The Capitol Fax Blog » Oberweis challenges Topinka

Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006

After staying relatively quiet for the past week or so, Jim Oberweis emerged yesterday to demand answers from the gubernatorial frontrunner.

Republican governor candidate Jim Oberweis called on foe Judy Baar Topinka to release a 2003 inspector general probe into whether political work was being done on state time at her treasurerâ€™s office.

â€œHer internal investigation is over. Letâ€™s see what it found,â€ said Obeweis at a Monday news conference in Chicago.

The probe began about three years ago after U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgeraldâ€™s office subpoenaed documents following an ex-employeeâ€™s complaint that treasurerâ€™s employees did campaign work on state time.

Topinkaâ€™s deputy treasurer, Martin Noven, dismissed Oberweisâ€™ request as â€œdisingenuous at best.â€

â€œLegally, weâ€™re not allowed to release that information,â€ said Noven, citing a state law that bars inspector general reports from being released unless misconduct is found.

Noven said there was no misconduct. If such a finding had been made, it would have been forwarded to the stateâ€™s office of executive inspector general. That office would have had to release a summary of the misconduct and any punishment.

While Topinka’s office makes a valid point, anything that keeps that old investigation in the public’s eye can’t be great for JBT. Your thoughts?

- posted by Rich Miller

37 Comments

- Beowulf - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 8:09 am:
I am no Judy fan but, in fairness to her, an investigation of someone is definitely not the same thing as an indictment that someone has done something wrong or illegal.
On the other hand, an investigation by any state entity is generally a joke. Let us know that the investigation is being conducted by a federal entity (FBI, US Dept. of Justice) and then you will have some credibility to the investigation.
George Ryan was also investigated by state investigative agencies and we all see where that went (Remember, Dean Bauer?.

I think if you went anywhere in Illinois and said that the Illinois Inspector General was investigating someone, the people in the room would fall out of their chairs laughing. It would be like Inspector Clouseau from the Pink Panther “going after someone”.

- Anonie - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 8:34 am:
Why is Oberweis calling on Judy to BREAK STATE LAW? Doesn’t the “reformer” know anything about the law regarding investigations and misconduct? Hasn’t he picked up on anything from his often mentioned hero, Patrick Fitzgerald? Jim, your lack of experience has provided yet another embarrassment. See you at the condolence speech, again.

- B Hicks - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 8:47 am:
Are you getting nervous, Anonie?

- ISU REP - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 9:19 am:
The I.G. in JBT’s office is no pushover, so i’m sure nothing was found. Obie is just trying to make a big deal out of nothing to help himself out…imagine that a wannabe poltician politiking…

- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 9:33 am:
This is pretty pathetic on Oberweis’ part. First, he demands she do something against the law. Then, he expects us all to forget that his biggest contributor (other than himself) is a violator of state election law and owes the state some $50k. One could argue Oberweis is using those $50k in money owed to the taxpayers of Illinois to fund his own campaign.

Oberweis and ethics? PUHLEEEEEEZE!

Rich, how many of the press corps actually showed up at that press conference?

- the Patriot - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 9:58 am:
FLASHBACK, hmmmm, have we ever seen a state wide front runner have sealed documents requested by an opponent. Judy, you should have backed Jack, now your gettting what you deserve, You have to open the file now or it will be opened after the primary. This is exactly why we have to get rid of Judy, All of her garbage will be brought out by the Gov before Nov so lets get it out now and get someone who is not going to be hammered out of the election just like Jack.

OBE needs to go after Judy, It ain’t mud slinging if it is the truth. We will know the truth about Judy if not before March 21, at least before Nov, it is time the Truth set Judy free into retirement.

- ISU REP - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 10:10 am:
LOL an Oberweis backer endorsing breaking the law I love it!! Apparently that whole issue of what’s legal has no bearing because Oberweis has issued an edict from Milk Mountain, perhaps he should learn about that law thing first, kinda helps if you want to be Guv. But then again who are we kidding, he has no shot anyway!

- Bubs - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 10:34 am:
Pure smear. As was the original.

- DOWNSTATE - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 10:37 am:
Gimme a break the only people that would run after this is someone losing big time to her or just a loser.I think the man is both.This does not have legs nor will it grow any.I do believe Judy needs to start talking issues.

- Bubs - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 10:38 am:
Rich, if you are raising this topic, how can you drop posts that use certain names?

Getting threatening phone calls perhaps?

- GOP worker - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 11:39 am:
Don’t you people pay attention? This is Illinois it is one of the most corrupt systems in the country. Not allowed to release? Everything was perfect? come on any internal investigation find something that can be fixed or improved. In this everthing was perfect? How about who are the people working for JBT campaign? look at the d2s for a statewide campaign? Is she paying the people who work for the party and the counties that are putting out her signs? Oh yea they are doing it on their free time. Has anyone seen a JBT volunteer? They all have jobs with the state or party.

