Month: October 2022

Earlier today, ILGOP Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy renewed his calls for State Senator Michael Hastings to resign after new details came out regarding domestic abuse allegations from his ex-wife. Further, he called on Senate President Don Harmon to join Governor Pritzker in issuing the same call, for Hastings to resign. Harmon responded:

“There have been a series of troubling elements brought light by Senator Hastings’ ongoing personal divorce case.

Accusations of domestic violence are to be taken seriously. I took immediate action to remove him from Senate leadership given the circumstances. The situation remains under review.

This week, I asked my staff to reach out to Senator Hastings regarding his ethical disclosure filings and to recommend he update them if needed. At first glance, it appears this situation may very well highlight how ineffective the previous forms were and why Illinois Senate Democrats led efforts to update them and make them relevant.

Good government practices built around meaningful ethical disclosure and a safe workplace are necessary steps toward rebuilding public trust in state government.”

ILGOP Chairman Don Tracy blasted Harmon’s weak response and the culture it fosters:

“Since 2019, four members of the Illinois State Senate have been indicted or convicted on corruption charges, with others under investigation. Meanwhile, the Senate President dithers and dodges to avoid upsetting his caucus,” said ILGOP Chairman Don Tracy. “The Hastings’ saga is yet another case of silence for the sake of political expediency. Mike Madigan might be gone from the General Assembly however, his spirit remains alive and well in the State Senate.”

Harmon said of Hastings in July of 2021 after Hastings dropped out of the race for Secretary of State, “Though I am saddened the people of Illinois won’t benefit from the leadership and dedication to working families Senator Mike Hastings would bring to the office of Secretary of State, I’m happy that the people of the 19th District and our colleagues in the Senate Democratic Caucus will continue to have him fighting for Democratic values in the General Assembly.”

###

New allegations surfaced this morning against State Senator Michael Hastings, in what seems to be a never-ending assembly line of reprehensible behavior. From WBEZ:

“In the newly unsealed divorce files, Kathleen Hastings provided further details regarding that alleged incident two years ago. Her lawyer wrote that Michael Hastings “slammed Kate’s head against the door leading to the garage multiple times and put her in a choke hold — all because she asked Mike where he was working that day,” according to a filing in the divorce case in October 2021.

Kathleen Hastings alleged the assault took place at about 7 a.m. on Nov. 9, 2020, “in front of” one of their children and woke up their other child, according to the filing.

“Not wishing to disrupt Mike’s political and social image, and frankly not knowing what to do, Kate did not report the abuse to the authorities at the time,” wrote Kathleen Hastings’s lawyer Brett Buckley.”

In light of the latest allegations against Senator Michael Hastings from WBEZ this morning, the Illinois Republican Party issued the following statement renewing their calls for him to resign:

“This is yet more behavior unbecoming of a State Senator. Our legislators are supposed to exemplify the very best of Illinois. Senator Hastings has repeatedly demonstrated behavior this year that shows he is unfit to hold public office. 

He should do the honorable thing and resign to save South Suburban voters the trouble of throwing him out of office in disgrace. However, as Hastings’ past behavior has proven, doing the right thing seems to be something he is not capable of doing.

Further, Governor Pritzker has already done the right thing and called on Senator Hastings to resign. It’s a partisan sham that Senate President Don Harmon continues to stay silent regarding whether or not he feels Senator Hastings is still fit to serve in his caucus and hold public office.”

Harmon said of Hastings in July of 2021 after Hastings dropped out of the race for Secretary of State, “Though I am saddened the people of Illinois won’t benefit from the leadership and dedication to working families Senator Mike Hastings would bring to the office of Secretary of State, I’m happy that the people of the 19th District and our colleagues in the Senate Democratic Caucus will continue to have him fighting for Democratic values in the General Assembly.”

###

Pragmatic Ideas will Improve SOS Office

Chicago, IL – Dan Brady (R-Bloomington) dominated tonight’s televised forum on WTTW Chicago with sound and reasonable ideas from a candidate who can be trusted with Illinoisans’ tax dollars.

“The difference between candidates is clear,” said Don Tracy (R-Springfield) Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party.

“Dan Brady’s vision of utilizing community colleges as satellite locations to relieve congestion at Chicagoland driver facilities will save taxpayer’s dollars.  With improved facilities senior citizens will not have to wait outside in the cold or hot weather to renew their driver’s license.

State Rep. Dan Brady presented a positive and optimistic vision for the future of the Secretary of State’s office. His opponent, meanwhile, failed to address his murky past and numerous failures when he was State Treasurer.

