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Local 150 hires Mike Kasper to kick Scott Drury off ballot

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* Drury has been saying all along that Speaker Madigan is behind the effort to kick him off the ballot. Hiring Madigan’s top election lawyer will only buttress his argument…

The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 announced today that it has retained election attorney Michael Kasper in the ongoing challenge of Representative Scott Drury’s candidacy for attorney general in the upcoming Democratic primary. Following a challenge by Local 150 member Thomas Rottman, a Cook County judge ruled last week that Drury’s name should not appear on the ballot, and Drury vowed to challenge the ruling.

The following statement can be attributed to James M. Sweeney, President-Business Manager of IUOE Local 150:

“We are challenging Scott Drury’s candidacy on behalf of working men and women across Illinois because when it has mattered most, Representative Drury has sided with Governor Rauner against middle-class families. Drury refused to stand up to Governor Rauner’s ‘right-to-work’ agenda when workers were counting on him, causing a vital veto override to fail by a single vote.

“Our challenge is based in the simple fact that Representative Drury failed to abide by the same election law we expect every candidate to follow. Illinois families cannot afford an attorney general who will side with Bruce Rauner’s extreme agenda, and we deserve an attorney general who pays attention to detail.

“Because Representative Drury will use the tens of thousands of dollars he has taken from wealthy Republicans to find a loophole in the law, we have retained Mike Kasper, a top election attorney, to ensure that Drury is held accountable for his faulty filing.”

Tying Drury to Rauner is a nice touch, though.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 10:43 am

Comments

Rich, maybe the answer is obvious, but if Drury stays off the ballot, which AG candidate is helped most? Not clear to me this helps Raoul. Thanks.

Comment by DarkHorse Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 10:53 am
Every other candidate managed to comply, what’s with the inattention?

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 10:54 am
Gripes about “technicalities” should never come from the guy running for Attorney General.

Comment by Man with a Plan Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 10:57 am
150 probably hired Kasper because of his experience in election law. If Madigan trusts Kasper’s abilities, he probably is highly competent.

Comment by DuPage Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 10:58 am
Shrewd hire– Kasper is brilliant.

Comment by Red fish blue fish Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 10:58 am
Rauner loves Drury. He is his biggest fan. Just like Madigan is Ives biggest fan.

Comment by 360 Degree TurnAround Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 11:01 am
Drury’s firm website says he specializes in white collar defense. Just the person you want as AG.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 11:03 am
If 150 is behind the challenge, it’s all about Drury’s voting record. If I had to guess, Drury has probably broken some promises to 150’s lobbyist or failed to come through on a few key votes.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 11:07 am
Smart move on the part of 150. Odds are Kasper has worked with or for, directly or indirectly, the judges on the case.

Comment by Abraham Obama Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 11:08 am
And we all know, Kasper would never take this gig without approval from the big guy so this isn’t exactly subtle.

Comment by Chicago Cynic Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 11:09 am
He turned his back on working people when he failed to help override RTW. An AG who doesn’t have the ability to follow the rules to even file properly, is a real concern. What would he overlook if elected. This was a very amateurish move by what should be an experience polititian.

Comment by Retired Educator Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 11:11 am
===failed to come through on a few key votes===

He skipped town during the second override attempt of the local “right to work” ban.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 11:12 am
DarkHorse- Drury’s 1500 votes could get split among the 2 other former AUSA’s.

Comment by Keyrock Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 11:12 am
Save the money. I wonder if 150 is worried about the ballot being watered down and Quinn winning.

Comment by Blue dog dem Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 11:12 am
“Kasper would never take this gig without approval from the big guy”

Any gig.

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 11:13 am
It’s delicious it’s Kasper.

Rauner and Drury… can’t skip that link, lol

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 11:23 am
Godspeed, Mr. Kasper.

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 11:28 am
Madigan’s again’st him, Local 150 is against him (and they’re working with Proft, so he must be against him, too).

Drury should go full Oliver Stone in “JFK.” The question isn’t who’s in on it, but who’s not in on it.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 11:31 am
Seems to be a poor strategy. Keeping Drury in the race will help Kwame, who 150 is backing. Pat Quinn is going to win this primary anyway.

Comment by phocion Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 11:35 am
Pure thuggery. What’s the harm if Drury is on the ballot?

Comment by Sue Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 11:40 am
The rule of law is not thuggery.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 12:04 pm
So Local 150 has been pooh-poohing the notion that they’re doing Madigan’s bidding in the Durkin race, and then hire Madigan’s guy to kick a guy off the ballot who has been a thorn in the side to the Speaker? What a coinkydink.

Comment by Violet Seepage Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 12:07 pm
Spending (what will soon be even more, thanks Janus) precious resources to contest a guy who doesn’t have much of a chance at winning anyway seems, um, lets just say, “not prudent.” Respect if the union would just be honest with us and tell us this is a Seinfeld-esque decision based wholly on spite.

Comment by A State Employee Guy Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 12:14 pm
Violet Seepage, Drury took a walk on the “right to work” override and Durkin whipped votes hard to make sure it failed. Sometimes the simplest explanation is the correct one.

Comment by Man with a Plan Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 12:20 pm
==Keeping Drury in the race will help Kwame==

Drury in the race neither helps nor hurts other candidates. Drury out of the race? Same result.

In his head, however, Scott is happy he’s getting all this attention. If he winds up staying, the last place or next to last place finish might make him wish he was removed…

Comment by low level Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 12:20 pm
Prosecutors build their political careers by howling for accountability — but when a prosecutor is held to account, it’s ‘pure thuggery’?

Ignorance of the law, etc.

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 12:28 pm
=== The rule of law is not thuggery. ===

I wouldn’t characterize it as thuggery, but let’s not pretend it’s about the rule of law either.

Comment by Just Observing Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 1:14 pm
Drury just tweeted out some voice mail recording he says he saved to be just like James Comey.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 1:14 pm
Maybe there is more coming, but the voicemail he released from the Speaker where the Speaker says “Scott, its Mike Madigan is a weird choice for a prosecutor to put out as some sort of smoking gun. Oooohhh. He CALLED you?!?! And he asked you to CALL HIM BACK?!?!? What a strong-arming dictator.

Scratching my head on that one.

Comment by BothSidesofHisMouth Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 1:25 pm
Man with a Plan:

Really? You think is about ideology? How quaint.

Comment by Violet Seepage Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 1:27 pm
Statements of economic interest are not technicalities; they allow transparency regarding possible conflicts of interest. How you bind your petitions is a technicality.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 1:36 pm
==Really? You think is about ideology? How quaint. ==

Violet Seepage and others who think this is a Madigan thing or some plan to ease some other candidate’s route to the nomination, you clearly do not understand 150. They are making an example of Drury and a few others who voted wrong (or didn’t vote) on RTW and few other Union issues. They are showing a willingness to follow through on promises made in Springfield. The RTW vote, for example, was a biggie, and if they aren’t willing to stand by that issue and vote, why should anyone pay attention next time around?

Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 2:01 pm
Pot,

Everything you say may be true, but you’re not actually suggesting Kasper took this without blessing from the Speaker, right?

Comment by Chicago Cynic Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 3:15 pm
It does not conflict with the Speaker’s interests, but that’s not the driving force.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 5:39 pm
Pot,

Madigan IS the driving force. You think Kasper would do it from his own will? Think not.

Comment by MACY Wednesday, Feb 7, 18 @ 9:44 pm
Wow. “It’s always Madigan” is clearly a blinding vision for some folks.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Thursday, Feb 8, 18 @ 7:59 am