Category: News

CHICAGO — With one week to go until Election Day, ILGOP Chair Kathy Salvi released the following statement:

“As Illinois watches former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan’s trial unfold and decades of Democrat corruption, extortion and backroom deals come to light, remember that it doesn’t have to be this way. As you continue to return your ballot, vote Republican for common sense ideals and leaders that will fight for our state. For the last 30 years, Illinois Democrats have put themselves first and now, it’s time for a change.”

CHICAGO — The historic corruption trial of long-time Illinois Speaker of the House and profound Illinois Democrat Party donor, Michael Madigan finally began this week. Madigan is facing 23 counts of bribery, racketeering, extortion, and wire fraud. One of Illinois’ most powerful figures is now among a long list of the most corrupt politicians in Illinois history.

Don’t forget that Madigan, despite the impending corruption allegations and trial against him, continued to fund the Illinois Democrat Party lavishly. From his own campaign fund, the former House Speaker gave $2M to the state party – the largest donation in the Illinois Democrat Party’s history. What’s more, Madigan’s donation followed another $1.25 million to the state party, equaling a grand total of $3.25 million to the Illinois Democrat Party.

Madigan’s support for fellow Democrats in Illinois doesn’t stop at grandiose donations. It turns out that an unholy alliance between Madigan’s funds and Democrat Illinois State Representative candidates has been a common theme in Illinois politics. In 21 races, including that of Joyce Mason (D-61), Marty Moylan (D-55), and Natalie Manley (D-98), to name a few, Madigan gave contributions to candidates, ranging from $18,000 to $1.5 million. In turn, every one of those candidates voted in favor of Madigan for House Speaker in Illinois.

“As Illinois Democrat shot-caller Mike Madigan takes to the courtroom and faces a career of alleged corruption, bribery, racketeering, extortion, and wire fraud against Illinois taxpayers, Illinois residents must take a look at the Democrat’s long-standing role in political corruption. The Illinois Democrat Party is no stranger to political corruption, and it’s time it be held accountable,” said ILGOP chair Kathy Salvi in a statement.

CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson blatantly serves as a puppet for the Chicago Teachers Union, undermining the integrity of the soon-to-be-elected school board and plunging it into chaos solely for his own political gain. His powerful allies bought and paid for their influence in the mayor’s office, bankrolling the campaign for the mayor that has become their puppet, forcing hundreds-of-millions of taxpayers dollars to go to their radical agenda. The Chicago Teachers Union:

• Opposes school choice programs that would help students struggling in public school
• Unethically pushes politics to their students
• President, Stacy Davis Gates won’t even send her own children to public school

Their record is even worse: Only 31% of elementary school students in Chicago Public Schools were proficient in reading and only 19% were proficient in math. That doesn’t sound like a group that is demanding over $10 billion for raises, housing help and climate justice.

Bottom Line: Unfortunately, birds of a feather flock together. Brandon Johnson’s bought and paid for allegiance to CTU is bad for Chicago families. Instead of being an advocate for Chicago’s taxpayers, Johnson is a mouthpiece for the powerful teacher’s union.

CHICAGO — With two weeks to go until Election Day, ILGOP Chair Kathy Salvi released the following statement:

“Illinois residents across the state are tired of higher taxes, out-of-control crime and the corruption and chaos that plagues the Democrat party. But there is a way out of this nightmare – vote Republican! Illinois Republicans will stand and fight for our conservative ideals and set our great state back on the right track. Over the next 14 days, candidates across the state will continue to barnstorm the state, showing the need to vote Republican on November 5th.”

CHICAGO — For the last year and a half, JB Pritzker, Brandon Johnson and their Democratic cronies have made our streets, neighborhoods and even classrooms more dangerous than ever before. Illinois Democrats’ record proves that they’ve moved the Prairie State in the wrong direction. See for yourself:

•Passing the pro-criminal SAFE-T act

•Supporting illegal immigration

•Soft-on-crime prosecutors like Kim Foxx and Eric Rinehart who encourage criminals and give them a pass

•A legal system that too often drops cases instead of prosecuting criminals

•Stopping the use of ShotSpotter

Bottom Line: Illinois Democrats continue to put far-left policies first and the people they represent last. This November, It’s important to vote for strong, tough-on-crime Republicans like Bob Fioretti and Mary Cole.

