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* Mark Maxwell…
Senator Bill Brady’s tenure as Minority Leader faces new uncertainty after Senator Jason Plummer, Brady’s former 2010 gubernatorial running mate, accused Brady of offering him an appointment to sit on the Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform in exchange for muting his criticism of Brady’s side gig working to promote video gaming terminals in bars.
“It was said multiple times that he would not appoint me if I followed through on filing that legislation that I had worked on, or if I spoke publicly about it,” Plummer told WCIA on Monday night. “I was kind of surprised that he was as forward as he was. I said to him, I said, ‘Geez, Bill.’”
“I recall the conversation with great detail because it wasn’t just one conversation,” Plummer added.
Several Senate Republicans, who asked to speak anonymously, said Plummer’s explosive allegations could make it incredibly difficult for Brady to keep enough votes in his camp to win re-election to keep his post in 2021. […]
Plummer, an Edwardsville Republican, claims Brady’s aides quizzed him about legislation he has drafted that would outlaw elected officials from earning income to operate or promote video gaming terminals. Plummer says he has drafted, but not yet filed, Senate Bill 2318, which would prohibit any member from the General Assembly from receiving any income from a gaming related interest. The idea has been discussed by a number of Senate Republicans, who say they would support it, even though it would outlaw Brady from keeping one of his side jobs. […]
“I very much wanted to serve on the commission,” Plummer said, citing his interest in passing tougher ethics laws. According to several sources familiar with the private Senate Republican caucus meetings, Plummer openly pressured Brady to pursue more stringent ethical reforms, but the Minority Leader instead opted to embrace the “low hanging fruit” Democrats offered and moved to establish a Commission to study the issue of fighting corruption, as opposed to enacting laws to ban lawmakers from serving as lobbyists, or to broaden the powers of the Legislative Inspector General.
Wait a second. The Senate Republicans, including Plummer, voted unanimously against establishing that ethics commission. From a press release…
“With the cloud of scandal hanging over the Dome, we need to be taking up serious ethics reforms not punting to another partisan task force,” the caucus said in a statement issued before the vote.
* I checked in with Senate GOP Leader Bill Brady this morning and he said Plummer has “never” spoken to him about that video gaming bill. “He’s never brought it up.”
Brady said he had discussed with Plummer the need to represent “the interests of the caucus” at the joint commission, not his own private views. He also characterized Plummer’s comments as “false accusations.”
* There’s also a passage in the story about Sen. Dan McConchie, whom Brady appointed to the commission after Plummer took his name off the list…
However, Brady did not harbor the same concerns or require the same conditions from Senator McConchie, even though he had made several public statements and filed legislation in support of tougher ethical laws.
All of those bills were filed and the statements were made before the commission resolution passed, Brady said today. He’s right about that.
* Whoever is telling the truth here kinda matters less than the news value of watching two Senate Republicans, who ran as a team in the 2010 gubernatorial election, duking it out in public. Stay tuned.
*** UPDATE *** Partial walkback?…
A spokesman for Senator Brady says he “never even talked about gaming in abstract terms” with Senator Plummer. Plummer says, “I’m not saying video gaming itself came up,” but he believes Brady knew his bill would ban lawmakers from profiting on gaming. https://t.co/TiqAdCeXep
— Mark Maxwell (@MarkMaxwellTV) December 3, 2019
* Related…
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 9:49 am
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I get so tired of politicians acting like petulant spoiled children.
Comment by Honeybear Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 9:57 am
So is this why Plummer didn’t run for Congress…so he can make a run at Brady for Republican leader? Or is he positioning himself for the statewide ticket in 2022?
Comment by Telly Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 9:58 am
===… news value of watching two Senate Republicans, who ran as a team in the 2010 gubernatorial election, duking it out in public.===
This is the real show. At that time, in 2010, Brady was saddled with Plummer, crystallized how by his Chicago Tonight appearance. Fast forward 9 years, now its colleagues, a leader and a freshman member going after each other with an underpinning of who is truthful to their own discussions.
With Plummer staying in the Senate and not chasing a vanishing congressional seat, these next two years, Brady at the helm of the caucus… or not… will we see Plummer planting roots to move himself into the limelight, even at the cost of someone who gave him credibility… out of necessity… 9 years ago?
Dee-licious.
The truth will find its way out. It always does.
How much if that truth and it’s fallout between them, the caucus, even the party… indeed, stay tuned.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 10:00 am
Tomorrow’s SGOP fundraiser in Chicago should be good fun. Plenty to talk about.
Comment by Moe Berg Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 10:09 am
=== Plummer says he has drafted, but not yet filed, Senate Bill 2318, … ===
Unless things have changed a lot, you don’t get a number unless the bill is filed or pre-filed.
Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 10:12 am
=news value of watching two Senate Republicans, who ran as a team in the 2010 gubernatorial election, duking it out in public-
Definitely a “pass the popcorn” moment.
