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ILGOP dredges up old unpaid Mendoza bill

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* From the Illinois GOP…

The Illinois Republican Party on Tuesday called on Chicago City Clerk and Illinois State Comptroller candidate Susana Mendoza to explain why she was sued by national electronics retailer Best Buy for unpaid personal bills after months of non-payment.

Cook County Sheriff’s Deputies served Mendoza with a summons to appear before a Cook County Judge to answer allegations that she opened a Best Buy credit account and ran up charges, but then failed to pay her bill. Mendoza later reached a settlement agreement with the retailer.

“It is concerning that anyone running for elected office would have to be sued to pay their bills,” said Nick Klitzing, Illinois Republican Party Executive Director. “But when that candidate is asking to serve as the state’s Chief Fiscal Officer, such an incident is disqualifying. If she can’t take care of her own finances, how can she be trusted to manage the state’s checkbook?”

Mendoza was personally served with papers requiring her to appear in Cook County Circuit Court on the morning of December 28, 2000. In the lawsuit, Best Buy maintained that Mendoza failed to make monthly payments as required in the credit agreement she signed. The retailer asked that Mendoza be required to pay a debt of $1,561.32.

“Susana Mendoza disqualified herself for this office by spending 10 years in Springfield voting at the behest of Mike Madigan for the very unbalanced budgets, tax increases and pension holidays that have landed our state in fiscal crisis, but this revelation is even more alarming,” Klitzing said. “Human services, small businesses, hospitals, schools and others depend on the Comptroller to swiftly process state payments – they simply can’t afford to take chances on someone that doesn’t even pay her own bills.”

Background docs are here.

* The Sun-Times has the react…

Mendoza was 27 at the time of the purchase, and was elected to the Illinois General Assembly as a state representative in November 2000, at the age of 28. […]

Mendoza’s campaign dismissed the allegations, saying Mendoza bought a Best Buy laptop with an agreement that she’d have a year to make a payment, and no interest charges. After a year passed, she didn’t receive a bill. She was later sent a letter from a collection agency demanding the amount owed, plus a fee from the agency. Mendoza took Best Buy to court to prove that she did not receive a bill, and the case was settled with Mendoza paying what she owed for the laptop, her campaign said.

In a statement, Mendoza’s campaign manager Lauren Peters called the information release from the GOP a “desperate attempt to distract voters” from issues Munger wants to “run away from,” including her role in late payments for court-ordered disability payments during the budget impasse.

“The state of Illinois has never been worse off than it has been under the Rauner/Munger team,” Peters said. “And they will say or do anything to distract the voters of Illinois from the truth, including a decades old dispute, in order to avoid explaining how they managed to push the state further into debt while slashing social service.”

* Meanwhile, the Mendoza campaign has a new online video tying Munger to Donald Trump…

Oof.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:19 am

Comments

WOW . A beef with Best Buy? That is the best the Republicans can come up with right before the election. Does anybody else smell desperation?

Comment by Porgy Tirebiter Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:25 am
–”…. But this revelation is even more alarming.”–

LOL, you’re easily alarmed, Nick.

You must be absolutely terrified by the billions in unpaid bills the governor is piling up.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:28 am
OK, a 16 year old dispute with Best Buy. And why is this relevant today?

Comment by illini Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:30 am
Oof is right, Rich. That commercial is devastating. Game. Set. Match.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:30 am
Over 100 social service groups and organizations, including Diana Rauner’s own, The Ounce, is suing Governor Rauner right now for not paying bills on signed contracts.

If you’d like, I can rewrite your ridiculousness to reflect that, or…

That’s ok, Diana Rauner will say the business decision to sue isn’t reflective of the want to hurt people.

Maybe I can get Diana Rauner, the Democrat, to say Best Buys decision was in fact just a… business decision.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:32 am
Is Best Buy still open?

Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:33 am
===Oof is right, Rich. That commercial is devastating. Game. Set. Match===

Yea, the 17 to 31 people who see this online will really make sure it’s game, set, and match.

Either it’s on TV or it’s not at this point.

It’s as devastating as the numbers of people that see it.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:34 am
“It’s as devastating as the numbers of people that see it.”

While it has a big wallop, how many will see it?

Silly phone dropped the last part.

Apologies.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:36 am
Who is going to see that commercial? It’s a minute long. Mendoza barely has the money for 30 second ads. And if anyone thinks Trump and Munger are at all connected, I have a bridge to sell you.

