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* So, Valencia admits that she’s had to previously prevent her husband from trying to cross an ethical line? Sheesh…
Interesting reaction from @AnnaValenciaIL campaign on question about IG request to look at Valencia and her husband’s lobbying business. So when did he come close to crossing the line? #ILSoS22 pic.twitter.com/0DBiMU6Fhl
— Mary Ann Ahern (@MaryAnnAhernNBC) April 27, 2022
By the way, a Downstate reporter emailed me this morning about a press release he’d received from Chicago Ald. Silvana Tabares announcing she was asking the city’s new inspector general to investigate “recent allegations that City Clerk Anna Valencia inappropriately used her position as an elected citywide office holder to benefit the business interests of her lobbyist husband and his private clients.”
“Explain that one,” the reporter quipped.
Using inspectors general to further the aims of political campaigns will only undermine IGs. More on that topic later today.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 10:23 am
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Previous Post: Another day, another lawsuit
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“Calling out a woman for corruption is sexist” is a hilariously bad take. Good luck with that, Team Valencia.
Comment by Torco Sign Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 10:28 am
This mess is starting to give me Huma Abedin/Anthony Weiner flashbacks.
– MrJM
Comment by MisterJayEm Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 10:32 am
To the post…ouch. What kind of person throws their spouse under the bus like that? Horrible character. I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again, these two really cannot be the best we had to offer as a party.
Comment by ;) Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 10:32 am
There’s more going on here than just a terribly run campaign…
If it were just a horribly run campaign…
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 10:35 am
Valencia keeping the same campaign manager this whole time is enough to see.
This is just a bad response, and it isn’t the first time. To keep this person on staff still, shows there is a personal relationship that is being given preference over performance and ability.
Without knowing it, the campaign is displaying the same framework of behavior they are being accused of.
So… congrats to Alexi on winning - especially with all the mostly unintentional help from your opponent.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 10:36 am
Darn…but this Anna Valencia ship is beginning to sink. Can she survive and make it Primary day?
Seems like we will be seeing Alexi’s name on our future driver’s licenses?
Comment by Pizza Man Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 10:38 am
==Using inspectors general to further the aims of political campaigns will only undermine IGs. More on that topic later today. ==
Absolutely, but…this is also the kinda thing that definitely deserves some kind of official scrutiny.
Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 10:43 am
==Seems like we will be seeing Alexi’s name on our future driver’s licenses? ==
Slow your roll. Homeboy is gonna have a pretty good opponent in the GE.
Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 10:47 am
@ Arsenal…Hope you’re right.
Comment by Pizza Man Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 10:52 am
–Using inspectors general to further the aims of political campaigns will only undermine IGs. More on that topic later today.–
Elected officials/spouses lining their own pockets seems to undermine the entire system?
Comment by Torco Sign Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 10:54 am
Please get a new campaign manager, Anna.
Comment by South Loop Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 10:55 am
===Elected officials/spouses lining their own pockets seems to undermine the entire system?===
Do voters elect inspector generals?
The system allows for voters to remove elected officials at the ballot box.
===Using inspectors general to further the aims of political campaigns will only undermine IGs.===
Using the appointments to undermine democracy is a far different thing… as democracy itself is the center of things.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 10:57 am
brutal
Comment by Gohawks123 Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 11:06 am
“concerns nearly 700 emails sent to or regarding her husband Reyahd Kazmi, who became a lobbyist for Monterrey Security in the fall of 2017.
Monterrey, which started with Santiago Solis, the brother of former Ald. Danny Solis, has received millions of dollars in city contracts over the years at Soldier Field, large COVID-19 vaccine facilities as well as assisting police during the civil unrest of 2020…
Monterrey Security and Danny Solis - the gift that keeps on giving
https://www.nbcchicago.com/local-2/chicago-city-clerk-anna-valencia-at-center-of-email-controversy/2759418/
Comment by Donnie Elgin Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 11:09 am
Facepalm.
I don’t know how as a paid, professional campaign staffer you issue a statement like that. “crossing a line” shouldn’t be in the comms vocabulary unless it’s referring to an opponent. Silly stuff out here.
