CHICAGO – Upset that the only choice Republicans in the 3rd CD have on the November ballot is a known Nazi sympathizer, a group of Cook County GOP members of the Jewish faith called on Cook County GOP Chairman Sean Morrison to step down in a letter sent to Cook County GOP committeemen:
To the Committeemen of the Cook County Republican Committee:
We are confident that each of us is appalled at the fact that Arthur Jones, an avowed Nazi sympathizer and Holocaust denier, ran unopposed in the primary for the Republican nomination to the 3rd Congressional District, and is now the Republican nominee on the ballot. And, needless to say, our local party looks like a group of incompetent fools. But what is infuriating is that the nomination of Jones could easily have been prevented.
According to a former Palos Township Committeeman, Arthur Jones was well known in the 3rd Congressional District for being a Nazi sympathizer, Holocaust denier and perennial candidate. In the past, the local party officials have always recruited candidates to keep Jones off of the general election ballot. But, inexplicably, not this year.
Sean Morrison is State Central Committeeman for the 3rd Congressional District, Cook County Chairman and Palos Township Committeeman. Given these multiple key spots, and in particular his role as State Central Committeeman for the district in which Jones was running, we believe that it was undeniably Morrison's responsibility to take action to stop Jones. Yet when the State Central Committee met in February 2018 and discussed Jones' success in getting on the November ballot, Sean Morrison admitted that he knew of Jones' upcoming candidacy as early as October 2017, a month and half before the deadline for Nomination Papers, but claimed that he could not find another candidate to block Jones.
This excuse is outrageous and unacceptable. We urge all to review the geography of the 3rd Congressional District. It has only a narrow segment in the City of Chicago, then broadly weeps though the southwest suburbs with towns such as the Palos communities, Orland, Homer Glen, Crestwood and Lockport, running as far as the border of Joliet. The idea that no Republican candidate could be found is laughable. It is obvious to us that this was not a matter of no one being found, it was a case that no one bothered to even try and recruit.
The group also called for Palatine Township Committeeman Aaron Del Mar to resign, claiming both Morrison and Del Mar endorsed a judicial candidate they say made anti-Semitic remarks.
In addition, Sean Morrison and Palatine Township Committeeman Aaron Del Mar have endorsed an anti-Semitic judicial candidate for Circuit Court in the 13th Judicial Sub-circuit, Christine Svenson, despite their knowledge of past anti-Semitic comments made by her. It is no empty charge because there is a witness to Svenson's anti-Semitic comments. Morrison and Del Mar did nothing, and simply ignored the anti-Semitism since Svenson is their political "ally." Therefore, we have refused to attend meetings of the County Central Committee so long as Svenson has been appointed as the General Counsel of the Cook County Party, sitting at the dais at all meetings. Of course, not one bit of change occurred, as our leaders knowingly and arrogantly tolerated prejudice that has no place in our Party.
Other members of the State Central Committee who were made aware of Svenson's prejudice, Ryan Higgins, Blair Garber, and Carol Donovan, took no interest or action.
We, Eloise Gerson (current 2nd Ward Republican Committeeman, former Chairman of the Chicago Republican Party, former Vice Chairman of the Cook County Republican Party and former 42nd Ward Republican Committeeman); Rita Zak (current 42nd Ward Republican Committeeman and former candidate for Congress for the 7th Congressional District); and Diane Shapiro (current 46 Ward Republican Committeeman and former Republican candidate for Cook County Circuit Court Clerk), all members of the Jewish faith, ask the Illinois Republican Part and Cook County Republican Party force Sean Morrison and Aaron Del Mar to resign immediately from all of their party posts and withdraw from election or appointment to any office at the upcoming Cook County Republican Convention which will take place on April 18, 2018.
Wasn’t Alice (Christine) Svenson seeking to be appointed to the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners a few months ago? Did she remember to fill out a change of address card when she moved to the suburbs? Did she qualify by working on Del Mar’s messy divorce and child custody dispute with his ex-wife?
