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* UPDATED x1 * * LIVE VIDEO * Rep. Lang press conference to respond to allegations

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* Again, many thanks to the folks at BlueRoomStream.com for access to this press conference which is scheduled to begin at 3 o’clock. Rep. Lang’s press release did not deny any of the allegations made against him, so I’m sure he’ll be asked about them at his event…

Click here if the embed doesn’t work for you.

And if you can’t watch videos at work, click here to follow along with our live coverage post.

*** UPDATE *** Rep. Lang was asked if the allegations were true: “From beginning to the end the allegations are absurd.”

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 2:33 pm

Comments

Loving the Roseanne commentary…

Comment by Man with a plan Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 2:58 pm
Rule #1 - the microphone is always live….

Comment by Wylie Coyote Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 3:09 pm
Reading his prior statement almost verbatim to start.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 3:11 pm
The key moment here- do we hear a denial.

Comment by Anon Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 3:11 pm
This is……not good.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 3:15 pm
Kind of hard to be defending something at this early stage when you barely know what you are defending. He better hope and pray there is nothing else out there that would burn these fine female legislators and lobbyists for standing up for him today.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 3:17 pm
So leader Lang slanders legal medical marijuana dispensaries licensed by the State of Illinois participating in the free market as “profiteers”

“make or seek to make an excessive or unfair profit, especially illegally or in a black market.”

Definition of profiteer

: one who makes what is considered an unreasonable profit especially on the sale of essential goods during times of emergency

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/profiteer

No wonder Illinois is losing jobs and population with this type of thinking in the leadership of the General Assambly

Comment by Lucky Pierre Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 3:18 pm
Rep Lang can line up a thousand women who will sing his praises (w/o promise of advancing their legislation) but it does not vindicate him of the allegations.

Comment by Defendant Lang Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 3:18 pm
Thought the first presser was bizarre enough … yet Lou’s is every bit as bizarre, in different ways. #NoDenial!

Comment by Anon Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 3:19 pm
Finally denied the allegations, “the allegations are absurd.”

Comment by Ron Burgundy Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 3:21 pm
I find this very gross. Let the process run its course before you all fall on your sword.

As someone who has worked with FORMER Leader Lang, I can tell you a hug and a kiss is always expected.

Comment by Broken record Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 3:21 pm
Good question. I’d say the people at that podium have DQ’d themselves from taking his place on the commission.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 3:27 pm
This is so odd. What’s the story with bribe, Andy Shaw?

Comment by Be careful what you wish for... Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 3:31 pm
I for one find the everyday hugging and kissing to be beyond necessary. and this is true, seemingly, everywhere I go, not just in politics.

Comment by Amalia Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 3:31 pm
Comments about lucky husbands, etc, go beyond a polite hug. The Reps who stood up their aren’t independent arbiters, clearly showing a bias simply by standing up with him, and shouldn’t be a part of any investigation committee

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 3:34 pm
Having people who you have influence over speaking on your behalf dosen’t add up to much. Then walking out without answering many questions, leaves more questions to be asked and answered. Her presser was bizarre but his wasn’t much better….

Comment by Board Watcher Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 3:35 pm
This is very sad no matter what. It’s unfortunate that Ives was pulled into the matter as it may significantly muddle things for folks in trying to look at this outside of a partisan lens.

Comment by Veil of Ignorance Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 3:40 pm
==As someone who has worked with FORMER Leader Lang, I can tell you a hug and a kiss is always expected.==

Yeah, OK, but, yuck.

Comment by Arsenal Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 3:40 pm
==As someone who has worked with FORMER Leader Lang, I can tell you a hug and a kiss is always expected.==

So? Does that mean you have to do it? If someone voluntary engages in that hug, that’s one thing. But if someone touches someone else, no matter how “innocent” it may seem, if that person doesn’t want that then that’s harassment.

