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* Democratic congressional candidate Ann Callis may have some residency issues because of papers she and/or her husband signed…
The records show her signature appearing on a notarized 2008 mortgage agreement for one of the couple’s Arizona homes, as well as a 2006 deed transfer for property in Laguna Beach, Calif.
The latter includes a statement identifying Callis and Holloran as “residents of the County of St. Louis, State of Missouri.” A 2005 deed for a second home in Scottsdale, Ariz., also lists their address as in Kirkwood.
In 2004, records show Callis was added to the Forest Street deed. The document begins, “I, Ann Callis, of the County of St. Louis, State of Missouri …”
Oops.
* Response…
“These new attacks on my mom, my brother, and me are completely false, and it’s really shameful that Congressman Davis would try to say our family wasn’t living in Illinois while my mom was a judge,” [Callis’ daughter, Caroline Rongey] said.
“I was proud to grow up in Madison County and I have great memories of cheerleading for Troy’s Triad High School and watching my brother take Triad to the Class 5A playoffs as a starting quarterback. Congressman Davis needs to leave our family alone.”
* From the NRCC…
Ann Callis can’t seem to get anything right these days. While Callis is attacking Rodney Davis on lobbyists she is also planning to attend a fundraiser in DC tomorrow at the home of mega-lobbyist Tom Trotter.
A question for Ann Callis – why is it okay for her to raise money off of mega-lobbyists in DC all while attacking Rodney Davis?
We know Callis is busy trying to figure out how to untangle her web of lies over her residency but this seems worthy of a quick ask.
NRCC Statement: “Ann Callis should be explaining why over numerous years she signed notarized documents saying she lives in St. Louis, but instead she bailed from the 13th District to raise money with a mega-lobbyist in DC. We know Callis is trying to figure out if she is from Missouri or Illinois, but she should know better than to hob-knob in Washington with Pelosi’s lobbyist friends.” – Katie Prill NRCC Spokeswoman
* In other newsish-related stuff, the Callis campaign has responded to Congressman Rodney Davis’ latest ad (which was a response to Callis’ recent ad) with a YouTube video…
The campaign of former Chief Judge and Congressional challenger Ann Callis released the following video in response to Congressman Rodney Davis’ deceptive new ad. In the video, Jerseyville farmer Gene – who appeared in Callis’ “Trim the Fat” ad – calls out Congressman Davis for featuring him without permission to attack Callis.
* Video…
* And in “news” from another district, for some reason Mike Bost thought it was a good idea to spend 15 minutes talking to a Rockford radio program about his infamous blow-up video. Rockford is at the opposite end of this very long state from Bost’s district…
* Related…
* Schneider gets endorsement from IEA union that backed Dold in 2012
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 2:27 pm
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That is a problem for Callis. People have been thrown off ballots for lesser infractions in Illinois.
And trotting out her daughter to defend her? Come on.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 2:29 pm
In some cases such boxes are checked to be eligible for certain tax credits….is there possibly even more to this in terms of improperly taking such credits?
As for Callis using her kid as a shield, pretty low when the only reason it’s an issue is due to your own statement on a sworn document. If only she could’ve had the document reviewed by a lawyer/judge before signing it.
Comment by Anonymoiis Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 2:46 pm
Also, nice endorsement get by Schneider. Not stunning, but still good.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 2:46 pm
Mike Bost shouldn’t rule out a trip to Tulsa to work the radio market down there.
– MrJM
Comment by MrJM Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 2:46 pm
She either fraudulently signed the documents misrepresenting the truth or she is not a resident of Illinois. Pick one your Honor.
Comment by Big Muddy Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 2:47 pm
Are the attacks false, or are the signed, sworn legal documents false?
Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 2:48 pm
Sorry Big Muddy. She has about 6 weeks to correct that.
“Clause 2. No person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty-five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of the State in which he shall be chosen.”
Comment by a drop in Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 2:56 pm
Upon further review, she should fight her own battles. Trotting out the daughter to make it seem like it is an attack on the family is kind of bush league, in my opinion. Also the neighbors and friends vouching for her in the article are all fellow Democratic officials and donors, who clearly have a bias.
