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* Let’s go back to Monique Garcia’s Tribune story about Rep. Kelly Cassidy…
[Cara Smith at the Cook County Sheriff’s office] said she also talked to [Rep. Bob Rita], who told her that Cassidy’s opposition was a key hurdle to passing the bill. Smith said Rita commented that if he worked for a politician but didn’t support their initiatives, “I probably wouldn’t have a job.” Smith said she viewed it as Rita “stating his experience.”
I spoke to Smith today and she confirmed what she said to Monique.
* So, Monique asked Rep. Rita about it today…
Monique Garcia: When I talked to Cara Smith, she said that you had also raised the idea of, “I don’t know how you could oppose your boss’ bill.”
Rep. Rita: With Cara Smith and her conversations with her and Kelly, I can’t comment on that. We strictly were looking at how…
Monique: Well, Cara said you said that to her.
Rita: …How do we get through a committee to get the votes to get to the House floor? Kelly being the vice chair of the committee has a strong voice in that committee and her opposition and learning that she’s working for the Sheriff and it being his top legislative priority really surprised me. Figuring, now how do we move froward, which I’ve explained to Cara, we need to get past this because we’re not going to be able to get this out of committee. We’re going to call it and it’s not going to be a vote. We’re not going to get an outcome.
* Rep. Rita was also asked about this…
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Rita denied raising Cassidy’s employment during discussions [with Cassidy] about the bill.
“I never had those conversations, what she is saying. It was all limited to how do we get (the bill) through the criminal justice committee,” Rita said.
The full exchange between reporters and Rita is here. The transcript on this particular topic is here. Many, many thanks to Hannah Meisel for doing these transcripts today.
* Meanwhile…
State @RepKellyCassidy responds to Madigan denying ordering any intimidation. Watch: pic.twitter.com/J4wrQNkc8A
— Bishop On Air (@BishopOnAir) May 22, 2018
* Transcript by Hannah Meisel…
I saw the letter [from Speaker Madigan denying any attempt at intimidation] and it really misses the forest through the trees.
You know, just as when Jack Hynes went after Alaina Hampton and was digging up dirt on her, the Speaker called me and there were several conversations during that period of time when it was event-reaction-event-reaction-event-reaction, and in that sequence he called me to warn me about the Jack Hynes story, and was really adamant that I understand that I hadn’t done this, that he hadn’t ordered this effort. And I stopped him and said, ‘I one hundred percent believe you. You didn’t order him to do it because you didn’t have to.
‘This is the way the operation works, and I know that you believe that the one-step removal is enough, but it isn’t enough anymore and you own this.’ And in that moment, he agreed that he did. In fact, his statements right after that used those exact words: ‘And I own this.’
And he owns this, too.
The message is very clear: Speak out against the Speaker and people loyal to him will come after you.”
* And, finally, from Sen. Sam McCann…
It is with a heavy heart I offer my sympathy to Rep. Cassidy. The reports of her retaliation from Speaker Madigan are disturbing. There are few legislators that I differ more with ideologically than Rep. Cassidy, but I cannot watch the retaliation of the political ruling class go unchecked. For too long men, like Speaker Madigan and Governor Rauner, won’t take no for an answer when legislators have our own beliefs. Our beliefs should be respected and allowed to have their veracity assessed by the voters, not bullies. Furthermore, Pritzker’s calls for an investigation without criticizing Madigan amount to cowardice and lend refuge to bullies like him and Rauner. I am the only candidate for Governor who will stand up against these travesties.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** State account…
This kind of corruption is what I fight every day. Retaliation against Rep. Kelly Cassidy for standing with a victim of sexual harassment is unacceptable.
— Governor Rauner (@GovRauner) May 22, 2018
*** UPDATE 2 *** Ouch…
I'm so grateful that the IL House Women's Caucus and the IL Senate Women's Caucus are supporting @RepKellyCassidy the way they haven't supported me. Many thanks to Kelly for standing with me when no one else would - I'm standing with you too. https://t.co/ZBd3u0I4Zy
— Alaina Hampton (@alainaxhampton) May 22, 2018
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, May 22, 18 @ 3:25 pm
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I’m a little leery of the argument “A lack of evidence IS evidence” which is almost what this sounds like. This is definitely fishy and needs looking at, but just because proving something is hard doesn’t mean you lower the burden of proof. Not that it’s particularly high in the court of public opinion.
Comment by Perrid Tuesday, May 22, 18 @ 3:32 pm
Ouch.
Comment by PublicServant Tuesday, May 22, 18 @ 3:33 pm
All of this can be summed up in this Ke$ha video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuAN6GrfSV0
“This place about to blow!”
Comment by Colin O'Scopy Tuesday, May 22, 18 @ 3:37 pm
Perfect reason and opportunity for Pritzker to get up on a stage with Julianna on one side and Kelly Cassidy on the other (maybe Mendoza too?), demand Madigan resignation as speaker and party chair. Complete break, offer to provide funding to rank and file who’ll go along with him, begin hostile takeover of IL dem party. Completely nullify every single GovJunk and ILGOP talking point between now and November.
Probably won’t happen, but it’s there for Pritzker if he really does believe his tag line - “Think Big”.
