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* Make sure to read the whole thing, but check out his quotes…

In his interview with the Tribune, Lee denied that he misled either Chicago or Texas officials on his residency.

“Honestly, do you know what ‘time’ is?” Lee said when asked how he was able to vote in Texas last month if he lives in Chicago. “If I live in Chicago now, it doesn’t mean that I lived there then. … A lot of people are registered in their hometown, even if they’re living somewhere else.” […]

“Being registered in a city and living in a city aren’t the two same things,” Lee said. “You don’t have to be registered to vote to live in a city. And on May 15, (2023,) I had residency in Chicago, and I’ve been a resident.”

Voters are typically required to vote in the state where they live, although there are exceptions for certain groups like college students and Americans living abroad. The Texas election code says “‘residence’ means domicile, that is, one’s home and fixed place of habitation to which one intends to return after any temporary absence.”

Lee has no voting history in Chicago except in the March 2020 primary, according to public records released by the Chicago Board of Elections. Records from the Harris County, Texas, clerk show Lee voted in Texas later that November, and that in the Nov. 5 election this year he voted at Thompson Elementary School in Houston.

Again, go read the whole thing.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 12:34 pm

Comments

Big Rudy Giuliani energy here. Do you know what laws are bro?

Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 12:36 pm
The negative energy and petulant attitude that office has towards the media has reached a fever pitch. Every answer to a question, coming from Mayor down to his advisors, is set to the theme of “how dare you ask me this?”

Comment by NIU Grad Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 12:45 pm
==Lee has no voting history in Chicago except in the March 2020 primary==

The mayor’s senior advisor didn’t vote for him?

Comment by City Zen Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 12:53 pm
Voting in Chicago in March 2020 and in Texas in November of that year could really be problematic. I bet Texas would love to prosecute this. However maybe he left a wedding dress in Texas and that will fix it /S

Comment by DuPage Saint Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 12:56 pm
IMO - there are far more important, and incompetent things coming out of this administration than a guy wanting to vote for his sister back in Texas.

I do agree, however, that Lee, like many in this administration, comes across as a perpetually aggrieved child.

Comment by Henry Francis Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 12:57 pm
Jason Lee: Schrödinger’s voter.

Comment by Old IL Dude Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 1:03 pm
Let’s not forget the fundraising story from the Trib before the election in Houston when multiple people who do business with the City or may need something from the City magically awoke to donate to Me Lee’s family member in Houston.

Comment by Eire17 Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 1:18 pm
Sure, but did he claim a homestead exemption in Will County?

Comment by JoanP Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 1:20 pm
=Lee has no voting history in Chicago except in the March 2020 primary, according to public records released by the Chicago Board of Elections. Records from the Harris County, Texas, clerk show Lee voted in Texas later that November, and that in the Nov. 5 election this year he voted at Thompson Elementary School in Houston.=

This sentence is very telling. It would appear that he might be voting in different states in the same year without any change in residency. Needs to be thoroughly investigated to find the truth and legalities.

Comment by Mason County Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 1:24 pm
I enjoyed his work in “Almost Famous” but it seems his career has been in a slump recently….

Comment by Friendly Bob Adams Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 1:24 pm
“I voted in Texas last month because I wanted to vote for my sister,” Lee told the Tribune. “My mother has been a U.S. representative for my entire life, and I made a commitment to her that I would vote in my home district. I didn’t vote anywhere else. My parents’ home is where my registration card was, and I never changed it. But my residency is in Chicago”

He claims residency in Chicago - but voted in Texas and he’s not in the military or college - So many problems with his explanations - potential voter fraud and what about his taxes - Where is he filing?

Comment by Donnie Elgin Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 1:26 pm
It’s one thing to be registered in two places. Administrative overlap can happen when you move. But to go back and vote in the old place when you obviously live in the new place is the crime.

Comment by Nathan H. Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 1:27 pm
showed Texas ID

Pegging the irony meeting in several ways.

Comment by Fav Human Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 1:33 pm
I know other State’s Attorney’s receive complaints and prosecute people for voting improperly. I suspect that we will see something from Texas before Cook County will take any action. Then again, maybe its a new day in Chicago with Burke at the helm.

Comment by Just Another Anon Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 1:33 pm
From the story, Lee told the Tribune “You think that every single interaction at a polling location goes exactly by what they mark?” So, it’s now the poll worker’s fault that Jason Lee voted in a state he does not live in.

Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 1:34 pm
Use the Rahm defense.I live and vote where I say I live and vote, even when they’re two different cities.

Comment by Joe Bloe Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 1:35 pm
How did the Johnson Administration put together this entire clownshow? Like at some point it stops being accidents and coincidences.

Comment by Homebody Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 1:43 pm
Who in the Mayor’s office said “Hey. Jason. I know you want to vote for your sister, but it’s bad look, and it’s all public record. Don’t vote in Texas.”?

Either no one said that or someone did and wasn’t listened to. Both are bad.

Comment by Montrose Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 1:50 pm
Unforced errors will cost you ballgames.

” A lot of people are registered in their hometown, even if they’re living somewhere else.”

