Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Jerry Johnson Calls for Swift Board of Elections Action and for Withdrawal of Senator Terry Link as a Candidate



In a rush as usual lately, but I wanted to share a few photos and documents from today's Jerry Johnson press conference. I'll have more up later.


In brief, Johnson walked through the evidence his team has collected that shows that at least five dead people have been noted on Link's petitions, as evidenced by death certificates and, in fact, one dead person even signed twice. On other petitions, signatures appeared in the same order as the phone book, and a number of errors were evidenced in people's addresses that only make sense if someone mistakenly transposed names and addresses while copying them out of the phone book. Johnson also quoted from the testimony of one of Link's circulators, Kenneth Davison, who admitted to forging names, and who also was asked by Pete Couvall, Lake County Democratic Vice-Chairman, to go change the address on Davison's driver's license so that it match the address that Davison used on the petitions (Couvall denied this at the petition challenge hearing).




A copy of the press release that was handed out at the conference can be read here. The Johnson campaign has collected over 30 affidavits from people who claim their signatures were forged. Here is an overview of the evidence, including phone book citations and the rest. The most interesting new information was that the Johnson campaign hired a well-known and respected handwriting analyst who has attested that over 100 of the signatures on the petitions passed by Jerry Knight were signed by the same person. Read her affidavit here.

Johnson is calling on the State Board of Elections to review the evidence and fully and fairly evaluate the legitimacy of Link's candidacy due to the tainted petitions. Johnson has further demanded that Link withdraw as a candidate due to the overwhelming evidence of fraud on his petitions.


UPDATED 12/18/07 10:00 p.m.: I forgot to mention that the hearing before the entire State Board of Elections is scheduled for this Friday at 10:30 a.m. It will be held in the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago (probably the 9th floor), but will also be conducted via closed-circuit TV to Springfield for the convenience of the full Board (this feed is not available to the public). As I understand it, the Board is composed of equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans. However, all of the Board members are dependent on Senate confirmation to keep their posts when it comes time for reappointment. This implies that it might be a bad idea to annoy state senators...

ALSO- now that Jerry Johnson has made his public statement, look for Lake County Republican Chairman Daniel Venturi and the Lake County Republicans to add their call for Terry Link's withdrawal as a candidate, a State's Attorney investigation, and possibly further demands as well.

FINALLY- if you're disgusted by Link's shenanigans and want to kvetch more about Jay Footlik and Dan Seals, head on over to
Unincorporated Middle, where she's talking about Mark Kirk's latest bi-partisan efforts to improve the 10th District while the Dem candidates insult the voters and each other, all the while arguing about who has more ties to the 10th. If that doesn't give you your Kirk/Seals/Footlik fix, you can also view the Pioneer Press article on the Footlik "meshugana" piece that we reported on afew days ago (but hey, Pioneer Press is a weekly, so what do you want, and they ask a whole bunch of people the same question we asked here, which is, did that piece help or hurt Footlik).

OK, ONE MORE THING- if you think the folks up in Waukegan and North Chicago (many of whom have a real bone to pick with Terry Link for the lousy job he's done representing them for the last 10 years) aren't paying attention to this story, guess again. Check out the "Talk O' the Town" board, where they have been discussing the
"roundtabling" and press conference like you wouldn't believe. I think Link may be in for a shock if the sentiment shown on that board translates into ticked off people willing to work against Link, in addition to talk.

UPDATED 12/19/07 7:30 a.m.:
The Waukegan News-Sun has a article up this morning, but it's essentially a regurgitation of the Johnson press release. Too bad, because I'm dying to hear how Link is going to try to weasel out of this. His previous claim that people were playing pranks on him seems even less plausible than it did a few weeks ago.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sure looks like a pattern of fraud to me!!!!

Anonymous said...

Andy McKenna just sent me a great survey asking me for my thoughts on the state of the party and what he can do better.

Here's my response: Take TA's post, the governors 75 percent unpopularity rating and stick it in a big ad with a nice local citizen running with an R next to his name and have the party grow the spine its been lacking for the last decade.

It's not rocket science-a north side ballerina just took our dc majority away doing a similar thing.

Anonymous said...

Our State Government at work. I am so proud! (Not!)

