Race heats up over allegations House candidate used ugly terms conversing with AG candidate

Burt Minor with Erika Harold

 

WINFIELD TOWNSHIP – GOP Township Committeeman Burt Minor does not deny accusations that he asked IL GOP primary candidate for attorney general Erika Harold if she was a "lesbo," or that he used the "n-word" in a conversation last fall. 

 

Minor – who is running for the 42nd IL House seat in the IL GOP primary – says in a statement posted on his Facebook page that his discussion with Harold "was an attempt to point out the unfortunate reality" that Republican voters are commonly not comfortable discussing race and sexual orientation. 

 

His alleged comments, Minor says, were in "no way meant to be offensive." He apologized "is she was in any way offended." 

Then in his public statement, Minor attacked two DuPage County elected officials – especially State Rep. Peter Breen (R-Lombard), who publicly called on Minor to step out of the IL GOP primary after reports of his alleged comments became public.

Burt Minor’s statement makes clear that he doesn’t deny the allegations against him, nor does he see any problem in his repeated use of the full n-word in conversation or his questions to an unmarried woman about whether she is a “lesbo.” He now shifts the blame to the victims of his vile actions for being “uncomfortable,” with a half-hearted apology to Ms. Harold, “if she was in any way offended.” Burt Minor should take ownership of his outrageous and offensive statements, apologize for making them, and return to private life away from any public involvement with the Republican Party.

 

Burt Minor lied in his fundraising solicitations by claiming the endorsements of numerous elected officials who had never given him permission to use their name, including falsely claiming an endorsement from our Republican Leader Jim Durkin. His accusations today are more lies.

 

At no time was any government job offered to Mr. Minor by anyone, and certainly not by me or anyone on my volunteer team. As a state representative, I have the ability to appoint a single Legislative Aide—and I have one of the most qualified and experienced Legislative Aides in the state in that position today.

 

Even if I had control over 1,000 jobs, I wouldn’t willingly put a person like Burt Minor anywhere near my family, my volunteers, or any of the residents of my district. As for Mr. Minor’s daughter, I couldn’t pick her out of a lineup and have never made any statement about her, whether in regards to her apparent political ambitions or otherwise.

All of his other accusations are false, and in particular, Burt Minor now insults and slanders yet another strong female candidate—respected DuPage County Board Member Amy Grant—by claiming she would somehow be “controlled” instead of serve the people of the 42nd District. Folks in the district know Amy as an accomplished community leader, wife, and mother of two great kids. She doesn’t deserve Burt Minor’s insults.

 

Shame on Burt Minor. He is unfit to serve in any position of public trust.