Comment by Tron Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:37 am
Me above

Comment by PublicServant Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:38 am
So the GOP has established that Mendoza is clean. Their attack strengthens her.

The national disaster that is Trump marches downballot.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:38 am
Anyone who has done much business with Best Buy will be quick to discard this story. Or to respond with; “yeah, let me tell you about my bad experience with Best Buy too…”

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:41 am
Sorry Willie. I just saw your comment. I didn’t realize it wasn’t going to hit the airwaves. It should, don’t you think?

Comment by PublicServant Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:41 am
Does anyone think there is any redeeming quality to our State’s GOP actors’ decision to simply pretend Donald Trump is not the Republican nominee. Beyond political expediency, I mean. I just find it truly shameful and cowardly, and I wanted to know if anyone thinks otherwise.

Comment by AlfondoGonz Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:44 am
Mendoza needs to get that ad on the air.

Comment by northsider (the original) Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:45 am
Agreeing with Willy on this. The commercial is not even going to amount to a glancing blow. Not game, not set, not match…not anything. Zinging a local with Trump is misguided anyway.

If denouncing Trump was such a great strategy, Dold and Kirk would be running away with things. People just turn off to it.

The Best Buy thing is kinda dopey too. Too many regular folks probably had a similar experience with some retailer. No one feels sorry for Best Buy or any Big Box.

Looks mean something at this stage. Leslie looks like a mature person. Susanna comes off a little snipey.

It matters little until later in the week anyway, if at all. In the area they’re focusing on the Chicago Cubs are sucking up all of the oxygen and all of the CO2. Nothing else matters in Metro Chicago.

Comment by A guy Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:47 am
OW - I really don’t get your axe to grind with the Mendoza campaign.

You just seem totally fixated since their unforgivable sin of spelling Baar as Barr on something.

If Susana wins on Tuesday, will you admit you underestimated them? I am willing to admit I underestimated Team Munger if she prevails despite the Trump-Kirk headwinds.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:48 am
- PublicServant -

No worries, no apology needed either. Confusion, this cycle, everyone assumes, rightly so, that it WILL make TV. All good.

Do I think it should “go up”?

Mendoza burned lots of daylight here, and it’s a brutal ad if it made tv, the question now is, it’s closing argument time, is this the Mendoza closing argument.

Money and time might dictate more than rational political strategy.

In this cycle, you’d have to try to get it to tv, but… man, lots wasted to have it sink in.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:51 am
Wow. That IL GOP oppo crew is really earning their keep. Their OR book must be about a page deep.

Comment by shytown Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:52 am
To the post, this Best Buy hit is lame as can be. And I think they know that. If it was anything, if they had anything it would drop before early voting started. The Munger-Trump ad is also meaningless with no money behind it, however I have no doubt Leslie will suffer at the ballot box from her party choosing Trump as standard bearer.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:54 am
A one minute ad is way too long for broadcast TV, and airing an ad that long on cable is pretty much like lighting your money on fire and watching it burn. What would be the point? Who would watch the whole thing? It may be well done and potentially damaging but it is yet another political ad in a season of never-ending ads. If it gets released on TV tomorrow - after the World Series is over - would it be enough to gain traction with five days to go and early voting almost over?

Comment by Team Sleep Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 9:56 am
AlfondoGonz -

No. No redeeming quality - not even political expediency. This is the most publicized, media-hyped race in recent memory. Trump’s name recognition - and the percentage of voters who have a strong opinion of one sort or another about him - is through the roof. They should have realized long ago that they couldn’t hide their heads in the sand on this one. For one thing, Trump clearly doesn’t give a fig about letting them off the hook. There’s no reason in the world they should be doing him any favors. Kirk had the right idea… on Trump, anyway. If he loses, it’ll be because he didn’t think before speaking, not because he abandoned his party’s presidential nominee.

Comment by Commander Norton Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:00 am
So, Mendoza had a dispute with Best Buy - 16 YEARS AGO - and settled that dispute and paid the bill. I can understand how that bombshell of a discovery disqualifies her for the Office of the Comptroller. Unbelievable.

Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:06 am
===OW - I really don’t get your axe to grind with the Mendoza campaign.===

The run an ad where, without question, the smartest person in her ad asks “You can do that?” and the campaign has her say she can… and she will.

