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* From the Tribune’s story on yesterday’s ruling by a federal judge allowing part of a Jaon Gonzalez lawsuit against Speaker Madigan to proceed…
By allowing the suit to move forward, Judge Matthew F. Kennelly cleared the way for Gonzales’ lawyers to seek Madigan’s campaign records, emails and other documents. The longtime House speaker and chairman of the state Democratic Party also could be compelled to sit for a sworn deposition as part of that process, said Tony Peraica, Gonzales’ lawyer.
“We’re gonna check every crevice,” said Peraica, a former Republican member of the Cook County Board who ran for chairman. “It’s going to be wonderful.” […]
Gonzales called it a “critical day” for both him as well as other candidates who are thinking about challenging Madigan’s decadeslong reign as House Speaker.
“I just want to say, it’s time for Mike Madigan to retire,” Gonzales said. “He’s been in office now for 46 years. He’s done so much damage to our state that it’s almost beyond repair, though we still have hope. But he needs to go. I can tell you that someday Mike Madigan will leave Illinois politics, either in handcuffs or a coffin or I will beat him.”
Um, OK.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens, however, once Madigan’s attorneys finally get to tell Judge Kennelly that he was operating on at least one mistaken assumption: That Madigan had promised one of those “sham” candidates a job at the attorney general’s office. As we discussed yesterday, that claim appears be false.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Sep 14, 17 @ 8:59 am
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Is anyone taking bets on the “or I will beat him” part?
Comment by titan Thursday, Sep 14, 17 @ 9:06 am
Lol @ “Madigan’s emails.”
Comment by Dome Gnome Thursday, Sep 14, 17 @ 9:13 am
I look forward to the new statement after Judge Kennelly stays, and then reverses his decision. #BlameMadigan
Comment by Dee Lay Thursday, Sep 14, 17 @ 9:14 am
“It’s going to be wonderful.”
I’m hoping Mr. Peraica will get back to us in a few months about the wonderful time he is having taking down Madigan.
Will he stage another torch light parade through the streets of Chicago?
Comment by Give Me A Break Thursday, Sep 14, 17 @ 9:19 am
Did I miss the part where Peraica also claims it was Madigan wearing a mask that stole all those signs in his election.
Let’s hope next time he has to appear in court he walks down the street in the right direction
Comment by Gamer Thursday, Sep 14, 17 @ 9:22 am
It seems a bit early to break out the champagne for a MJM deposition. Can’t Madigan’s attorneys file an appeal of this or a motion to reconsider given that the basis for redeciding the motion to dismiss was based on erroneous facts? All state employees since 2015 have their salaries posted online and there is no Grasiela Rodriguez listed as employed by the AG’s office so you don’t just have to take Lisa’s word for it.
And as I stated yesterday, I don’t think the judge’s claim that a govt. official is acting under the color of state law by making decisions about campaign funds would stand up under current campaign finance law that money is speech.
By this logic, Rauner is acting under color of state law everytime he dumps his millions into the state GOP, rather than just exercising his individual 1st amendment rights. It’s a weird rationale.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Thursday, Sep 14, 17 @ 9:40 am
===”I can tell you that someday Mike Madigan will leave Illinois politics, either in handcuffs or… or I will beat him.”===
I’d say the odds are not too good for the handcuffs, and far worse odds that Gonzo will beat MJM anytime soon I’m an election.
The choice I ommited is the more likely choice. Adding that by Gonzo, really makes his other bloviating a tad embarrassing since it’s a hedge to make a hyperbole.
If Peraica does a torchlight march, I hope he brings the stolen yard signs with him, as a show of the Peraica Power…
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 14, 17 @ 9:46 am
==either in handcuffs or a coffin==
Speaker Madigan will maintain, and possibly increase, his majority in 2018. He will retain his position as Speaker. With a Democratic governor taking office in 2019, he’ll get to draw the map. He’ll maintain his majorities in 2020, 2022, 2024, and 2026. At that point, he may start thinking about retirement - maybe.
Comment by Can Thursday, Sep 14, 17 @ 9:49 am
If they think Madigan has emails with useful info in them, then they dont know madigan (insert theme from quiz game you dont know jack)
Comment by Ghost Thursday, Sep 14, 17 @ 10:11 am
Jason Gonzales is a carpetbagger that suffers from delusions of grandeur. He was convicted of a crime. Nobody said that he is ineligible to serve in office due to that crime. It is fair game, however, to raise questions about his integrity due to what he had done in the past. Jason Gonzales will not be the person that succeeds Mike Madigan in representing the 22nd District.
Comment by Too Much to Handle Thursday, Sep 14, 17 @ 10:49 am
Maybe the judge didn’t realize he was about to turn his courtroom into political theatre, but that’s what will inevitablly happen here.
It would be fascinating to learn who is paying the legal bills. It’s not cheap to litigate in federal court, and something tells me Gonzales isn’t footing the bill himself.
Comment by Da Law Thursday, Sep 14, 17 @ 10:52 am
Discovery goes both ways. If this case proceeds Messrs. Peraica and Gonzales will be answering some questions regarding their own funding and sponsorship.
Comment by northsider (the original) Thursday, Sep 14, 17 @ 11:07 am
So is the discovery process the entire goal of this case? They view embarrassing Madigan as their “win”?
They must know their charges of political slander, and “sham” candidates, are almost impossible to prevail in court.
Comment by walker Thursday, Sep 14, 17 @ 12:00 pm
There he is! I wonder what Tony Peraica has been up to. Still fighting the “good” fight outside of the Cook County Board I see.
Comment by Levois Thursday, Sep 14, 17 @ 12:03 pm
Pfff Walker as Rich noted yesterday, the attorney should know his former employee was not the one who ran.
apparently they never watched GI Joe….. knowing is half the battle…. (good typing skills is the other half /sob)
Comment by Ghost Thursday, Sep 14, 17 @ 12:09 pm
MJM goes to extraordinary lengths to dot every i and cross every t, he doesn’t use email or a cell phone and is generally allergic to technology. This is children throwing rocks and a fortress.
Comment by Signal and Noise Thursday, Sep 14, 17 @ 12:37 pm
I find that the louder Republicans complain about something, the more likely they are in fact perpetrating it themselves. Thank you to Tony Peraica for reaffirming my theorem:
>On December 4, 2012 Peraica was found guilty of criminal damage to property for defacing the former rival’s campaign signs prior to the 2010 election, and he was sentenced to four months of court supervision.
Comment by Dr Kilovolt Thursday, Sep 14, 17 @ 2:58 pm
Peraica had better tread lightly with his PR stunts. It wouldn’t be the fist time he got sanctioned by a Judge for a frivolous claim intended to harass or embarrass somebody.
See David Jenkins, et al. v. TOC, et al. Case No. 12 CH 17758.
Comment by Boone's is Back Thursday, Sep 14, 17 @ 3:27 pm
It seems like a Rule 11 violation if Pecaica/Gonzales don’t withdraw the claims about Grasiela Rodriguez.
Speaker Madigan, and the concept of two complete different people he controls.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Thursday, Sep 14, 17 @ 4:17 pm