CHICAGO — Yesterday, President Trump joined Bloomberg for a wide-ranging interview on the economy at the Economic Club of Chicago. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris continued her game of hiding from reporters and DECLINED the interview. One thing was clear from President Trump’s Interview: President Trump had the greatest economy of our lifetime and Illinois families were as prosperous as you can be in the nation’s most taxed state.

ILGOP Chair Kathy Salvi released the following statement: “Yesterday, President Trump showed us how important November 5th will be for our country. Under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, our economy is in shambles and Kamala Harris doesn’t want to do anything differently. Meanwhile, President Trump outlined his vision for America and to turn our country around. Under President Trump our economy was thriving and he’ll do it again as our Commander-in-Chief.”

“Illinois Republicans will play a critical role this cycle in stopping Kamala Harris and JB Pritzker from spreading their leftist progressive policies across the nation.”

CHICAGO —  This week, JB Pritzker and Brandon Johnson continue to tout their business records and relationships as they use taxpayer funds to live the high life in Tokyo and London. As both Chicago and Illinois face looming budget crisis’, remember Illinois Democrats REAL business record:

Caterpillar, Citadel, Boeing, Tyson Foods, Guggenheim Partners, and TTX have all left Illinois in recent years as Illinois families flee the prairie state in record numbers.

Bottom Line: As Brandon Johnson spends tens-of-thousands to cheer on the Bears and Pritzker hangs out with his high-dollar friends, don’t forget about the businesses they’ve forced out of the Prairie State.

CHICAGO — Representative Tony McCombie and Illinois House Republicans filed a bill to stand up for ballot integrity and prevent fraud in our election process. As doubt in our elections reaches record highs, this bill will provide an enforcement mechanism for laws that are already on the books in Illinois. 

It is illegal in Illinois to vote as a non-citizen. This bill will require proof of that citizenship, a step in the right direction for a state famous for voting headstones.

Any Democrat who opposes common sense legislation like this is contributing to distrust in our election system and creating opportunities for bad actors to cheat.

Check out more on this bill on Rep. McCombie’s website.

CHICAGO — Illinois Democrats are having a terrible week. It started with a disastrous press conference for the mayor in which he threw the governor under the bus, layoffs for law enforcement to pay for CTU’s pipe dream demands, the kicking off of Speaker Mike Madigan’s long awaited corruption trial, and worst of all..

It is only Wednesday. 

Take a look at the no good, very bad week Illinois Democrats are having:

Chicago Tribune: Editorial: Brandon Johnson’s reckless Chicago Public Schools maneuvering must be vehemently opposed
When Chicagoans elected a neophyte as mayor of Chicago, there was trepidation among those who didn’t vote for Brandon Johnson about what the future held. But many among them, this board included, hoped he would grow into the job after a little time in the office and act as if he represented all Chicagoans, not just those at the Chicago Teachers Union, his former employer.

But it’s clear now that the CTU, which backed Johnson with organizing muscle and millions in donations, viewed his unlikely victory as a green light for its fiscally reckless agenda. Friday’s extraordinary mass resignation of all seven of Johnson’s own, handpicked Chicago Board of Education members, just one month before Chicago voters will elect 10 new board members for the first time in city history, underscored that this mayor shares CTU’s blank-check agenda despite his duty to represent the interests of Chicago taxpayers.

WGN: Mayor Johnson considers layoffs, property tax hike to address $1 billion budget deficit
Johnson is looking to cuts and potential layoffs to tackle the city’s nearly $1 billion budget shortfall.

The Chicago Sun Times reports Johnson has canceled two months of police academy classes as part of the effort to close the gap.

…In terms of trying to fix the billion-dollar deficit, Johnson has told city department leaders to find personnel cuts in their budgets in an “exercise” in case the city has to lay off employees, according to Crain’s Chicago Business.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) made it clear it does not support a budget plan that includes layoffs and issued the following statement:

“AFSCME will oppose a budget plan that includes employee layoffs or furloughs. The city of Chicago has reduced frontline staffing in recent years and now has imposed a hiring freeze; further cuts to frontline staffing would hurt the city services that residents need. We’re ready to work cooperatively toward a budget plan that keeps Chicago working.”

The mayor has also reportedly considered a property tax increase, which would go back on a campaign promise, but could avoid layoffs and, with them, a disagreement with unions.

Chicago Sun-Times: Brandon Johnson’s public spectacle of grievance is getting old
Respect the mayor. No matter what he says or does.

I’m semi-serious here. As Brandon Johnson boils and accuses and flails about, a certain clarity sets in among the onlookers. Well, me, anyway.

