @ 12:18 pm
I find it sad that Pesek is more concerned with “creating distractions for the party,” than he is with doing the same in his role with the Board of Education. He should resign that post as well. That guy’s priorities are screwed up.

Comment by Chi guy in Spr Friday, Apr 15, 11 @ 12:20 pm
Peraica … Doherty … they have a things in common … they are on the outside looking in … when they were “in” people either forgot who they were.

Doherty was at a Cook County Rebub. meeting once and the speaker said “We need to get at least one republican to the Chicago City Council … only Doherty pointed out the error out of everyone attending.

Tony “Pitchfork and Torches” Periaca was so important to the party, that when he lost, you could hear the crickets of sadness.

They are both pathetic.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Apr 15, 11 @ 12:31 pm
The greatest weapon the Dems have against the State GOP is the State GOP…

Comment by Ghost Friday, Apr 15, 11 @ 1:20 pm
@Too Obvious

If the “Regular Republicans” want the direct election, then why don’t they get elected to the House and challenge Cross as GOP leader. Better yet, any “Regular Republicans” in the House should move to get Cross out of leadership.

Comment by Aaron Friday, Apr 15, 11 @ 1:26 pm
@Chi guy

Craig’s brother, Jeff, is the one on the district 201 board. In fact, he’s board president.

Comment by Aaron Friday, Apr 15, 11 @ 1:30 pm
Tony who? How is that Federal lawsuit going that was somehow going to miraculously prove his innocence for his midnight sign spree? Gotta love the guy…

Comment by Bring Back Boone's Friday, Apr 15, 11 @ 2:17 pm
The Garrido thing is really interesting. When the Chicago GOP tweeted about their contribution, I joked to some that it would be in the low three figures. I really assumed they would dump at least $10,000 in the race. Never thought I was right.

Seriously, $500? If the Chicago GOP can’t raise more than that, they have no hope. They are Republicans after all. They all have a lot of money. The thought that the city party can’t raise any money is just shocking. They had a winnable race and couldn’t do anything. Time for new leadership.

Comment by Skeeter Friday, Apr 15, 11 @ 2:38 pm
I feel old. I can remember whan Tony Peraica was a Democrat from Bridgeport. He reinvented himself once he began running from the suburbs.

Comment by Esquire Friday, Apr 15, 11 @ 3:56 pm
Brady’s and Roupas comments on the GOP efforts in Cook County must make Madigan and Berrios laugh themselves silly.

It would seem like a good time to remind folks in the Illinois GOP that 5.2 million of Illinois 12.9 million residents live in Cook County.

Believe it or not, most of them are not Bolsheviks or starry-eyed dreamers gaga about the local Democratic Party representatives.

In 20 plus years voting in Cook County, I’ve never had a GOP partisan knock on my door. Since Edgar left office, the only direct mail I’ve received from a GOP candidate was from Jason Plummer. And I’ve voted in GOP primaries.

Every election, multiple Dem partisans knock on my door and the mailbox is full for Dem candidates.

The GOP 98 county winner strategy sounds impressive for all of five seconds. To paraphrase Willie Sutton, you go where the votes are.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Apr 15, 11 @ 4:22 pm
@ Bring Back- Good question. I checked the federal docket. Tony P’s civil case is before Judge Milton Shadur who brooks no fools before his court. Shortly after the suit was filed, all the defendants moved to stay the case due to the pendency of the criminal action against Tony. The US Supreme Court has held that it is imprudent to proceed on false arrest civil action claims when the criminal case upon which the arrest is based remains unresolved. Accordingly, Judge Shadur granted the motion, and the action is stayed - put on hold - until the criminal matter is resolved. I don’t have information on the criminal case.

Comment by Conservative Republican Saturday, Apr 16, 11 @ 10:36 am
@ wordslinger - As noted, Pesek was elected State Central Committeeman by the Ward and Township Committeemen in that district, by weighted vote (i.e. quantity of Republican primary voting constituents.)(the system SB35 proposes to change through direct election). When one looks at the weighted vote, what does one find? Surprise! Since 2000 Cicero Township has had between approx 48 and 55% of the weighted vote in each committeeman election, therefore dominating the vote. Over the last several years, the state central committeeman for that district has always been from Cicero because they control the vote (when you have just under 50%, its easy to sway a handful of Chicago committeemen from neighboring wards.) The State Party Chairman has no power to change these dynamics as no Chairman, from McDougal to Topinka to McKenna to Brady has had the power to force Cicero to do anything other than what it wants to do.

Comment by Conservative Republican Saturday, Apr 16, 11 @ 10:55 am
By the way, the Republican State Central Committee itself governs by weighted vote. Pesek in the 4th Congressional District (Guittierez (D) Congressman) has never had more than 3% of the weighted vote on the GOP Central Committee, and has been either the smallest or next smallest weighted vote on the Committee.

So Peseks resignation, in the scheme of things, is small beer. Pat Brady shouldn’t be wasting his time determining if small players like that have a convict on the payroll of one of their private businesses. This matter saw the light of day and Pesek resigned very quickly. Open and shut.

How many Democratic aldermen and committeemen have been convicted of felonies themselves, again? I’ve lost count.

Comment by Conservative Republican Saturday, Apr 16, 11 @ 11:00 am