Also, married couples do what they have to do, especially when one’s job has a residency requirement, but as a SW IL native I have to wonder how it’s gonna fly in some voting circles down there that a candidate professes to live in IL while her husband lives elsewhere in Missouri.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 2:56 pm
Right, the residency issue isn’t necessarily pertinent to her qualifications for the seat she is seeking, as she can relocate if elected. However, it is very pertinent to whether she was properly seated as a judge in Madison County.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 2:57 pm
==Sorry Big Muddy. She has about 6 weeks to correct that.
==
She has 6 weeks to go back and not fraudulently sign a document swearing to be a resident of Missouri…or she has six weeks to admit she WAS a resident of Missouri (while elected in Illinois) but is NOW a resident of Illinois?
Comment by Anonymoiis Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 3:00 pm
Unlike Quinn’s IDOT issue, the Callis’ residency issue is much easier to describe to voters and whack the judge with.
It’s not just a signed document. Notarization only adds to the credence.
Comment by Downstate Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 3:03 pm
‘’Moiis,
Point taken. To RB’s point however. If she wasn’t an Illinois resident during her time as Judge, what impact would that have on all her rulings? Looking for an answer on that one.
Comment by Big Muddy Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 3:09 pm
Callis- Not ready for prime time and an underwhelming candidate.
Comment by Apocalypse Now Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 3:10 pm
When I moved to the Scottsdale, AZ area from Cook County, I had to go through all the paperwork, change of vehicle registration,voter registration, change of withholding and change of home address in Cook County as well as in AZ. My kids were entering Arizona State, so I had to make sure all the “i”s were dotted and “t”s crossed, and I surrendered my homeowner exemption in Cook County. Saved a lot in state income taxes though, but had to pay more for license plates.
If I had to go through all that just so my kids can be legitmately eligible for in-state tuition, Callis CERTAINLY should be held to a higher standard than that to run for Congress in Illinois.
Consider this political “Natural Selection”. If you’re too stupid or negligent to ensure that you’re a legal resident of the state in which you’re running (I believe a congressperson doesn’t need to live in the district but DOES need to live in the state), then you should be “weeded out” as a candidate. Vaya con Dios, Ms Callis!
Comment by Arizona Bob Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 3:11 pm
Rolling out the daughter to protest isn’t a good sign.
Didn’t Dick Nixon try that?
Comment by Carl Nyberg Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 3:14 pm
Big Muddy, I suspect a judge’s qualifications and residency and any effect on rulings would be fodder for the Illinois Supreme Court and the Judicial Inquiry Board, but without looking I’d venture a guess it is uncharted territory here.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 3:16 pm
Carl Nyberg: “The Residence Checkers Speech?”
Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 3:17 pm
What’s good for the spouse Oberweis is good for the candidate herself Callis.
Comment by A guy... Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 3:29 pm
Democratic Party establishment pushed Anne Callis even though she had a stench of corrupt machine politics.
There’s a certain Democratic consultant in Chicago who works for the establishment who was admonishing Rahm’s critics to thoroughly vet candidates for alderman.
But the Democratic Party can’t even be bothered to thoroughly vet candidates for US House in one of the nation’s top pick-up opportunities.
Checking details is for the little people, not for important people.
What kind of lawyer/politician is sloppy about residency issues? It’s hard to believe she has much talent.
Comment by Carl Nyberg Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 3:36 pm
Those real estate documents are just for exemptions and don’t mean anything. Just ask Charlie Rangel.
Comment by Put the Fun in unfunded Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 3:37 pm
Stupid question here, but I’ve got to ask: Is there even a residency rule in place for a circuit judge in Illinois? I recognize that if she is in fact not a resident of her intended congressional district, that’s bad politics. But is it possible that she was not in violation of any residency requirement in her judicial career because perhaps there was no such explicit requirement? I’m asking because it seems to me we occasionally read about individuals being elected to the state’s attorney’s job in a neighboring county (usually in rural areas), and then they move there after they’re elected — which would suggest that in the case of state’s attorneys, there may not actually be a residency requirement.
Comment by Anonymous 88 Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 3:41 pm
88,
Being a resident of another county in the same State is one thing…being a resident of another State is another. Typically the requirements are to be a resident of, at minimum, the State in which you hold office. I get back to one of my original questions that someone else has asked as well: did she benefit from any tax credits or exemptions by claiming residency at this home? That’s a whole other issue if she did.
