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| The Chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party has again dropped the ball miserably. The way she ran this petition drive is the way she runs Cook County. Everything is half-ass and then she goes into cover-up mode. |
Russ Stewart
December 11, 2019
An enduring Biblical adage avers that “blessed are those who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed” A corollary political adage is that blessed are those who have somebody get them a whole bunch of nominating petition signatures, for they shall get on the ballot. As is now demonstrably clear, 2020 countywide Democratic candidates Kim Foxx
and Mike Cabonargi are not feeling blessed. In fact, they’re feeling angry, paranoid and downright disgusted. Both were the slated candidates for, respectively, state’s attorney and Clerk of Circuit Court. Both were on the same nominating petition. Each gave the party $40,000 to get the necessary minimum of 7,279 signatures, as well as to be on the party sample ballot and have a countywide mailer. And both are now in serious jeopardy of being knocked off the March 17 primary ballot due to an insufficient amount of VALID signatures. The duo filed petitions with about 20,000 purported signatures. 7 candidates filed for the one state Supreme Court vacancy, with appointed justice Neville favored but facing tough competition from McBride, Harris and Reyes. Neville needs 2/3rds of the black vote and 10% of the white vote to win. 6 candidates filed for 2 Appellate Court vacancies, with Griffin and Ramos favored.
and Mike Cabonargi are not feeling blessed. In fact, they’re feeling angry, paranoid and downright disgusted. Both were the slated candidates for, respectively, state’s attorney and Clerk of Circuit Court. Both were on the same nominating petition. Each gave the party $40,000 to get the necessary minimum of 7,279 signatures, as well as to be on the party sample ballot and have a countywide mailer. And both are now in serious jeopardy of being knocked off the March 17 primary ballot due to an insufficient amount of VALID signatures. The duo filed petitions with about 20,000 purported signatures. 7 candidates filed for the one state Supreme Court vacancy, with appointed justice Neville favored but facing tough competition from McBride, Harris and Reyes. Neville needs 2/3rds of the black vote and 10% of the white vote to win. 6 candidates filed for 2 Appellate Court vacancies, with Griffin and Ramos favored.
PETITION CHALLENGE PARALYZES CAMPAIGNS OF FOXX AND CABONARGI
An enduring adage states that "Blessed are those who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed." A corollary political adage is that blessed are those who have somebody to get them a whole bunch of nominating petition signatures, for they shall get on the ballot.
As is now demonstrably clear, 2020 countywide Democratic candidates Kim Foxx and Mike Cabonargi are not feeling blessed. In fact, they are probably feeling angry, paranoid and downright disgusted. Both were the slated candidates for the state's attorney and Clerk of Circuit Court, respectively. Both were on the same nominating petition. Each gave the Democratic Party $40,000 to get the necessary minimum of 7,279 signatures, as well as to be on the party sample ballot and have a countywide mailer.
And both are now in serious jeopardy of being knocked off the March 17 primary ballot due to an insufficient amount of VALID signatures. The duo filed petitions with about 20,000 purported signatures.
Should such occur, the blame lies squarely on the Cook County Democratic Party, its chairwoman Toni Preckwinkle, Foxx's enduring unpopularity, and Cabonargi's misjudgment in allowing himself to be conned by party leaders into being on the same petition with Foxx. Cabonagi was told, according to party sources, that conjoining his name with Foxx's was necessary to get white Chicago and suburban committeemen to circulate for her, and for African-American committeemen to circulate for him. It was a total hoax.
Incumbent Foxx and Board of Review Commissioner Cabonargi were slated in June, and the 90-day circulatory began Sept. 4, with filing between Nov. 25 and Dec. 2. The rule-of-thumb is that half to two-thirds of signatures are invalid, particularly those procured outside of food stores and in shopping centers, either because the signer is not a registered voter, does not live at the address indicated, or the signature is unrecognizable. Procuring signatures door-to-door is the best method. But there are 2.9 million registered voters in Cook County, so finding 7,279 valid signatures, or 0.0025 percent should be a snap, especially with a Democratic "committeeperson" in 50 wards and 30 suburban townships. Just 500 from each would amount to 40,000. Back in the day 50,000 was normal.
"Three times the minimum" signatures "is the norm," said state Senator Rob Martwick (D-2), the 38th Ward committeeman. But given that Foxx was on the petition, 20,000 signatures was probably the ceiling. Martwick's organization DID NOT circulate Foxx-Cabonargi petitions. And that, amid other instances of non-production on Nov. 22, created Democratic panic over the weekend of Nov. 23 to 24, with paid workers hitting shopping centers and churches, getting paid $1 per signature.
