By Illinois Review
On Thursday, WGN Investigates reported that a top political aide to former Illinois Republican State Rep. Tim Ozinga – who resigned abruptly from office last month, has been charged with sending obscene and harassing messages to a political rival.
Timothy Pawula, who serves as treasurer of Ozinga’s campaign committee and his Big Tent Coalition PAC, and worked in his state representative district office, was charged on Thursday with harassment through electronic communication, transmission of obscene messages and obscenity, according to Illinois State Police. And according to WGN, Pawula sent fake sexually explicit images and text messages to Ozinga’s political rival – State Sen. Michael Hastings (D-Frankfort). The offensive and fake images included photos of Hastings, Gov. JB Pritzker and other Democratic political rivals of Ozinga.
In an interview with WGN Investigates, Hastings said,
“I’ve been a victim of electronic harassment where someone – potentially affiliated with others – sent me digitally altered, sexually explicit images that are highly offensive.”
The messages were sent to Hastings between 2022 and 2023 and were sent from unknown phone numbers. In 2022, Hastings was running for state senate against Ozinga’s close friend – Republican Patrick Sheehan. Hastings would win the general election – defeating Sheehan by just 981 votes. Ironically, just days after Ozinga abruptly resigned from office last month, Sheehan was named as his replacement.
A week after Ozinga’s shock resignation from the Illinois House of Representatives, he lost his re-election campaign for Will County Republican chairman after Christina Clausen easily defeated him – garnering an impressive 12,220 votes to Ozinga’s 6,535 – leaving the disgraced former state representative and his allies in shock and disbelief.
As a state representative, Ozinga was linked to several controversial issues during his time in office – most notably, his vote in favor of allowing non-U.S. citizens, including DACA recipients, to become police officers capable of arresting American citizens – sparked considerable outrage among conservatives. This legislation was viewed by many as a significant departure from traditional conservative values, emphasizing national security and strict immigration control.
Ozinga’s legislative decisions raised concerns about the integrity of law enforcement and the broader implications for community safety and national sovereignty. His support for this bill was seen as aligning with more progressive immigration policies, which starkly contrasted with the America First rhetoric that has been gaining momentum within the party.
And Ozinga’s involvement in the April 4, 2023 election manipulation added another layer of controversy. During a crucial meeting of the Will County Republican Central Committee, it was revealed that the Illinois GOP, allegedly with Ozinga’s knowledge, had used party resources to undermine conservative grassroots candidates. The presentation of mailers at the meeting, which were approved to benefit less conservative candidates at a significantly reduced postage cost, confirmed suspicions about Ozinga’s participation in these divisive tactics. This incident severely damaged his credibility and trustworthiness among party members.
Ozinga remains an influential member of the IL GOP’s state central committee – the governing board of the Illinois Republican Party. This weekend is the IL GOP’s state convention, and this latest breaking news is expected to be a topic of conversation as conservative leaders plan on calling for his removal from the SSC.
Both Pawula and Ozinga have ignored messages asking for a comment.