Comment by Demoralized Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 3:44 pm
==As someone who has worked with FORMER Leader Lang, I can tell you a hug and a kiss is always expected.==

And always awkward and inappropriate in a professional conversation. To anyone who disagrees: is that done to everyone or just females? We all know the answer.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 3:45 pm
I said it was “expected”, not that I engaged in it. I have no problem hugging people I know well. And I have even less of a problem saying no or walking away when someone tries to pull me in for a hug/kiss I don’t want.

Comment by Broken record Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 3:48 pm
==is that done to everyone or just females? We all know the answer.==

Well, to Rep. Andersson, on another part of today’s blog.

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 3:51 pm
I’m sure that Kelly Cassidy feels all warm & fuzzy that her colleagues stood up for Lang and ignored her.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 3:53 pm
Note to next legislator holding a press conference about sexual assault allegations: Respond to the question first before running out the character witnesses. It was really awkward and left one questioning the delay in responding.

Comment by Norseman Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 3:53 pm
===Rep. Lang was asked if the allegations were true: “From beginning to the end the allegations are absurd.”===

As a denial, that’s pretty weak. I mean, from beginning to end, the Trump presidency is absurd. But it’s also happening, so just because something is absurd doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.

Just saying.

Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 4:00 pm
47th, in a follow up, Lang was asked that. Just because something is absurd doesn’t mean it’s false. He then responded that they are false.

Comment by Juice Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 4:13 pm
Lang stated that from the start he wanted MM dispensaries to be non-profit but Republicans insisted it had to include for-profits. I call BS. The intent, from the beginning, was to make the for-profits come begging.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 4:29 pm
As interesting as the group of legislators are that defended Rep. Lang, I found those absent even more interesting. I think we all know who hangs at the Globe with Rep. Lang. I didn’t see any of them there.

Comment by Anon Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 4:51 pm
~~”Lang stated that from the start he wanted MM dispensaries to be non-profit but Republicans insisted it had to include for-profits. I call BS. The intent, from the beginning, was to make the for-profits come begging.”~~

Wrong. It was Minority Leader Cross that demanded the profit be added it and if it wasn’t we would not get gop support. I support this investigation but will not stand by and let others cloud the truth. Lang did not want profit in the bill. As with any bill, negotiations and such, compromise happens. In all the years I worked with Lang, he’s been genuine and honest. He showed that today but stepping down from his station to let this play out as it should. She deserves to be heard as does he, innocent until proven guilty.

But I’ll be damn, as one of the leading advocates of that medical cannabis bill (from 2010 to the present), will I sit back and let misconceptions and falsehoods get by. None of us got everything we wanted, of course not, but to blame Lang after all the years he put into that bill, that he somehow tainted it, is disgusting.

Comment by Sandy Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 4:51 pm
Thanks Juice. I know. I was just pointing out that Lang might have run his statement by a public relations pro before issuing it. Team Madigan doesn’t really have any public relations/crisis communication folks on board (no offense) and Lang sure could have used some good advice today. He eventually made his denial clear, but it took a while.

Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 4:59 pm
~~”Lang stated that from the start he wanted MM dispensaries to be non-profit but Republicans insisted it had to include for-profits. I call BS. The intent, from the beginning, was to make the for-profits come begging.”~~

Wrong. It was Minority Leader Cross that demanded the profit be added it and if it wasn’t we would not get gop support. I support this investigation but will not stand by and let others cloud the truth. Lang did not want profit in the bill. As with any bill, negotiations and such, compromise happens. In all the years I worked with Lang, he’s been genuine and honest. He showed that today but stepping down from his station to let this play out as it should. She deserves to be heard as does he, innocent until proven guilty.

But, as one of the leading advocates of that medical cannabis bill (from 2010 to the present), I will not sit back and let misconceptions and falsehoods get by. None of us got everything we wanted, of course not, but to blame Lang after all the years he put into that bill, that he somehow tainted it, is disgusting.

Comment by Sandy Thursday, May 31, 18 @ 5:07 pm