The Illinois State Board of Elections will count the "signature" of someone who died on February 18, 2007 this Friday when they issue their ruling. The circulator, Knight swore on oath that this "signature" was "genuine" before Notary Public Peter Couvall on October 1, 2007. On December 8, 2007, Knight testified that he personally witnessed all 1,650 "signatures" he obtained on behalf of Terry Link.

Including all those alphabetized "signatures" from the telephone book.

Including all those forged "signatures" as evidenced by those affidavits.

Including all those "signatures" a hand writing expert now says Knight signed himself.

Knight testified he lived at the Oxford House from September through November 9, 2007. When arrested in Zion on November 7, 2007, he gave the police a Chicago address. The landlord/president of the Oxford House testified that Knight didn't live there in 2007 and that all residents there (a halfway house for drug and alcohol abusers who are trying to straighten out) are required to become "officers" and hold a position of prominence. Knight testified he was not an officer in 2007 because he was too sick with diabetes to be one. He was too sick during a period of time he was out running around in Waukegan and North Chicago obtaining 1,650 "signatures." He did not pay rent. He could not recall the full name of the person he allegedly roomed with. He could not recall the room he "rented." He could not recall the names of the officers of the house. He took the fifth when asked where he currently lives. All five dead who "signed" six times "signed" at the request of Knight.

The hearing officer believed him over the facts. The THREE Link lawyers during this testimony constantly objected to these facts. One need not wonder why?

Davidson testified that he falsified his petitions and his residency address on the 27 pages of "signatures" (675 signatures) he obtained. The hearing officer agreed that he falsified his residency. She then only threw out 18 of the 27 pages.

At the end of the trial transcript, the hearing officer admitted that these actions "strained logic" not to strike the remaining 9 pages of Davidson.

Our State Government at work. A candidate will be allowed to run for office in the face of such obvious fraud and deception? His name will be certified to be placed on the ballot by the Illinois State Board of Elections in the face of such fraud and deception?

It's time for some changes in this State.

Our schools are being held hostage due to the Governor, the House Democrats and House Republicans fighting. Our roads are crumbling and the road funds are routinely raided for cash to pay ordinary bills. Billions in federal money are being jeapordized and will be lost because the State is unable to put up its share of the money.

Hospitals, doctors, nursing homes and clinics are waiting 4-6 months to get paid by the state. Blagojevich wants to unilaterally expand healthcare he now cannot pay for.

Our public transit system is on the verge of collapse,

They can't even agree to expand Casinos (and give Chicago one to "own" all by itself. Chicago, a model of integrity when it comes to hiring people!) so that their rich pals can own them and become richer.

Federal indictments and charges are flying all around, so many and over so many serious items that George Ryan would win ethical politician awards by comparison.

As a taxpayer, I demand that Lake County Sheriff Curran investigate this petition matter and bring criminal charges against the Link campaign team for these outrageously illegal actions. I have circulated petitions for candidates for over 20 years in Lake County and I have never managed to have petitions signed by those I ask IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER! I demand that the sheriff take the results of this investigation and send it to Lake County States Attorney Waller for criminal prosecution. I want these criminals jailed for their conduct.

I demand that the press show a greater interest in this massive tale of election fraud which is happening right under their noses. As a citizen of the United States my right to vote is guaranteed me by the Constitution of the United States. This includes a fair election process, one that has been trampled on by the Link Campaign.

Now for the million dollar question. How many Lake County Democratic Candidates for office also used Davidson and Knight to obtain "signatures" for their campaigns?

Enough is enough. Time to prosecute.

And then vote Republican to get all those rascals out of office.

Louis G. Atsaves

Anonymous said...

I am disgusted by this behavior, but in no way shocked. The only shocking thing is that we are finally beginning to hear about it!!!

Anonymous said...

Louis,

Empirically speaking, I don't think there's much of a reason to believe replacing Dems with Republicans will result in less corruption. Don't forget that you will have the option of voting Green. I don't think there are any local Green candidates for state legislature, but maybe someone will get slated in. There's also Kalbfleisch for federal office.

Anonymous said...

Politicians (ALL politicians) are like diapers. They should be changed often and for the same reason.