Ah, going with the “everyone’s doing it” legal theory. Bold strategy, hope it pays off for him.

Comment by twowaystreet Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 1:55 pm
If you could turn hubris into energy this administration could power Illinois for the next one hundred years.

Comment by VK Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 1:57 pm
==If you could turn hubris into energy this administration could power Illinois for the next one hundred years.==

Perfect. Start your weekend early and take the rest of the day off. You earned it.

Comment by twowaystreet Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 1:59 pm
I’ll explain it to you folks. You’re missing the point. See, he still lives with his parents, so he needs a raise so he can move out.

Comment by Sir Reel Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 2:08 pm
==My parents’ home is where my registration card was==

Also convenient for resigtering your car when you want to avoid Chicago’s city sticker and higher auto insurance premiums.

Comment by City Zen Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 2:12 pm
Over the years, I’m starting to get the sense there are two different types of people in government.

The type who hears the spiel about parliamentary immunity during their onboarding, but don’t think much of it because they aren’t planning on turning into a different person.

And then there’s the type who hears that spiel, and decides what they are hearing is that nothing they do while in that office will be prosecuted, as long as they claim their actions have some flimsy link to the concept of government activities.

This guy is definitely acting as the latter.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 2:14 pm
Friendly Bob Adams and Old Il Dude, you both made me laugh so hard. vote fraud lite? a new brew from the Johnson administration and it is skunky.

Comment by Amalia Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 2:27 pm
“Residency is where the heart is.” — Rahm Emanuel, Chicago mayor (2011-2019)

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 2:29 pm
Jason, come on, man. You are smarter than this. You risked everything to vote for your sister for a 2 month term, not even the full 2 years. Unbelievable.

Comment by low level Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 2:33 pm
==”I voted in Texas last month because I wanted to vote for my sister,” Lee told the Tribune. “My mother has been a U.S. representative for my entire life, and I made a commitment to her that I would vote in my home district. I didn’t vote anywhere else. My parents’ home is where my registration card was, and I never changed it. But my residency is in Chicago”==

…snip to later in the article…

==Lee also did not vote in Chicago’s 2023 municipal election despite running Johnson’s mayoral campaign, Board of Elections records show. Asked why not, Lee said, “I didn’t commit voter fraud by voting in a city I wasn’t registered in.”==

If, as he states in the first snippet, he never changed it and, based on his second statement combined with the first, is not now and has never been registered to vote in Chicago, how did he vote in the primary in March 2020?

Comment by Anon324 Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 2:56 pm
“Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care?” Chicago ( Both the band and the Johnson administration.)

Comment by West Side the Best Side Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 3:02 pm
== how did he vote in the primary in March 2020?==

Correct. Both statements cannot be true. Jason needs to resign.

Comment by low level Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 3:07 pm
And there’s never any proof of voter fraud.

Comment by Papa2008 Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 3:11 pm
Papa2008, don’t be ridiculous.

Also, he didn’t vote twice in one election, which would be a very real problem.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 3:12 pm
In the grand scheme of things I don’t think this is some kind of major scandal, but it is another glaring example of dimwittedness in this administration.

Comment by Excitable Boy Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 3:32 pm
If the average person did this, they’d be appearing in court. Let’s hope Texas decides this is worth doing something about. Then he can claim diplomatic immunity or something to try not appearing.

Comment by thisjustinagain Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 3:43 pm
Let’s dispense with, for a moment, the idiocy of Lee’s actions and his quotes. And instead focus on what the very real consequences are going to be.

I give it 24 hours at most before this story makes its way to Fox News. It won’t be long after that when the batty Texas Attorney General announces an investigation into this matter. And based on Lee’s own quotes (because this egotistical idiot cannot help himself and had to respond himself to the story instead of enlisting the aid of a professional communicator and lawyer who would have told him to shut the hell up) Jason Lee will be the worst witness against Jason Lee. Whether he actually committed any fraud or not is irrelevant. Ken Paxton, for his own political purposes, will milk every little bit out of this possible. He will make a public spectacle of it. Lee and his boss will claim persecution and prosecution by the MAGA right. There will be a lot of beating of chests and impassioned speeches by Mayor Johnson. It will suck up time and energy.

In the meantime, the actual adults, the ones who take it as their solemn responsibility to actually protect the state against Trump - will have to decide how much of this sideshow to engage in given there are much more deserving people to focus time and political capital on protecting.

I won’t reiterate all of the valid criticisms of this mayor and his administration other than to say we are entering a time when we need serious people at the wheel. And these are not serious people.

Comment by Dakno Thing Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 3:52 pm
===If the average person did this,

Nothing would probably happen because he didn’t vote twice in the same election and no one would notice. It’s a fair hit as he’s a public employee required to affirm residency in the City of Chicago, but unless you are a public figure no one would notice because it’s not a danger to elections as much of a choice as to where you declare your primary residence.

Comment by ArchPundit Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 4:19 pm
What ArchPundit said.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Dec 6, 24 @ 4:45 pm
As usual, rules for thee but not for me. Arrogance Unlimited.

Comment by CDean1262 Tuesday, Dec 10, 24 @ 9:42 am

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