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* UPDATED x1 * Sen. Hastings resigns leadership position

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* Some quick background…

State Sen. Michael Hastings is suing Frankfort’s Police Department and alleges that unnamed employees of the department or Will County released “a fabricated police report with false claims” of domestic violence against him alleged by his wife, who he said he is divorcing.

A petition for discovery, filed last month, seeks records from Frankfort and Will County regarding who may have accessed the June 20, 2021, police report in which his wife alleged that Hastings was verbally abusive toward her and had, several months earlier, battered her at the Frankfort home they shared.

Southtown…

State Sen. Michael Hastings lost a round in court Thursday when a Will County judge ruled that potential sworn testimony by a Tinley Park police officer and Mayor Michael Glotz were irrelevant to the senator’s divorce case at this time.

Judge Dinah Archambeault quashed subpoenas that sought to depose Glotz and a police officer who took a report from Hastings’ estranged wife on Father’s Day 2021 at the Tinley Park Police Department.

Attorneys for Hastings argued the prospective witnesses might shed light on alleged efforts to damage the senator’s political career.

…Adding… Southtown…

An ethics investigation launched last year at the behest of state Sen. Michael Hastings found his former chief of staff engaged in prohibited political activity and misappropriated state resources by using her official email account to conduct personal business.

The legislative inspector general concluded that allegations Hastings made against Cassandra Matz, who worked for him from 2013 until he fired her in 2018, were “factually well-founded” and that her termination was “supported by the facts,” according to an investigative summary report.

* OK, on to the Edgar County Watchdogs…

In a letter dated August 12, 2022, to Secretary of the Senate Tim Anderson, Senate President Don Harmon wrote:

“Senator Michael E. Hastings has stepped down from his role on Senate Democrat Majority Caucus Whip. I have accepted this resignation and it is effective immediately. If you have any questions, please contact Jake Butcher, Chief of Staff.”

* More allegations from the Edgar County Watchdogs…

In 2019, Illinois State Senator Michael Hastings and the Illinois State Senate were sued by Cassandra Matz, who was Hastings’ former Chief of Staff (See Chicago Tribune article).

The Cook County Case Number was: 2019-L-6369 and alleged she was paid less than her predecessor and was treated differently than his other employees, which constituted harassment. Count I complained of Violations of State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. […]

On December 8, 2021, the court docket shows a “Stipulation to Dismiss” was filed.

According to the Stipulation to Dismiss, “Each party shall bear their own attorney’s fees, costs, and expenses.” This Stipulation was signed by both party’s attorneys. […]

The Comptroller was invoiced on January 7, 2022, and later paid Plaintiff Cassandra Matz $45,000 on February 23, 2022.

The Comptroller was also separately invoiced on January 7, 2022, and later paid Plaintiff Matz’ attorneys $55,000 on February 23, 2022.

.

* And Sen. Hastings posted this on his Facebook page earlier today…

#perspective

Life can be like that. It kicks us around. The stuff we expected to be simple turns out to be tough. The people we thought were friends let us down. A couple storms or unexpected weather patterns just add a whole bunch of difficulty on top of whatever we’ve been doing.

How could that possibly be seen as a good thing? You have to squint a bit to see it, but there is one way: if you see what’s been happening as practice, as training.

Seneca wrote that only the prize fighter who has been bloodied and bruised—in training and in previous matches—can go into the ring confident of his chances of winning. The one who has never been touched before, never had a hard fight? That’s a fighter who is scared. And if they aren’t, they should be. Because they have no actual idea how they’re going to hold up.

His point was that the boxer who has, “seen his own blood, who has felt his teeth rattle beneath his opponent’s fist…who has been downed in body but not in spirit…”—they know what they can take. They know what the darkness before the proverbial dawn feels like. Only they have a true and accurate sense of rhythms of a fight and what winning is going to require them to do. That sense comes from getting knocked around. That sense is only possible because of the hard times—the hard knocks—they’ve experienced before.

So yeah, things might not be great right now. Obviously it’d be nice if they were better. But if they were, you’d also be weaker for it. Less informed. Less in touch with yourself and the fight you’re in.

So squint and see that.

*** UPDATE *** Sen. Hastings’ resignation letter indicates that his resignation was requested by Senate President Harmon…

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Aug 17, 22 @ 10:55 am

Comments

He really thought the prize fighter reference was a good idea?