Not surprisingly, the Foxx-Cabonargi petitions were "a mess," said attorney Jacob Meister, "filled with forgeries, circulator fraud" and, he added, a bunch of circulators "who work for Cabonargi" at the Board of Review were busy that last weekend. Meister is running against Cabonargi for the Clerk of Circuit Court, along with state Senator Iris Martinez (D-20) and attorney Richard Boykin. His campaign legal team challenged nearly 16,000 Foxx-Cabonargi signatures, or 80 percent, many on a "pattern of fraud" pretext, which means two or more "not in own proper person" signatures (meaning forgeries) on two or more petitions submitted by the same circulator means every signatory of the circulator is invalidated. "The (county Democratic) party failed," said Meister. "It can no longer do what it is supposed to do - get candidates on the ballot, then nominated and elected." Meister filed his objections Dec. 9.
Bereft of the likes of Ed Burke, Dick Mell and Joe Berrios, the Preckwinkle-led party proved itself borderline incompetent. Of course, it is still possible that Foxx-Cabonargi can win on March 17. It is possible.
A second objector's challenge was also filed Dec. 9 by Robert Fioretti, who is running against Foxx along with Donna More and Bill Conway. Conway's legal team apparently did the research, but Fioretti is the objector, according to sources.
The objectors face a daunting task: 7,279 is 36 percent of 20,000, which means that if all 16,000 objections were sustained then Foxx-Cabonargi would be at 4,000, and off the ballot. That won't happen. If 75 percent of 16,000 objections were sustained then Foxx-Cabonargi would be at about 8,000. So the duo needs, atop their unchallenged 4,000 signatures, just 3,279 of the 16,000 objections, or 20.4 percent, to be overruled, just one in five. But what is happening is what the objectors want: campaign paralysis, with a slowdown of campaign cash, a stoppage of TV ads, publicity about the campaign's competence, and wastage of a whole lot of time and lawyer's fees.
The objection process begins Dec. 16, with hearing officers assigned to each case. Issues will be either legal or factual, meaning either a flaw in the petitions themselves, notarization or the candidate's eligibility, or with the signers or circulators. In the latter, the county clerk and Chicago Board of Elections must do a "records examination" to ascertain the validity - registration at a residence in Cook County - of 16,000 objections. That takes a lot of time. Then the lawyers can object to any determination, and force the candidate to physically produce a signer or circulator at a hearing. All the objector has to do is get Foxx-Cabonargi under 7,279. Then comes an appeal to the Circuit Court by whoever loses, and then an expedited appeal to the state Supreme Court by whoever loses. And now it's mid-February.
The political fallout is twofold: First, the pall inhibits donors from contributing. Why give money to somebody not yet on the ballot? And second, negative publicity shakes confidence that the candidates are competent. If you can't get 8,000 good signatures in 90 days from a pool of 2,900,000, then maybe you can't the job. Cabonargi's political smarts are in serious doubt.
Outlook: Cabonargi has $578,022 on-hand and Foxx has $757,790 on-hand. They will pay the same lawyers to defend the same petitions. In all likelihood they will prevail and get on the ballot. But this emerging fiasco has damaged their credibility and catapulted Conway and Meister to front-runner in their races.
As is now demonstrably clear, 2020 countywide Democratic candidates Kim Foxx and Mike Cabonargi are not feeling blessed. In fact, they are probably feeling angry, paranoid and downright disgusted. Both were the slated candidates for the state's attorney and Clerk of Circuit Court, respectively. Both were on the same nominating petition. Each gave the Democratic Party $40,000 to get the necessary minimum of 7,279 signatures, as well as to be on the party sample ballot and have a countywide mailer.
And both are now in serious jeopardy of being knocked off the March 17 primary ballot due to an insufficient amount of VALID signatures. The duo filed petitions with about 20,000 purported signatures.
Should such occur, the blame lies squarely on the Cook County Democratic Party, its chairwoman Toni Preckwinkle, Foxx's enduring unpopularity, and Cabonargi's misjudgment in allowing himself to be conned by party leaders into being on the same petition with Foxx. Cabonagi was told, according to party sources, that conjoining his name with Foxx's was necessary to get white Chicago and suburban committeemen to circulate for her, and for African-American committeemen to circulate for him. It was a total hoax.
Incumbent Foxx and Board of Review Commissioner Cabonargi were slated in June, and the 90-day circulatory began Sept. 4, with filing between Nov. 25 and Dec. 2. The rule-of-thumb is that half to two-thirds of signatures are invalid, particularly those procured outside of food stores and in shopping centers, either because the signer is not a registered voter, does not live at the address indicated, or the signature is unrecognizable. Procuring signatures door-to-door is the best method. But there are 2.9 million registered voters in Cook County, so finding 7,279 valid signatures, or 0.0025 percent should be a snap, especially with a Democratic "committeeperson" in 50 wards and 30 suburban townships. Just 500 from each would amount to 40,000. Back in the day 50,000 was normal.
"Three times the minimum" signatures "is the norm," said state Senator Rob Martwick (D-2), the 38th Ward committeeman. But given that Foxx was on the petition, 20,000 signatures was probably the ceiling. Martwick's organization DID NOT circulate Foxx-Cabonargi petitions. And that, amid other instances of non-production on Nov. 22, created Democratic panic over the weekend of Nov. 23 to 24, with paid workers hitting shopping centers and churches, getting paid $1 per signature.
