Darren Bailey, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, says the Richard Irvin campaign put out a mailer of smears and lies.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Richard Irvin’s campaign is acknowledging it sent out mailers blasting Republican primary rival Darren Bailey that violated a state election code requirement by not disclosing who paid for them.
“The truth is I did participate with the Rush Limbaugh: Operation CHAOS. That was a program to make sure that Obama and Hillary didn’t get elected,” said Bailey.
Operation CHAOS was established by President Lyndon B. Johnson and expanded under President Richard Nixon, whose mission was to uncover possible foreign influence on domestic race, anti-war and other protest movements.
“We pulled a ballot for that purpose the only time in my life I’ve ever pulled a democrat ballot and only for that purpose,” said Bailey. “Someone came up to me at some point in time and I don’t remember when and where that was, and asked that question in person…I’ve never spoken of it to a crowd or anything, but that person was evidently taping without my knowledge. I explained and said just exactly what I told you. I said we participated in that. They might have asked who I voted for. That was 14 years ago, I said I have no idea, I really don’t remember Biden was on the ticket. I may have voted for him then I laughed and said I didn’t remember. You know, trying to be funny.”
On the mailer there is a direct quote from Bailey printed: “I might have voted for Biden”
“They cut the part out where I might have voted for Biden and that’s what they are using. It’s completely trying to make it look like I voted for Biden in the last elections,” said Bailey.
The mailer also shows Bailey standing with some Obama cookies.
“Cindy [Bailey’s wife] and I showed up at a meet and greet about four months ago in Iroquois County and again a lady had come up and she baked us cookies and she was very proud of them. So we had a picture. I’m looking at them and thinking ‘wow I recognize the symbol,’ but it really didn’t matter she thought they were a symbol for farming,” said Bailey. “She had no idea what they were for. She made cookies and we proudly posted them. Who would have thought that someone would look at that and call you an Obama supporter?”
On the mailer it also says that Bailey raised taxes by 81%. Bailey served 17 years on the North Clay school board and 14 of those years the board voted to increase the levy.
“You increase the levies when you serve on school boards when you don’t get the state money needed and you’re forced with either cutting programs or raising these levies,” said Bailey. “You have to have community buy-in when you do it. Many places don’t, but when you go to the North Clay School District we can find proof of the community buy-in that we had. They’re making it sound like we actually raised taxes by 81%, you could serve a lifetime on the school board and still not accomplish that.”
According to the Chicago Tribune, a letter sent to the State Board of Elections on Sunday by Irvin’s campaign attorney, John Fogarty, acknowledged the violation and blamed it on the printer who sent the mailing. Fogarty’s letter said the placement of the postal permit used on the piece covered up the required disclosure.
Bailey said these two arguments were used against him when he ran for state representative in 2018.
“It’s because the exact same people were behind it, they were working with Rauner and are working with Irvin right now,” said Bailey. “That’s what they do…they try to come in with massive money, take the election and basically accomplish what we saw Rauner accomplish just total devastation to a state.”
Bailey, in the 2018 race, won by 60-40.
Bailey said people knew who they were and they saw through the lies that the incumbent was using.
“At the end of the day the state of Illinois, the people across Illinois, are going to understand and read into this stuff is absolute nonsense,” said Bailey. “If you are foolish enough to propagate this you certainly don’t deserve the position of anything in the state of Illinois.”
Bailey said he thinks his opponents are scared to death of leadership of some sort.
“To be in the driver’s seat to be able to steer Illinois in a positive direction, because it’s going to take a lot of work,” said Bailey.
Bailey met with Trump a week before Christmas and asked him for his endorsement. Will Bailey get the Trump endorsement?
“I do know that he is considering that,” said Bailey. “He knows Illinois is a tough state and he definitely likes to win. He actually has business dealings with Pritzker going back to the late 80’s and early 90’s. We are working through a process to see. I think it would certainly help because I think people across this land are realizing a lot of mess we have now and what we did have. That all is a possibility. I’ll certainly take it when it comes.”