Illinoisans want and need Dan Brady as their next Secretary of State.  His opponent, Alexi Giannoulias, has a questionable history of losing over $150 Million in college savings while he was State Treasurer and his family bank was seized by federal regulators after it made loans to mobsters.

Dan Brady is the most ethical and trustworthy candidate in the race for Secretary of State.”

###

With Election Day drawing near, Democrat Elizabeth Rochford’s campaign for Illinois Supreme Court is showing signs of desperation. This morning, Rochford’s campaign released a polling memo in an attempt to signal to her Madigan Machine donors and backers that she’s in desperate need of additional millions.

Rochford’s call for help comes even after she’s raised $3.5 million for her campaign, and the so-called “All for Justice” group has raised nearly $6.8 million, spending much of it on Rochford. Illinois Republican Party Executive Director Shaun McCabe released the following statement in response:

“Elizabeth Rochford and her Madigan Machine allies are desperate, even after spending millions of dollars on her failing campaign. Rochford knows if voters learn about her Machine ties and record, she will lose her election and the Madigan Machine will lose a vote on the Supreme Court. Mark Curran is in a strong position to win because he’s an independent outsider with extensive law enforcement experience who will uphold the rule of law, not the rule of Madigan.”

###

Springfield – Voters are fed up with the status quo – skyrocketing inflation driving up the cost of everyday goods like gas and groceries. Meanwhile, Chicago Carpetbagger Nikki Budzinski moved to Central Illinois to run in a hand-drawn Pritzker district design to elect her – it’s not going so well.

“This is a race within the margin of error. If it wasn’t, the campaign that was ahead would be leaking poll results to try and dissuade people from giving to the other campaign,” according to former Congressman John Shimkus speaking to the Illinois Times.

More from the Illinois Times:

“The 13th Congressional District, which was drawn by Democrats in the legislature to favor their party, is typical of the congressional districts across the nation that are in play.

Effective gerrymandering by both parties means that for about 90% of all congressional districts, the winner is all but a foregone conclusion. When he campaigned for governor, JB Pritzker pledged not to sign a partisan map. Nonetheless, on Nov. 23, he signed one drawn by the Democrat-controlled General Assembly that made Illinois perhaps the most gerrymandered state in the nation.

The 13th Congressional District snakes its way up from East St. Louis, engulfing Collinsville, Chatham, Springfield, Decatur and Champaign. It’s designed to elect a Democrat, and the Princeton Gerrymandering Project originally predicted the 13th Congressional District would likely vote 56% Democratic.”

“Central Illinois voters don’t want a Chicago Carpetbagger running in a hand-drawn district to represent them in Congress. They especially don’t want to elect someone with such a terribly out-of-touch record of helping fuel the inflation voters are facing today,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy.

Budzinski, the ultimate insider, helped fuel the inflation problems that central Illinois voters are facing as a result of her time in the Pritzker and Biden Administrations.

In 2019, while Nikki Budzinski was serving as a Senior Advisor in the Office of the Governor, JB Pritzker signed a $45 million package of bills that doubled the gas tax, while indexing annual gas tax increases to inflation. She was also in a senior role in advocating for Pritzker’s failed tax referendum that would have changed the Illinois Constitution to give politicians more opportunities to raise income taxes.

In 2021, Budzinski joined the Biden Administration as Chief of Staff to the Office of Management and Budget to – you guessed it – advance higher taxes and higher inflation while turning a blind eye to skyrocketing energy costs. Budzinski led the office that was in charge of implementing Biden’s vision for America that included canceling the Keystone XL Pipeline, which eliminated more than 1,000 jobs and cut Americans off from much-needed additional energy resources.

Budzinski continues to champion the American Rescue Plan, despite dire warnings from respected Democrat economists that it would cause the severe inflation that we are now seeing.

###

Inflation is at its highest rate in 40 years, while the cost of gas and groceries have skyrocketed, making it harder for Central and Southern Illinois residents to get by. Business however is looking pretty good for Pritzker and Biden insider Nikki Budzinski.

According to the Better Government Association:

“Shortly after she left her state job as a senior adviser to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, longtime political operative Nikki Budzinski collected more than $500,000 in consulting and other fees in 10 months, including more than $80,000 from a Springfield lobbyist Budzinski helped while working for the governor.

At least $100,000 of that payday came from progressive organizations that don’t disclose their donors — despite Budzinski now running for Congress downstate as a Democrat in the 13th District on a platform that includes getting “dark money” out of politics, a Better Government Association examination of government records found.”