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Tuesday, May 22, 18 @ 3:42 pm
And you want to be my latex salesman.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, May 22, 18 @ 3:44 pm
–So “people loyal to the Speaker” gave her a no-show job and took it back after she publicly attacked him? Really? –
That’s the “defense” you want to go with? Really?
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, May 22, 18 @ 3:47 pm
Agree w/ LesterHoltsMustache, agree Madigan/Rita/Mapes operate like this. Don’t think that it necessarily links what Cassidy thinks it does. That’s how they operate on everything.
I don’t think legislators should be allowed to work for other public entities. It’s always an inherent conflict.
Comment by Rutro Tuesday, May 22, 18 @ 3:48 pm
Certainly not important but cannot see forest for the trees not through the trees
Comment by DuPage Saint Tuesday, May 22, 18 @ 4:09 pm
It sure was handy that this all died down just long enough for the Speaker to get re-elected as party chair before it flared up again.
Comment by m Tuesday, May 22, 18 @ 4:32 pm
It seems this is the crucial question: Did Rita pick up the bill to mess with Cassidy, or did he pick it up to mess with Dart?
Comment by TR Tuesday, May 22, 18 @ 4:36 pm
Kelly Cassidy for Speaker
Comment by Hamilton Tuesday, May 22, 18 @ 4:49 pm
=Kelly Cassidy for Speaker=
I would second that motion.
Comment by m Tuesday, May 22, 18 @ 4:51 pm
===It seems this is the crucial question: Did Rita pick up the bill to mess with Cassidy, or did he pick it up to mess with Dart?===
I am wondering the same. Rich pointed out in an earlier post about this that I was adding up the wrong math and I probably was. As do most of us I have other things going on in Springfield this is week and this is ends up being confusing.
Comment by Been There Tuesday, May 22, 18 @ 4:53 pm
- Been There -
If you ask Kelly, obviously she’ll say Rita was messing with her. I have a feeling if you ask the Sheriff’s Office, they’ll tell you Rita picked up the bill specifically to mess with them and he used Kelly’s opposition to the legislation as leverage.
I hope the Legislative Inspector General will find the answer. It might be crucial in determining whether “All the Speaker’s Men” were ganging up on Cassidy, or if Kelly is conflating events to portray herself as a victim of the Speaker, when she’s really just a casualty of the conflict of interest that can arise from holding two political jobs at once.
Comment by TR Tuesday, May 22, 18 @ 5:19 pm
This is all so consistent with allegations about Rita’s treatment of women. You would think he’d want to stay as far away from this as possible, but apparently he didn’t get the memo that #metoo means women won’t stand for being treated like this anymore.
Comment by Change Agent Tuesday, May 22, 18 @ 5:20 pm
Rich, great reporting today. Dart’s spokesperson Cara Smith, who is knee deep in this has Madigan ties.. Raymond F. LeFevour- Cara Smith father was president of Wright College for years. He appointed Lisa Madigan dean of students at the ripe age of 23 (reported in archived sun times article). As apparent payback Madigan hired Cara Smith to 6 figure post. She then land position with Dart.
Comment by Fed up with lies. Tuesday, May 22, 18 @ 6:02 pm
IMHO,the Rep could’ve avoided some (or most?) of this had she just realized she had an actual conflict of interest and removed herself from the discussion. She had no business dealing with this legislation given her second job. (Yes, I realize she still asked for an independent investigation.)
Comment by Yiddishcowboy Tuesday, May 22, 18 @ 6:19 pm
One thing is amusing about all this - those trying to connect Dart and Madigan together on this — two guys who have barely spoken to each other in the last ten years.
Comment by West Wing Tuesday, May 22, 18 @ 6:29 pm
Like West Wing said, Dart and Madigan cant stand each other. If anything, Dart was annoyed Kelly resigned.
Now Rita deliberately picked up a Senate bill just to mess w Cassidy? There are other co sponsors. What did they
think? If that was his intent, why not introduce a bill on his own?
Yes, it would be better for the Democratic Party if Madigan left. Rauner would really be stuck then explaining his failures. However, something just isnt adding up in all this.
Comment by low level Tuesday, May 22, 18 @ 6:48 pm
Is West Wing Sheriff Tom Dart? Is that the area of the jail he hides in during inmate brawls. How does West Wing know if hey spoke?
Comment by Fed up with lies. Tuesday, May 22, 18 @ 6:49 pm
Re: Dart and Madigan, from Oct 2017.
Just google “Dart and Madigan”
https://capitolfax.com/2017/10/02/dart-claims-speaker-madigan-emasculated-the-house/
Comment by low level Tuesday, May 22, 18 @ 7:23 pm
–Retaliation against Rep. Kelly Cassidy for standing with a victim of sexual harassment is unacceptable.–
Wow. Absolutely zero self awareness from Trump’s mini-me. Spare us the outrage. Guess BTIA forgot your greatest hits:
“If you go legal on us, we’ll hurt you and your family.”
“I will bury her.”
“I will make her radioactive. She will never get another job anywhere, ever. I will bankrupt her with legal fees. I don’t know if she has a family or not, but if she does, she better think twice about this.”
“I’ll destroy you and your family if you go through with this.”
Comment by John Deere Green Tuesday, May 22, 18 @ 7:30 pm