Comment by Anonymoiis Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 3:46 pm
–Right, the residency issue isn’t necessarily pertinent to her qualifications for the seat she is seeking, as she can relocate if elected–
No. You can’t be a resident of Missouri and be elected a Congresscritter in Illinois and relocate afterwards.
Pesky Constitution. Article 1 Section 2:
–No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen. –
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 4:20 pm
What is Bost doing in Rockford? My guess is fundraising, but I didn’t really consider Rockford a motherlode for campaign funds.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 4:21 pm
I’m giving her the benefit of the doubt that she is an IL resident now, given the home in Troy and the rental in Edwardsville, for purposes of the Congressional race. The question is where she was a resident at the time she signed those various legal documents, and what office she was holding at that time.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 4:27 pm
Stop talking about my mommy! Really? This is a horrible rebuttal by Callis and doesn’t refute the charge.
Comment by 1776 Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 4:35 pm
And for the guy in the Callis ad, I understand your frustration but you chose to enter the fray and appear in an ad that’s in the public domain.
Comment by 1776 Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 4:37 pm
From her explanation of the issue on WDWS this morning, when they were first married her husband lived in Missouri and she lived in Illinois. There were two documents she signed where there was not an ability to differentiate home residences for married couples. May sounds odd to some older folks, but people in my younger generation know of many married people and couples who live apart during the week because of work issues. There is no real complaint that she is a resident of MO, her kids went to high school in Troy, she had a home there, and worked as the chief judge for Madison County. If all they can point to is some standard form she signed which did not have the ability to differentiate between the residences of husband and wife, this whole “she doesn’t live in Illinois!” thing just comes off as silly. Good response, though, by Callis’ campaign by showing just how stupid this “attack” is. And to anyone complaining about Callis’ daughter being quoted, have you forgotten that Davis used his daughter in a political ad running on network TV? The Callis hating really is on another level.
Comment by Law Dude Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 5:00 pm
Since Candidate Callis is no longer Judge Callis the Judicial Inquiry Board would not have jurisdiction, Lawyer Callis, however, would still be in the ambit of the Registration and Disciplinary Commission. People v. Rios, 2013 IL App(1st)121072 held that a judge who was removed for claiming residence in a Cook County Judicial Subcircuit he did not live in was, for purposes of his actions as a judge, an “Officer de facto” at the time of that particular ruling and the defendant could not get a reversal on those grounds.
Comment by West Side the Best Side Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 5:02 pm
Sounds similar to Rauner with his multiple “homestead” exemptions. His motive was to pay less on his tax bill. My question is, why does she list several different residencies?
Comment by DuPage Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 5:13 pm
And to those that can’t pass up an opportunity to call Judge Callis an idiot, please take a second and ask yourself if a judge that wasn’t a blonde female, but an old white guy, that didn’t read mortgage documents, would you be as quick to just assume he was an idiot? Because, if you do, you think Judge Richard Posner is an idiot. http://abovethelaw.com/2010/06/do-lawyers-actaully-read-boilerplate-contracts-judge-richard-posner-doesnt-do-you/
I think if you graduate from law school, become a judge for 18 years, are elected chief judge by the judges you work with, you should earn a little bit of respect for you intellect - even if you’re a female. Actually, especially so, since that is a much harder hill to climb.
Comment by Law Dude Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 5:21 pm
“Law Dude”…as a “Law Dude” you should know that documents are amendable. Bottom line is she signed something that wasn’t true. “Not enough space on the form” is a laughable excuse. If you need room, you make room, and/or attach an additional page. Any attorney (or Judge) should know that.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 5:39 pm
@Law Dude
=I think if you graduate from law school, become a judge for 18 years, are elected chief judge by the judges you work with, you should earn a little bit of respect for you intellect=
SSorry, Law Dude, I’ve known too many “law school graduates” and “judges” who should be doing nothing more than asking “would you like fries with that?”
Too often, especially in Federal court, I’ve seen judges who were so lacking in legal knowledge that they needed to be corrected by counsel.
Case in point: I was on a jury for a federal tax case involving the IRS and a contractor who cleaned out and pocketed the employees withholding accounts.