And while that’s unconstitutional, let’s look at this Krew’s pivot and “concern” later for the constitution with separation of powers. What, is Mendoza for the constitution then against the constitution, then magically for the constitution?

The Krew’s idea that “being” Leslie Munger in just about every maneuver Munger has done, but doing it quicker, legal or not, isn’t a smart, savvy, of unique campaign.

Mendoza has made her argument that I’m differently the same, constitionally driven to be unconstitutional, and in the end, it just may be Labor and Democrats that will save me from my Krew’s mistakes.

I said Munger will spend $9 million and try to swamp Mendoza. I had no idea Mendoza’s Crew had a plan that was to mirror Munger and count on other in the end.

===If Susana wins on Tuesday, will you admit you underestimated them?===

I dunno. I’m of the belief the Democrats and Labor are pulling the rope the hardest, if that ends up to be the case, I dunno. I will show the respect for organization I try to show when j know and see Crews do the job to win. Fair?

With respect, thanks for allowing me to clarify.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:07 am
Alfondo - that’s a great question. I’m only in my mid-30s and I’d be curious to know how candidates during McGovern’s and Mondale’s cycles handled what was the equivalent of demolition derby. Nixon beat McGovern by almost 20 points and won 101 counties, and Reagan beat Mondale by 13 points and lost only traditional Dem areas. Knowing what was going down I’d love to know if Dem candidates at the state and federal level bent over backwards to distance themselves from their candidates or, in the case of Reagan, identified themselves as “Reagan Democrats”. I ask because in my time we have seen two candidates - Bush in 2004 and Trump this year - who have caused Republicans in tight races heartburn. Republicans didn’t necessarily disavow Bush but a lot of them had to run from him.

Comment by Team Sleep Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:08 am
===Zinging a local with Trump is misguided anyway.===

Yeah… If that was true, Dold wouldn’t be running ads touting how he’s not with Trump, and Schneider wouldn’t be running ads connecting Dold with Trump.

===If denouncing Trump was such a great strategy, Dold and Kirk would be running away with things. People just turn off to it.===

Actually, what you’re describing is both candidates trying to inoculate themselves as voters seem concerned to Trump connections?

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:11 am
Watched the ad. Did Susana pick up a Casio keyboard at Best Buy too? Sweet tunes.

Comment by LizPhairTax Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:14 am
Mendoza would be wise to get that on TV state for all of the reasons OW cited. It is a good add but doesn’t make much difference if nobody sees it.

Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:15 am
==Actually, what you’re describing is both candidates trying to inoculate themselves as voters seem concerned to Trump connections?===

Except it’s hard to see evidence of this with…the voters. This preoccupation is in the media, among some wonks (affectionately referring to my colleagues here on CF) and some official campaign “worriers”.

The Presidential race is compartmentalized. It’s it’s own thing. By luck or strategy, many county, township and local organizations worked the ballot from the bottom up. (I’m gonna say it’s luck and practicality) Coattails only occur with popular people. Some Congressional Candidates will have coattails from them on down. Hillary won’t. Trump won’t. Kirk and Duckworth won’t. Leslie and Susanna are on their own.

Some partisans like the ad. I understand that. But it truly isn’t a great ad….which is why it’s being broadcast where it is. Even they know it’s not great. They want the 5% undecided, no one can find to Google and find it and for that to be the swaying factor. The ad is being properly placed. In all honesty, it could be edited much better. There’s no pace to it, and you’re going to lose viewers and listeners. And…Susanna comes across as whiny. That’s worse than coming off aloof.

Comment by A guy Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:29 am
===Except it’s hard to see evidence of this with…the voters. This preoccupation is in the media, among some wonks (affectionately referring to my colleagues here on CF) and some official campaign “worriers”.===

Then the spending by Dold and Kirk seems frivilous? Dunno about that.

The Biss and Schneider messaging, and the responses to their attaches are frivilous too? Don’t know about that either.

If Trump was nothing to voters, why hasn’t every Republican just come out and support Trump.

You are wishing away realities.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:32 am
It is clear from the documents that they sued her, is there nothing she will not lie about????

Comment by anonymous retiree Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:35 am
I think the only bad judgment shown here is buying a laptop from Best Buy. /s

Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:46 am
Ron - you are correct. I once bought a laptop from Best Buy. In the same vein as #nevertrump, I will counter that with #neverbestbuy. I do CDs and Blu-Ray packages from them, though.