Not surprisingly, the Foxx-Cabonargi petitions were "a mess," said attorney Jacob Meister, "filled with forgeries, circulator fraud" and, he added, a bunch of circulators "who work for Cabonargi" at the Board of Review were busy that last weekend. Meister is running against Cabonargi for the Clerk of Circuit Court, along with state Senator Iris Martinez (D-20) and attorney Richard Boykin. His campaign legal team challenged nearly 16,000 Foxx-Cabonargi signatures, or 80 percent, many on a "pattern of fraud" pretext, which means two or more "not in own proper person" signatures (meaning forgeries) on two or more petitions submitted by the same circulator means every signatory of the circulator is invalidated. "The (county Democratic) party failed," said Meister. "It can no longer do what it is supposed to do - get candidates on the ballot, then nominated and elected." Meister filed his objections Dec. 9.
Bereft of the likes of Ed Burke, Dick Mell and Joe Berrios, the Preckwinkle-led party proved itself borderline incompetent. Of course, it is still possible that Foxx-Cabonargi can win on March 17. It is possible.
A second objector's challenge was also filed Dec. 9 by Robert Fioretti, who is running against Foxx along with Donna More and Bill Conway. Conway's legal team apparently did the research, but Fioretti is the objector, according to sources.
The objectors face a daunting task: 7,279 is 36 percent of 20,000, which means that if all 16,000 objections were sustained then Foxx-Cabonargi would be at 4,000, and off the ballot. That won't happen. If 75 percent of 16,000 objections were sustained then Foxx-Cabonargi would be at about 8,000. So the duo needs, atop their unchallenged 4,000 signatures, just 3,279 of the 16,000 objections, or 20.4 percent, to be overruled, just one in five. But what is happening is what the objectors want: campaign paralysis, with a slowdown of campaign cash, a stoppage of TV ads, publicity about the campaign's competence, and wastage of a whole lot of time and lawyer's fees.
The objection process begins Dec. 16, with hearing officers assigned to each case. Issues will be either legal or factual, meaning either a flaw in the petitions themselves, notarization or the candidate's eligibility, or with the signers or circulators. In the latter, the county clerk and Chicago Board of Elections must do a "records examination" to ascertain the validity - registration at a residence in Cook County - of 16,000 objections. That takes a lot of time. Then the lawyers can object to any determination, and force the candidate to physically produce a signer or circulator at a hearing. All the objector has to do is get Foxx-Cabonargi under 7,279. Then comes an appeal to the Circuit Court by whoever loses, and then an expedited appeal to the state Supreme Court by whoever loses. And now it's mid-February.
The political fallout is twofold: First, the pall inhibits donors from contributing. Why give money to somebody not yet on the ballot? And second, negative publicity shakes confidence that the candidates are competent. If you can't get 8,000 good signatures in 90 days from a pool of 2,900,000, then maybe you can't the job. Cabonargi's political smarts are in serious doubt.
Outlook: Cabonargi has $578,022 on-hand and Foxx has $757,790 on-hand. They will pay the same lawyers to defend the same petitions. In all likelihood they will prevail and get on the ballot. But this emerging fiasco has damaged their credibility and catapulted Conway and Meister to front-runner in their races.
If Kim Foxx loses, does she have to give Sorros All the cash he gave her?
ReplyDeleteSOLID!!
DeleteThis,if indeed it is proven that these signatures are no good,would be the greatest thing to happen in Cook County in all of my 60+ years of me living in it. Plus it would sure erode a lot of Preckwinkle's power.
ReplyDeleteDemocrat=Disaster
ReplyDeleteDemocrat=Financial Collapse
ReplyDeleteNeville also faces competition from fellow Blacks Cobbs and Howse.
ReplyDeleteBogus signatures are stupid, considering there are more than enough Democratic loyalists to go around.
Democrats = The whole screwed up city
ReplyDeleteTime for the FOP to start organizing for quality politicians. Why in the hell hasn't the FOP created a volunteer base for politicians that are more pro law and order? Why is the FOP complicit in allowing the likes of these socialists/criminal justice reforming politicians a free ride without a serious challenge? Lets go FOP, Lets go now.
ReplyDeleteThe Second City Cop blog says FOP is useless.
DeleteAll police unions are useless. They really work for the admin. They may handle a few low level beefs to fool their membership, but in reality they work for the same people trying to screw you.....
DeleteCops are lazy. Being political is a little hustle
Deletesuckers! they just change the rules as they go along. look at rahm and residency. you dont like it....GFY. chair animal p is the worst of the lot considering the idiots that run this quagmire of a state into the ground are arch criminals. some day Rico snags them is my hope.
ReplyDeleteO'Brien should have been Board President.
ReplyDelete