The judge told the jury that the burden of proof was with the IRS to prove that the defendent did it, at which point the IRS counsel stood up and explained to the judge that the burden of proof was on the defendent that he DIDN’T do it.
The judge was an older gentleman. He graduated from some law school. As a Federal Judge he was appointed by his “peers” through waht should have been a serious vetting process, yet he didn’t know the most fundamental law associated with the case.
After that, I pretty much lost all “presumption of intelligence and knowledge” for the judiciary. Sorry, Law Dude. Experience is a hard teacher.
Comment by Arizona Bob Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 5:47 pm
Law Dude, fortunately this isn’t personal for you. Eek.
Sling, doesn’t getting a “Piece of the Rock” refer to Rockford? lol.
Comment by A guy... Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 6:08 pm
Aw, its cute to see Little Debbie has changed her screen name to “Law Dude” for coming to the defense of all things Callis.
She may not be disqualified from the ballot, but the attack ads will be killer.
Comment by Gus Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 6:24 pm
AB the last time I checked the federal judiciary is appointed by the President. Often times through the senior senator of that President’s party, and requiring the confirmation of the senate.
Annie is gonna get what she came after, a snug spot on the federal judiciary in the end; however, in the mean time…
Comment by Madison Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 8:10 pm
Rodney’s tons the best on race day, and it shows…
Comment by Madison Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 8:12 pm
Read the link I posted. As Judge Posner, who is no idiot, stated, mortgage documents are not “amendable”. But really who cares? What does this have to do with anything? Even if she was from Missouri I’d still vote for her over my current congressman, who has a corporate lobbyist for the junk food industry running his office.
Anyone else find it humorous that the NRCC is now highlighting that a DC “mega lobbyist” is hosting a huge fundraiser for Callis in DC just a week after they were pushing a story that national democrats had bailed on Callis? Oops. Who is it that can’t keep their story straight again?
Comment by Law Dude Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 8:24 pm
This article from the Madison-St.Clair Record last year seems to put to rest Callis’ intent to establish residency with the Edwardsville rental. It also skewers the “I’m one of you” stance while reiterating her family ties to Cellini and Argosy Gaming.
http://madisonrecord.com/news/256188-callis-economic-interests-grew-from-10-to-27-items-during-her-judicial-career
Comment by Philo - Center of the Universe Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 9:38 pm
1776 - an ad on TV is not public domain. to use the guy from one ad in another is actually a copyright violation.
Comment by Filmmaker Professor Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 11:44 pm
===is actually a copyright violation. ===
Fair Use Doctrine. It’s a snippet.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 11:58 pm
Filmmaker Professor doesn’t have a clue about copyright law?
Anyone can claim to be anything on the Internet from their mom’s basement.
I can’t believe the Dems didn’t vet Callis better than that!
John
Comment by John Boch Thursday, Sep 18, 14 @ 7:05 am
“Law Dude” is pretty funny with his/her shameless defenses of Callis. Let me breakdown your nonsense: Yes, Callis graduated from law school…kudos to her. However, the only reason she was appointed as an associate judge (at a very young age) was because of her father’s mega influence. He has been one of the most influential metro-east trial lawyers for decades. He and Tom Lakin always got their pick of judges in Madison County.
She and her husband have always had an odd arrangement. They’ve never lived together, to my knowledge and they live completely separate lives. To each his/her own, but that doesn’t really play well in a Congressional race, especially in a place like central/southwestern Illinois.
The fact that she’s using her daughter in a lame attack to make it appear like the Davis is attacking her family is really laughable. When he used his daughter.
The Davis campaign continues to run circles around Callis and the DNC folks.
Comment by econ prof Thursday, Sep 18, 14 @ 9:46 am
3) Potential tax fraud if she received tax benefits based on false residency claims (which is probably the biggest issue, because if she says “I was always an Illinois resident” she’s potentially on the hook for tax fraud, but if she says the filings are accurate then she’s on the hook for holding office illegally).
She really STP on this.
Comment by Brendan Thursday, Sep 18, 14 @ 10:43 am
Greetings! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could get a captcha plugin for
my comment form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours
and I’m having trouble finding one? Thanks a
lot!
Comment by love app Thursday, Oct 2, 14 @ 2:22 am