Comment by JoanP Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 10:21 am
I’m happy there’s finally one republican who takes issue with a leaders side job other than Madigan’s law firm. Yay for consistency. Maybe next he can complain about Durkin’s efforts to help municipalities rack up staggering amounts of debt.
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 10:25 am
“I said to him, I said, ‘Geez, Bill.’”
Worth it all just to read this. I love Illinois politics.
Comment by NIU Grad Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 10:28 am
=== Partial walkback?===
Blinking? Now we’ll wait to see if there’s more.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 10:30 am
Plummer asserts “it was said to him multiple times”
Brady’s spokesman asserts gambling was never discussed in abstract terms.
So, they got down in the weeds on the issue?
Sounds like the first liar doesn’t stand a chance.
Comment by efudd Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 10:31 am
“I get so tired of politicians acting like petulant spoiled children.”
Honeybear, I hear you. But it will never end. Now if I can keep my children from acting like petulant spoiled politicians, that is where I can claim victory.
Comment by Ducky LaMoore Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 10:32 am
=Brady said he had discussed with Plummer the need to represent “the interests of the caucus” at the joint commission, not his own private views. He also characterized Plummer’s comments as “false accusations.”=
Can Brady explain to us what Plummer’s “own private views” are?
Comment by {Sigh} Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 10:46 am
It sounds like Plummer inferred positions on behalf of his leader and used it to make himself look good (at least in his opinion) and Brady look bad. And to what end? He just looks erratic and untrustworthy.
Comment by Nova Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 10:51 am
Well played Ducky. It just makes me so mad. When I first aspired to go into ministry I had to pay out of pocket for a whole psychological profile to prove “fitness for ministry”. This was required by my ecclesiastical endorsing body.
I wish we had this for politicians.
Of course, some days I bet Rich wishes his commenters were pre-evaluated as well. lol
Comment by Honeybear Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 10:51 am
I think you should at least publish the full, accurate quote:
I said to him, I said, “Gees, Bill, I found all the Gees that Rauner was dropping for years (exclamation point)”
Comment by Ok Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 10:53 am
Sounds like someone finally had the guts to call Brady out on his self-dealing.
Comment by Dave W Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 11:05 am
“Plummer’s letter to Brady” ……. “Dear Bill…….I just wanted….”
“Brady’s response to Plummer”…….”&^%*%$(^&%$$##U*U&!!
Comment by Sayitaintso Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 11:23 am
=So is this why Plummer didn’t run for Congress…=
Maybe Plummer didn’t run for Congress because he didn’t want to be “Former Congressman Plummer” in 2 years. Illinois is set to lose a seat in reapportion process after the census.
To paraphrase Jeff Foxworthy: “if you don’t think your family has a black sheep, it’s you.”
Comment by Anon 11:24 Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 11:39 am
==Plummer says, “I’m not saying video gaming itself came up,”==
Nigel Tufnel: We don’t literally say it.
David St. Hubbins: No, we don’t say it.
Nigel Tufnel: We don’t really, literally mean it.
David St. Hubbins: No, we don’t believe it either, but…
Comment by Pot calling kettle Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 11:47 am
For someone who “recall[ed] the conversation with great detail”, Plummer seems a bit confused.
Comment by JoanP Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 11:52 am
Quite the ham-handed coup attempt.
Comment by Not for Nothing Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 11:55 am
Maybe Jason got a bit confused while the Dodgers acquisition was going on.
Comment by Blue Dog Dem Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 12:31 pm
Plummer says, “I’m not saying video gaming itself came up,” but he believes Brady knew his bill would ban lawmakers from profiting on gaming.
Still trying to figure out what Brady did that was newsworthy? Seems like Plummer made an assumption here that is gonna make him a pariah.
Comment by uh, ok Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 2:32 pm
=== Seems like Plummer made an assumption here…===
It’ll be up to the Caucus, and if they think that too… all that goodwill and hard work Plummer did these two years will be remembered as Jason deciding to make a “point” on something he “assumed” was “something” and that “something” Plummer thought was hay he could make.
Again, we’ll see.
Also, putting it all in a written correspondence? Why?
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 2:40 pm
Brady used to lie all the time, when running for gov. Mr. Plummer had to put little fires out all the time. I can be certain, he was not assuming anything. And Bill brady cost that election, for being a d$&$_ @$$
Comment by Ironman007 Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 6:00 pm
===Brady used to lie all the time, when running for gov. Mr. Plummer had to put little fires out all the time. I can be certain, he was not assuming anything. And Bill brady cost that election, for being a d$&$_ @$$===
Thanks for sharing.
I remember the groundswell of support for Plummer when the masses flocked to hear him speak. It was truly remarkable.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 7:01 pm
Democrats pray for Plummer to be Republican leader. Not that the bench is real deep, but that he looks around the Caucus and thinks “me, me, I’m the future” is a staggering failure in self awareness.
Comment by Downstater Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 9:35 pm
I believe Plummer. Don’t trust Brady. Brady is a Snake. Brady should step down as leader and let Chapin Rose have the job.
Comment by cudawodashuda Tuesday, Dec 3, 19 @ 10:35 pm