Didn’t Christine Svenson initially join Aaron Del Mar and Blair Garber, a member of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Christians United for Israel. The article mentions that Blair Garber was made aware of Christine’s prejudice and did nothing. So, are we now to believe that Christine is prejudice against those of the Jewish faith, but not Jews who have converted to Christianity. Perhaps, Blair Garber said nothing because this all amounts to nothing. What exactly were these past anti-Semitic comments that Christine Svenson made?
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2012/05/del-mar-announces-leadership-team.html
Christine Svenson really gets involved in shady political dealings. Wasn’t she the attorney for Dan Proft’s Liberty Principles PAC and also the attorney for the guy who accused Dan Rutherford of sexual harassment?
There’s simply no excuse for the GOP not having made sure SOMEONE without neo-Nazi and Holocaust denier credentials was on the primary ballot. With the slightest bit of attention to his own back yard and minimal consultation with other ward and township committees Morrison was in a better position to avoid this debacle than anyone else. Wouldn’t that correspond amazingly to the job description of a county chair who was doing his job, even if it didn’t happen to be in his own CD where he also happens to be the state central committeeman? Hmmmmm …
It sure sounds like this Morrison character is extremely lazy and incompetent beyond all comprehension.
Yes, she was (she also received payment from Rauner for reviewing an office lease during the same election). Her client is a Democratic patronage worker for the Cook County Recorder of Deeds. After smearing Rutherford, the lawsuit promptly went nowhere.
After living in Chicago’s Sandburg Village for decades (she even ran for presidential delegate as a Chicago resident in 2016), Svenson is going all out bragging about her Northwest suburban roots in her new judicial subcircuit.
Aren’t these two, Morrison and Del Mar, the proteges of Ed Vrdolyak and Liz Gorman? It surprises me not that they would conspire to sit on their hands and allow a Nazi sympathizer to tarnish the Republican banner, though such inaction is consistent with the current abysmal attitudes of our State Republican Leadership.
Do I not recall that Del Mar recently staged the a phony endorsement session in favor of an impotent Governor in contravention of the nearly 80% of his regular Palatine Township Organization members by allowing non-resident members to sign up that very day?
And did I also not recall the absence of Republican candidates on the ballot for several elected Cook County offices in the recent Republican March primary? Am I to surmise that Morrison and Del Mar have been holding back, only to surprise us with their hand-picked (RINO-Democrat) candidates in the Fall?
I respectfully ask the the Illinois Republican Central Committee Members take that fork out of my back at their upcoming meeting later this month and redirect it to where it is most needed. I am numb to the pain now.
Capitol Fax and WaPo both reported that Garber resigned from his SCC post as well as his Lottery post. Not that it matters much anymore, as we just had a primary and are about to have county conventions, but it’s still a wee bit annoying when either
1)The low energy GOP can’t even update their site or
2) News sources like WaPo and Capitol Fax are wrong
Somebody is wrong.
Our Republican Party has a problem with our baby killing Governor Rauner. He joins Madigan and Cullerton in the killing of babies. J.B. is the same.
Go on line and link the name Margret Sanger and Adolf Hitler.
You will see the two are from the same cloth. It just happens. That Rauner, J B, Madigan and Cullerton values are the same as Hitler and Sanger.
Love Saves Lives
Carl Lambrecht
Carl – your Johnny One Note approach is not helping at all.
Valid point on 3rd CD – in fact, ANYONE IN ILLINOIS could have been recruited to run (no district residency requirement for Congress). So blame goes around to the State GOP as well. It is unfortunate that those making this argument then make unwarranted attacks on Christine Svenson. I have known her personally and professionally for a number of years; she is an excellent attorney and person, and she is in no way prejudiced or anti-Semitic. Mark O. Stern
So the Republican party stands opposed to free speech and elections?
The candidate won fair and square – correct?
It did not hurt the Democrats to have an avowed Socialist in Luis Gutiérrez. It is not like he can enact pro-Nazi legislation without building a coalition. Maybe he can raise resources and support on Stormfront. He also may learn to temper his rhetoric.
By the way when have you ever seen the Jewish community going after the Democrats for being anti-Israel? Have they gone after the anti-Semite, Jimmy Carter?