The story continues:

“Budzinski’s separate 2020 work for “dark money” organizations contrasts with her campaign platform to “get dark money out of politics by requiring disclosure of all large dollar donations” as she runs for Congress in the newly drawn 13th District…

…Budzinski’s federal forms contain a variety of inconsistencies including the amounts she was paid and by whom. But they show the candidate received more than $100,000 from politically prominent Washington D.C.-based nonprofits that do not disclose their donors.”

All told, Budzinski has raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars in consulting and lobbying fees since leaving the Pritzker Administration. Further, as a Pritzker and Biden insider, Budzinski made a career out of making life more expensive for Central Illinois residents.

In 2019, while Nikki Budzinski was serving as a Senior Advisor in the Office of the Governor, JB Pritzker signed a $45 million package of bills that doubled the gas tax. She was also in a senior role in advocating for Pritzker’s failed tax referendum which would have changed the Illinois Constitution to give politicians more power to raise income taxes. 

In 2021, Budzinski joined the Biden Administration as Chief of Staff to the Office of Management and Budget to – you guessed it – advance higher taxes and higher inflation while turning a blind eye to skyrocketing energy costs. Budzinski led the office that was in charge of implementing Biden’s vision for America that included canceling the Keystone XL Pipeline, which eliminated more than 1,000 great jobs and cut Americans off from much-needed additional energy resources. Budzinski continued to champion the American Rescue Plan, despite dire warnings from respected Democrat economists that it would cause the severe inflation that we are now seeing.

“From Pritzker’s tax increases to Bidenflation, Nikki Budzinski has made a career out of making life more expensive for Illinois residents,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy. It’s troubling that as Illinois residents struggle with Pritzker’s taxes and Biden’s inflation – that she helped cause as Budget Director – that Budzinski has been able to do so well for herself.”

###

Senator highlights “Pritzkerville” to showcase damage caused by Pritzker’s agenda

Last night Governor Pritzker failed once again to provide any specifics regarding how he would solve skyrocketing crime in our state. He dodged answers on how he would remedy the major faults in the [Un] SAFE-T Act, refused to grade Mayor Lightfoot and Kim Foxx’s performance, and doubled down on support for his DCFS director who has been held in contempt of court 12 times. Meanwhile, Darren Bailey highlighted Pritzker’s failures and the damage that his policies have done to our state’s largest city. 

“I’m gonna call it Pritzkerville because every one of Gov. Pritzker’s extreme policies are destroying the city — out of control crime, devastated education, the fact that corporations are packing up and leaving every day,” said Senator Darren Bailey. “Now I think Pritzkerville fits quite well because Gov. Pritzker, it’s time for him to own it.”

Since Pritzker has taken office, violent crime is up while residents and businesses flee Chicago in droves – citing high taxes, crime, and the anti-business climate. Already this year Boeing, Caterpillar, and Citadel have announced intentions to leave their Chicago headquarters for safer and more pro-business states – with other important businesses considering leaving. 

“Pritzker’s policies have turned Chicago into a dystopian version – Pritzkerville – which may soon spread into the suburbs and downstate. Only by electing a new Governor can we begin to rebuild from the damage he caused and once again make our communities safe for residents and businesses. That is the message that Darren Bailey delivered last night,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy.

Last week, ILGOP Chairman Don Tracy wrote an Op-Ed entitled “What Kind of State Does Illinois Want to Be?”, highlighting the rising crime, corruption, and damage done to Chicago under Pritzker, Lightfoot, and Foxx’s watch. Since Pritzker took office, four Democrat State Senators, three Democrat State Representatives, and nine Democrat Chicago Aldermen & Alderwomen have been indicted or convicted on corruption-related charges. Public safety remains on the ballot on November 8th with the end of cash bail on January 1st 2023 due to the [un]SAFE-T Act. 

Chairman Tracy concluded his op-ed by stating, “Together, we can make Chicago the city that works for law-abiding residents again. To that end, please join in that mission by electing pro-public safety candidates up and down the ballot this November.”

###

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy, Republican Leader Jim Durkin and Deputy Republican Leader Tom Demmer Excoriate Speaker Welch, Chairwoman Hernandez over Madigan “Show Trial”

Indicted former Speaker of the Illinois House Mike Madigan’s latest corruption charges involving AT&T amplify just how complicit current Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch and Democratic Party of Illinois Chair and State Representative Lisa Hernandez – both major recipients of Madigan Money – were in allowing corruption to run without restrictions in the Democratic party. 