Comment by South of 80 Wednesday, Aug 17, 22 @ 11:00 am
If he’s so tough he should be like the boxer in his story and take the shots. Instead, he’s victim shaming - by implying the police report filed by his wife and the officers involved were pushing a “fabricated” report. Plus his GPS tracking of his wife is super creepy.

Comment by Donnie Elgin Wednesday, Aug 17, 22 @ 11:22 am
This election season is seemingly the least of Hastings’ worries.

Having said that, maybe realizing he (Hastings) is not helping himself much, even if he feels he is the one catching the short end on things.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 17, 22 @ 11:22 am
It seems like the more he talks about this, the worse it gets. Just stop, senator. Let the process play out.

Comment by So_Ill Wednesday, Aug 17, 22 @ 11:27 am
I don’t know if the allegations from his wife are true, divorces are never clean and it may very well have happened. But the ethics complaint against his former staffer adds a little more context to the suit she subsequently filed after she was terminated.

Either way, there’s a lot to deal with here and his seat is probably pretty warm.

Comment by fs Wednesday, Aug 17, 22 @ 11:28 am
He needs to chill on the FB.

Comment by Avocado Toast Wednesday, Aug 17, 22 @ 11:28 am
“Per your request,” “temporarily,” and the facebook post tells me Hastings is nowhere near close enough to taking this situation seriously. Hastings has to give up on the idea that winning the right lawsuit against the right person will solve any of his problems. To borrow his own ill-taken prizefighter analogy, he can’t punch his way out of this.

Comment by vern Wednesday, Aug 17, 22 @ 11:47 am
Would it have been best for him to totally step down as Senator, not just Majority Caucus Whip?

Comment by Just Sayin Wednesday, Aug 17, 22 @ 11:49 am
Where is the “believe all women” caucus in the Democratic Party?

Strangely silent.

They only condemn Republicans and never retract, even if their accusers are proven liars.

Comment by Lucky Pierre Wednesday, Aug 17, 22 @ 12:16 pm
Handling this about as graciously as one would expect from Hastings.

Comment by whowhatnow Wednesday, Aug 17, 22 @ 12:37 pm
Not enough

Comment by Pete Mitchell Wednesday, Aug 17, 22 @ 12:49 pm
I witnessed him in action throughout a local judicial race, and to say we should have buckled up is an understatement. It was not even him running and he treated it like it was his own race. My bet, this will be the most entertaining election this cycle to which his opponent has no idea what he is in for.

Comment by Court Observer Wednesday, Aug 17, 22 @ 12:51 pm
One more example of why venting on Facebook is never a good idea.

Why would he think it is a good idea to use boxing metaphors addressing his plight after being accused of domestic violence by his wife?

Comment by Lucky Pierre Wednesday, Aug 17, 22 @ 12:56 pm
=== Court Observer ===

Senator Hastings texted me a quote during the last election cycle, “If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.” I called him and he said, ”We’ll win .. it’ll be a blowout, it’ll take time, but just watch.”

I never understood why he sent me that message, but on election night I knew. The man is as coldly calculated as they come, and there’s no doubt he is in his Frankfort bunker right now plotting.

Comment by Frank Rosenthal Wednesday, Aug 17, 22 @ 1:06 pm
Why did Senator Hastings plagiarize that quote as his own? He should have put the statement in quotations or listed the author. He took that from Daily Stoic and used it as his words. The hits keep on coming; no pun intended.

Comment by Prize Fighter Wednesday, Aug 17, 22 @ 1:19 pm
Kind of easy to see why things aren’t going well for him. Harder to admit it’s your own fault.

Comment by Lincoln Lad Wednesday, Aug 17, 22 @ 2:09 pm
He should be resigning his Senate seat in total, not just the leadership position. Dude routinely takes big donations from energy corporations and then blocks common-sense clean energy policies from advancing through his committee. He’s toxic to himself and the party.

Comment by Politistage Wednesday, Aug 17, 22 @ 5:43 pm
=== Where is the “believe all women” caucus in the Democratic Party?===
I’ve never heard of them. Who are they?
=== even if their accusers are proven liars.===
Which accusers were proven liars?

Comment by Da big bad wolf Wednesday, Aug 17, 22 @ 9:02 pm
Not lost on those out here in the district…the Senator’s opponent is a LEO.

Comment by LocalGal Wednesday, Aug 17, 22 @ 11:14 pm