Comment by Lakefront Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 11:12 am
I keep reading that quote…
… that a professional campaign operative… I mean… so much bad in that lil snippet;
First there’s the victimhood of being a woman and standing up to “those” that might be saying her husband is speaking for her. So, it’s one outside the spousal relationship saying how the marriage is, but under this guise of alleged corrupt dealings?
That’s just the first sentence.
Now, here’s where it’s gets confusing to the professional part.
A professional put out there that not only is there discussion, I’m sorry, discussionS, to questionable business dealings… no… not only discussions… no, these discussions revolve around both figuring out if there’s a line, how close one can get… think on that… the quote is letting known there’s a measure to a line… and the candidate… the candidate… has shut down… “she shut him down”… any time the candidate measured things that *the candidate*… not the spouse… felt a line could be crossed.
I mean… you read this… and think about whom is stating this… and about whom…
It’s a horribly run campaign, now with laundry on the line too.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 11:18 am
== Using inspectors general to further the aims of political campaigns will only undermine IGs. ==
That is 100 percent true. But I don’t know if there is anyway around it.
The legislature has tried to put guard rails in place to prevent campaigns from filing headline-seeking (and often frivolous) complaints with the legislative IG, like FOIA shields and the requirement that the bipartisan ethics commission approve an investigation before the IG moves forward. But to say the legislature has been absolutely lit-up by the media and reformers over those restrictions is a huge understatement.
Comment by Roman Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 11:23 am
I’m guessing Valencia won’t b filming any commercials with some of those respected elected officials who have endorsed her.
Comment by Because I said so.... Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 11:24 am
Playing the sexist card against the media?
This makes zero sense, more harm than good.
Comment by Almost the Weekend Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 11:30 am
It’s not just that the statement failed to effectively distance Valencia from her husband’s lobbying. It actually serves to position her more closely by portraying her as actively involved in fending off her husband’s efforts to influence her.
Maybe just stop messaging for a while?
Comment by Bud's Bar Stool Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 12:16 pm
When allegations like this are raised, what other options are there for reviewing and then verifying or dismissing these situations other than reporting to IGs. Certainly Illinois should not ignore more alleged corruption. The IGs should investigate the alleged corruption/conflicts from Valencia & her husband, Sen Bush and her gov/political staff, Rochford, Edly Allen, Faver Dias, Rochford, and Laliberte, and any others that break the law and the rules.
Comment by Dem Unity Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 12:32 pm
== Using inspectors general to further the aims of political campaigns will only undermine IGs. ==
There is no campaign “spin” on what Valencia did. Is the alternative for aldermen to pretend nothing happened?
Comment by Ömbrur Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 12:56 pm
– Playing the sexist card against the media?
This makes zero sense, more harm than good. –
Wait, I thought Silvana Tabares was being sexist? Man, this is getting confusing.
Comment by McGuppin Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 1:14 pm
We’ve all read the list of who is working for Anna. Those working on the messaging need to do better.
Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 1:19 pm
Naked ambition when the candidate is willing to throw her husband under the bus or the comms staff dropped the ball in a big way.
Comment by Two Thumbs Up Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 1:40 pm
She all but admits her husband is ethically challenged and expects people to vote for her for Secretary of State? Wow. You’d have to be pretty ignorant to think she is the person you should vote for after an admission of this sort.
Comment by Captain Obvious Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 2:16 pm
There’s no easy out for Anna at this point. If this ethics stuff continues, she’ll most certainly lose as she doesn’t have the cash to go negative and boost her positives. Will JB come in with money to save her? Doubt it. Anna’s terrible handling of the matter will jeopardize her running for re-election for clerk if she loses this primary. Anna’s team did a horrible job prepping for this campaign.
Comment by Two Thumbs Up Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 2:40 pm
It looks like I’ll vote in November for a GOP candidate for the first time in many years.
Comment by Keyrock Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 2:45 pm
==She all but admits her husband is ethically challenged and expects people to vote for her for Secretary of State?==
Against an even more ethically challenged challenger (Broadway Bank, Bright Start, etc.)
Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 6:43 pm
Fresh scandal beats stale scandal.
Comment by Big Dipper Wednesday, Apr 27, 22 @ 7:11 pm
Valencia is an embarrassment. I am tried of the “vote for me because I am a woman” business. I am tired of hearing how she has used her clerk position for self gain.
Comment by Lisa Thursday, Apr 28, 22 @ 3:42 pm