 “Speaker Welch and Chairwoman Hernandez abdicated their responsibility to the people of Illinois to cover for Mike Madigan and were rewarded for their loyalty by obtaining major leadership positions in the Democratic Party,” said Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin. “What do they have to say now about the corruption charges against their leader and political godfather? The people of Illinois deserve to know.”

Two years ago, after ComEd admitted to a nearly ten-year scheme to bribe former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin demanded the creation of a special committee to investigate Madigan’s corrupt activity and determine grounds for discipline. Instead of running a real investigation, Welch, who was chosen to ‘lead’ the committee by Madigan, called it a “show trial” and shut down the committee without issuing any conclusions or findings after only three sham meetings, one witness and no subpoenas. 

“Welch and Hernandez presided over a sham ‘Special Investigation’ into then-Speaker Madigan’s role in the ComEd scandal. They used it to provide him political cover, and were rewarded for their ‘hard work’,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy. “The Democrats talk about the defining choice in this election, and they are correct – we are very different. Democrats cover for corruption to protect their power and Republicans want to take it away and give it back to the people of Illinois.” 

Welch called the investigation a “political show that was concocted” by Republicans as a “power grab” for the minority party – but federal investigations prove otherwise as corruption charges against Madigan and his accomplices continue to grow.

After successfully shutting down the House investigation into Madigan, Welch was promoted to Speaker of the House and Hernandez was elected as the new chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Illinois. All three Democrats on the investigative panel were funded by campaign committees controlled by Speaker Madigan who had given about $585,000 to Manley, nearly $133,000 to Hernandez and more than $100,000 to Welch, according to state election board records as reported by  WBEZ.

“Speaker Welch and Chairwoman Hernandez had the opportunity to live up to their oaths of office and end the pervasive corruption that has plagued our state,” said House Deputy Republican Leader Tom Demmer who served on the committee.  “Instead, they chose to protect the power of politicians and political insiders. They failed the committee, they failed the people of Illinois and they continue to remain silent and actionless as the culture of corruption continues to operate.”

###

Mary K. O’Brien, the Democratic candidate for Illinois Supreme Court in the 3rd Judicial District, is trying to cover up the campaign and financial support she’s received from Mike Madigan. Last week, O’Brien told Capitol News Illinois that she “was elected without Mike Madigan’s help” and that she “didn’t get help from the party.” News reports and campaign finance records say otherwise.

In her first campaign for Illinois House in 1996, O’Brien received nearly $90,000 in campaign contributions from Madigan and political organizations under his direct control. O’Brien was even assigned a Madigan staffer for her race, which makes clear that Madigan made it a priority to elect O’Brien (Editorial, “Wishing for some goodies for public officials in 1998,” The State Journal-Register, 12/28/97). Throughout her political career in the Illinois House, O’Brien received over $200,000 from Madigan and his political organizations.

Mary K. O’Brien is personally credited as being the deciding vote that helped Madigan regain the Speakership in 1997 with a 60-58 majority (Editorial, “Wishing for some goodies for public officials in 1998,” The State Journal-Register, 12/28/97). O’Brien was appointed as an Appellate Court Justice during her final year in the Illinois House after voting with Madigan 93.6% of the time.

Following her appointment to the Appellate Court, O’Brien personally cut seven checks to Madigan’s main political organization, Friends of Michael J. Madigan, totaling $3,350 while she was a sitting justice.

“Mary K. O’Brien is trying to cover up the campaign cash she’s received from Mike Madigan because she knows if voters become fully aware of her deep ties to Madigan, she will lose in a landslide. Illinois courts need a clean break from the Madigan Machine. That’s exactly what Illinois voters can get by voting against Madigan Machine Justice Mary K. O’Brien.” – Illinois Republican Party Executive Director Shaun McCabe

###

Today AT&T agreed to a $23 million settlement in the ongoing Madigan saga, while prosecutors levied additional corruption charges against indicted-former House Speaker Mike Madigan and his confidant Michael McClain. The Illinois Republican Party issued the following statement:

“Indicted former House Speaker Mike Madigan’s legacy continues to haunt Illinois as he now faces additional corruption-related charges. Since 2019, nine Chicago Democratic Aldermen & women, three Democratic State Representatives, and four Democratic State Senators have been indicted or convicted on corruption-related charges, including Madigan himself. 

While these additional charges, as well as AT&T’s settlement, is another step towards justice, with Ilinois Democrats and their corruption charges, it’s like the “Never Ending Story”. This sad saga hasn’t ended with Madigan. It will only end when Democratic leaders like Speaker Welch and Senate President Harmon stop turning a blind eye to Madiganesque behavior in their caucuses.”

###