Robin Kelly, one of the leading Democrats running in the congressional special election primary to replace Jesse Jackson, Jr., is under fire this week after it was revealed that an internal investigation by the State Treasurer’s Inspector General recommended she be disciplined.
In response to this news and the recent resignations of 2 Democrat candidates from the race, Republican candidate Paul McKinley released an ad saying that the Chicago Machine is panicking:
Robin Kelly is the chosen successor (perhaps in more ways than one, see above) for Jesse Jackson Jr by the Chicago Democratic Machine. She has been supported by Daily Kos, which has raised $110k for her, and Mayor Bloomberg’s PAC has spent $2.1 million in attack ads against her opponents.
News of Kelly’s recommended disciplining of Kelly comes just after Jesse Jackson, Jr., pled guilty in court yesterday.
The Chicago Tribune obtained the information through FOIA requests:
After Robin Kelly lost a 2010 bid for state treasurer, the office’s chief investigator alleged she violated ethics laws
by improperly reporting time off from her taxpayer-funded job as chief of staff to then-Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, the Tribune has learned.
Kelly, now a top contender in Tuesday’s special Democratic primary in the 2nd Congressional District race to succeed Jesse Jackson Jr., was at the center of an investigation by the treasurer’s executive inspector general into whether timekeeping violations took place as she campaigned for treasurer, records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show.
Executive Inspector General David Wells recommended that Kelly be disciplined, according to a letter from Giannoulias. The punishment that Wells recommended was not made public, but Giannoulias said no action would be taken against Kelly because she had already resigned from state government.
Republican Paul McKinley sees a common underpinning to it all:
“I look at as one thing. I look at as it is the system. The machine produced him, it nurtured him, it manufactured him,” said Republican candidate Paul McKinley (in video at 1:40 mark):
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Comments
so bloombergs pac pushing for s chicago democrat.
gee…surprising…
Yet another “lifelong Republican” who exclusively supports the most radically left Democrats. RIFO — Republican in fantasy only.
The saddest thing is we don’t even know if we can hope even with this. It is Serendipitous. It’d be incredible to see a ray of light in the heart of the machine.
This is a great ad. It rivals the one by the Republican Alabama Agricultural Commissioner candidate. I wish I could be there to vote for him.
This fellow reminds me of the candidate for the Cook County Board who was supposed to be Obama’s friend. He ran when Stroger Sr had a stroke in 2006 and was a potential reformer. When the election came up, Obama toed the Chicago machine line and did not support his friend. The guy’s name is Forrest Claypool and I don’t know if he was a real reformer but it was a nice test of Obama’s loyalties.
This guy has more balls than the GOP. I bet they’ve not sent him a dime out of fear he might win.
This is how it typically works around here. They start to feel the heat, resign or quit, lay low for a bit then come back and run for a different office or pick up some sweet patronage gig. If Ms. Kelly doesn’t get the seat, she’ll land on her feet managing some useless department for the city or state.
@Mike – Forrest Claypool is now the head of the CTA. He just said today that the CTA wants an exception from the upcoming CCW law. Usual Wild West excuses. http://bit.ly/XoiysZ
Illustrating Chicagoland Idiocy, Mayhem and Stupidity at heyjackass.com
Rush Limbaugh
“For the first time in my life …. ”
http://www.commoncts.blogspot.com/2013/02/for-fist-time-in-my-life-i-am-ashamed.html
Perhaps age and experience has left me cynical, but corruption in Chicago politics hardly seems the sort of thing to affect a race. Maybe if she was dealing drugs or sleeping with teenagers, but she was only stealing. Isn’t that what they DO in Chicago? Wasn’t Jesse Jr. reelected when they had a pretty good idea why he was hiding in “rehab”?
The Machine has been exposed before on multiple occasions with many different office-holding crooks. Yet still it whirs on . . .
We all know what’s going to happen: Money will be taxed away from prosperous regions such as Texas, and given to spendthrift (read “Democrat-controlled”) regions such as Chicago. Ghetto politics I believe it’s called.
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