This is not a guy charting a course, but someone reacting to the chaos going on around him, much of his own making. He isn’t building bridges, but burning them. How else could he snap at every single shiny lure dangled in his face?

Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ: CPS board resignations expose Mayor Brandon Johnson’s inability to build consensus, critics say
It is hard to overstate how astonishing a moment this is for Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.

That much was said to WBEZ as alderpersons and others react to the news that every one of Johnson’s handpicked Chicago Public Schools board members are resigning by the end of the month.

The expected resignations come after months of tension over who – the city or CPS – should pay for pensions for CPS employees who are not teachers, whether to take out a loan to pay for those pensions plus a new teacher’s union contract, and whether CPS CEO Pedro Martinez should be fired for not agreeing to Johnson’s loan idea.

ABC Chicago: Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard booed out of board meeting after making late appearance
That meeting was held at the park district building since Village Hall cannot legally accommodate the crowds at a typical meeting.

But Henyard tried to hold a separate board meeting at Village Hall anyway.

She had to abruptly cancel it after not enough trustees were there.

Henyard then drove a few minutes down the road to where trustees were going through the agenda, but was booed out of the room.

WTTW: Jury Selection Underway in Michael Madigan’s Landmark Corruption Case
Madigan is alleged to have orchestrated multiple corruption schemes, wielding his substantial political power to reward loyal allies and enrich himself.

Among the allegations included in Madigan’s 23-count indictment are claims he arranged contract jobs for his associates – who did little actual work – with Commonwealth Edison and AT&T Illinois, and in exchange he offered political backing on Springfield legislation that was favorable to those companies.

Chicago Tribune: Woman who reported sex harassment in Madigan camp to testify at ex-speaker’s racketeering trial
The Tribune broke the story in February 2018 of Hampton’s #MeToo-era accusations against 13th Ward Democratic insider Kevin Quinn, the brother of Madigan’s handpicked alderman, which led to Quinn’s high-profile ouster. But she likely will testify mainly about her experiences working in the ward, Madigan’s base of power.

Prosecutors had hoped she could also testify about reporting the harassment directly to Madigan, though she would have been instructed not to say she was the alleged victim or that the misconduct was sexual in nature.

But after strong objections Tuesday from Madigan’s defense, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey agreed that to avoid a diversion into irrelevant and “emotionally inflammatory” testimony, the attorneys will instead read a stipulation to jurors saying Hampton reported “misconduct” to Madigan and when.

CHICAGO —  With the Democrat chaos engulfing Chicago as Brandon Johnson puts the Chicago Teachers Union first and taxpayers last, it’s easy to forget Democrats disgusting rhetoric. Over the past year, Illinois Democrats have threatened, criticized and disparaged Israel. In case you forgot, here’s what Illinois Democrats have to say about Israel:

CBS News: Mayor Brandon Johnson casts tie-breaking vote as Chicago City Council calls for ceasefire in Gaza

With Mayor Brandon Johnson casting the tie-breaking vote, the Chicago City Council on Wednesday approved a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, amid the monthslong war between Israel and Hamas.

. . .

Critics of the resolution said it doesn’t sufficiently lay out the depths of violence committed by Hamas, or plans to prevent them from committing another deadly attack against Israel.

The Illinoize: Democrat Division Over Attacks in Israel

A group of some of the most progressive Democrats in Springfield have blamed Israel denying Palestinians “basic human rights” for the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israelis.

“We will not be able to achieve peace when millions of Palestinians are denied basic human rights,” the statement reads. “We urge the United States and the international community work toward long-term solutions that end the inequality that is at the root cause of the violence.”

Chicago Sun-Times: Congress backs billions in aid for Ukraine, Israel. How did Illinois members vote?

Three members of the Illinois delegation – Chicago Democrats Reps. Delia Ramirez, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia and Jonathan Jackson – voted against an aid package for Israel.

NBC News: In Chicago, a mayor with activist roots prepares for a potentially volatile Democratic convention

At the same time, when he was asked about overnight encampments like the kinds that impeded operations on college campuses, Johnson wouldn’t commit to clearing them.

DeWitt Daily News: Gov. Pritzker Weighs In on College Campus Protests

Governor JB Pritzker says his staff has been in contact with university presidents around the state and he wants the rights of both sides to be protected.

Bottom Line: While Illinois Republicans stand with Israel, Illinois Democrats stand with terror groups.