Comment by Team Sleep Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 10:54 am
eyeroll all around. just eyeroll. that is all.

Comment by Responsa Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 11:15 am
My opinion Willy:

===Then the spending by Dold and Kirk seems frivilous? Dunno about that.===

A lot of it is. Kirk’s sincere closer was very well done. Dold’s anti-Iran (pro Israel) ad was a definite winner. A lot of the rest of it was pretty frivolous.

==The Biss and Schneider messaging, and the responses to their attaches are frivilous too? Don’t know about that either.==

Biss’s ads are just like Biss. Wonky and a turn on to only a handful of academia types.

Schneider has sung to the choir on issues he doesn’t have a different position than his opponent on. Maybe a little more name rec, but not much else. His soft on Iran status rocks him. Just watch.

TV has never accomplished so little as a medium as in this cycle. More people have relieved themselves during these spots than watched them. I guarantee it.

Comment by A guy Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 11:29 am
=Except it’s hard to see evidence of this with…the voters.=

You’re wrong on this count. I typically take a very deliberate approach to voting in each race selecting the most capable Democrats and Republicans. In this instance I felt compelled to punish the Republican party for allowing Trump to happen and it absolutely influenced my decisions down ballot. And I can assure you that I’m not alone in that regard.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 11:32 am
Best Buy is irrelevant.

“…spending 10 years in Springfield voting…for the very unbalanced budgets…” is quite relevant.

Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 11:44 am
===A lot of it is. Kirk’s sincere closer was very well done. Dold’s anti-Iran (pro Israel) ad was a definite winner. A lot of the rest of it was pretty frivolous.===

All may be true, but a connection to Trump seems to continue to drive spending and messaging. Why? Why can’t Dold just say “I support Trump”? The effectiveness or… the ineffectiveness of other messaging takes nothing away from the Trump issues.

===Biss’s ads are just like Biss. Wonky and a turn on to only a handful of academia ===

Making it about Biss isn’t making an argument. The argument in the Ads, even the entire media program, is well orchestrated, and layered from food off the table, to a clown car, to Rauner purposely hurting Illinois.

Biss isn’t the issue in the ads. Making Biss the issue now isn’t answering what the messaging is saying.

===TV has never accomplished so little as a medium as in this cycle.===

Then the “Fire Madigan” ads are doomed… lol

===More people have relieved themselves during these spots than watched them. I guarantee it.===

Based on?

That also hurts that whole “Fire Madigan” premise too, or what, people are glued to anti-Madigan ads and then turn away at Trump ads? That’s fun. Where can I see that study?

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 11:45 am
==Based on?===

My bladder. Thanks for asking.

Comment by A guy Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 11:58 am
“Best Buy” is what Rauner calls Munger

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 1:10 pm
Michelle

That was so good, it made coffee come out my nose laughing!

Comment by Ole' Nelson Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 1:42 pm
#nobillnopay

Comment by anonymous retiree Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 1:51 pm
==That also hurts that whole “Fire Madigan” premise too==

It may now. But that theme has been consistent for many months, before the quick parting of fools and money on TV. When people see that now, there’s a foundation and basis for it that’s already been seared into them over a year’s time. Usually the Dems get the jump because of much more vast resources. They were months behind in many places, and behind…everywhere.

The current TV is expensive and mostly ineffective. It’s complete overkill.

Comment by A guy Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 2:57 pm
===When people see that now, there’s a foundation and basis for it that’s already been seared into them over a year’s time===

Just like Rauner is and has been consistently upside down himself.

If McCann taught me anything, “Fire Madigan” hasn’t been able to stop Labor and Democrats that know Rauner wants destruction.

We’ll see.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 3:40 pm
If McCann taught you anything is that Labor can get it together in one District with a fair amount of Labor living there. It didn’t teach you anything about what happens when there are over 50 races. But, alas, it’s about to. Learn.

Comment by A guy Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 3:55 pm
- A Guy -

It’s the micro… It’s always about the micro…

Labor learned that too.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Nov 2, 16 @ 3:57 pm
Didn’t Dan Proft, failed governor candidate, and now major Republican PAC political spokesman fail to pay off his campaign debt?

If I remember correctly he used Rauner’s PAC contribution to retire that $1 million plus debt.

I see no difference.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Nov 3, 16 @ 7:36 am