Oh – can we please get serious for a moment here?
For years, everyone has known that Art Jones has been a lame member – and leader – of the virtually non-existent neo-Nazi party in Chicago.
But it is truly pathetic, that absolutely impotent so-called Republicans, like South American Jew, Eloise Gerson and the laughable Diane Shapiro – (who tried to sell her “art” on her GOP campaign website – what did she get 21% of the county-wide vote – and this Zak person – whoever she is) haven’t brought a damned Jewish vote into the GOP – and they now emerge with this inane grievance regarding a joke candidate.
When they can seriously bring Jewish voters into the Republican fold – maybe someone will take them seriously.
This is really a very, very, bad – and somewhat bigoted, joke.
Yes, suggesting the Illinois and GOP governor and the Dem candidate for governor are equivalent to Hitler is a totally reasonable and rational thing to suggest. Godwin? Who’s that?
You ought to read the scathing “NOT RECOMMENDED” evaluation of Svenson published by the Chicago Bar Association. This is not someone that people would want sitting as a judge.
From the Chicago Bar Association (judicial candidate evaluations):
CHRISTINE SVENSON NOT RECOMMENDED
Christine Svenson is “Not Recommended” for the office of Circuit Court Judge.
Ms. Svenson was admitted to practice law in
Illinois in 1995 and is currently a solo practitioner concentrating in family law, employment law, election law, and workers’ compensation matters.
Concerns about Ms. Svenson’s knowledge of the law, legal ability, and practice experience were raised in
the wake of harsh criticism that she received from the Illinois Appellate Court for not following the Appellate Court Rules in a recent appeal that she was handling.
Ms. Svenson does not possess the requisite depth and breadth of legal knowledge and practice experience to
effectively serve as a Circuit Court Judge.
http://www.chicagobar.org/AM/NavigationMenu/Services/Judicial_Evaluation/2018PrimaryJudgeSmartGuide.pdf
I certainly understand the concern regarding Arthur Jones. He shouldn’t be a candidate in any party for any office. But attempting to use that unfortunate situation as a basis to smear decent, well-intentioned, hard-working leaders in the Republican party such as Sean Morrison, Aaron Del Mar and Christine Swenson is nothing short of outrageous. Playing the “anti-Semitic” card on these individuals is exactly what our friends on the left do all the time when they play the race card on Republicans. I never post on here but this unprincipled attack on good people, using the scare tactics of the left, should not stand.
I have not been deeply involved in the inner workings of the dysfunctional Kindergarten also known as the Cook County Republican party. However, I have been around long enough to know what this is really all about. The lead author of the complaint mentioned above is pursuing a personal political vendetta against Christine Swenson, and by extension Sean Morrison and Aaron Del Mar, because Swenson opposed her for Committeeman in the 42nd Ward in 2012! It’s petty. It’s personal. It’s not true. And none of this is news, she’s been pursuing her personal vendetta for years. That’s what’s really going on here. Welcome to Kindergarten!
While our party engages in cat fights over things supposedly said in private years ago, the other side enthusiastically supports its candidates even when they say things in public that are false, misleading and offensive. While our party is calling for its local party leaders to resign, the other side it out registering voters. While Committeemen in our party pursue petty personal vendettas against fellow Republicans, the once reliably Republican suburbs are going blue and the other side is winning elections!
Oddly enough, before the primary, various Democratic candidates were calling upon the Cook County Chairman and the Illinois Democratic State Chairman to resign.
It is interesting how you failed to mention this fact.
It is also interesting that Svenson is emphasizing her ties to her present community when she has only been residing in the subcircuit for a mere months (she was a Chicagoan based in the 42nd Ward as your own comment mentioned out in passing).
Speaking of vendettas, explain Svenson’s role in the lawsuits against the former Illinois Treasurer (Rutherford). The lurid allegations had no merit, but failed lawsuits were successful at smearing Rutherford and derailing his gubernatorial candidacy.
You lost me when you used the word “decent” to describe Del Mar. You also must have been asleep when Morrison ran for the Board of Review against Patlak.
Was that a well intentioned campaign?