- Elder - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 12:19 pm:
Oberweis…? the gentleman who was using “illegal” immigrants to clean his stores for $3.23 an hour? Is this the man raising ethics charges

- Bubs - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 12:26 pm:
Oberweis . . . ? The gentleman who’s chief backer, financial and otherwise, is in default on $51,000 in election law fines? Is this the man raising ethics charges?

- B Hicks - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 12:36 pm:
Judy Baar Topinkaâ€¦â€¦? the anointed one that accepted $11,000 from a firm owned by an investor in a clout-heavy luxury hotel that she once offered to bail out from a decades-old, unpaid state loan.

Yes, I think that she does have ethics issues.

- donchicago48 - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 12:43 pm:
Anyone who’s seen JBT’s paid state employees scurry away from TV cameras when they are carting her around on State time knows this story has legs, notwithstanding Jim Oberweis’s clumsy efforts to get at the facts in the IG report.

- Bubs - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 12:57 pm:
donchicago48: Oh, bulldinky. Smear, smear, smear. They have the right to do anything they want off of state time.

Hicks: that a Blago supporter would have the gall to declare “ethics issues” at all, much less on gruel that thin, is ludicrous.

Tell you what, let’s bet on which happens before Labor Day, which is about when (but perhaps a bit early) the Feds will enter a self-imposed pre-election “red zone” and hold the presses until December: (a) the revelation of any current federal investigation whatsoever of Topinka; or (b) the indictment of a top Blagojecivch aide.

Wanna bet, Mr. Ethics?

- donchicago48 - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 1:40 pm:
Nice try Bubs. Just exactly what is it about the term “on State time” that you fail to understand?

While you may deceive yourself, the rest of weren’t born yesterday.

- Bubs - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 1:49 pm:
You know, when a “disgruntled former employee” makes an affidavit, takes to the feds, and the feds invesitgate based on the affidavit, then nothing happens for years, somehow, just somehow, I think I’m going to take that over your unfounded “observations.”

Who are the “rest of us”, by the way? Wait, wait, don’t tell me . . . the legendary “grassroots”? Well, it appears that a helluva lot of those “grassroots” are backing Topinka. Sorry to burst your bubble. They weren’t born yesterday either, and know unfounded smears and outright defamation when they see it.

- B Hicks - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 3:16 pm:
Hey Bubs, call Rodâ€™s people and tell them that heâ€™s wasting his time. The indictments are coming, so just pack up everything and go home.

I canâ€™t believe he would even consider another run with the looming troubles. Man, and I had my hopes up. I wish that he had the inside dope that you and a couple of the other wizards have that post here.

P.S. Tell Nancy, Hi; wink, wink!

Talk to you tomorrow.

- GOP worker - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 3:17 pm:
Hey Bubs did you see the numbers yesterday? 12 points down in the poll and 11 points up in the neg’s. He neg’s are higher than he pos’s. The grassroots seem to be looking elsewhere.

- Rick - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 3:33 pm:
Isn’t it odd that the disgruntled former employee who filed the complaint is working for Mr. Oberweis? Why doesn’t he ask her about the allegations and complaint? I agree that it is at best disingenuous for him to raise this issue when this person works for him.

And to ask for public disclosure of a confidential investigation of personnel matters does either smack of ignorance or trying to bait Judy into breaking the law.

Or smacks of desparation.

- Beowulf - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 4:14 pm:
I am in agreement with the Patriot and his comments. Well put!
As far as a disgrunteled employee or ex-employee attempting to initiate an investigation on Judy just because they have an “an ax to grind” or they have “a hidden agenda”, it doesn’t work that way.
Having been personally involved in an FBI investigation many years ago, they realize the ramifications both politically and from a business standpoint that an “unwarranted investigation” of an individual or firm can cause. They do “not” initiate investigations unless there is a substantial amount of credible information that warrants an investigation. I can not speak for what is required to “trip the trigger” on an investigation by a state entity but I would like to think that it also must be more than someone’s off-hand allegations of wrong-doing.

An easy way for Judy to handle this Oberweis request is to tell Jim Oberweis that he has her permission to divulge any facet of the investigation that he wishes and that Oberweis can tell the executive inspector general that she gives her permission to him to release any information from the investigation that he is allowed to release. That would immediately lay the burden of obtaining the conclusion of the investigative report on the shoulders of Mr. Oberweis. That puts the whole issue to rest for Judy as well as for Oberweis.

- GOP worker - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 4:16 pm:
Rick
Who is working for Oberweis? Is it in the D2’s?

- Rick - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 4:54 pm:
GOP Worker-

I think you know who filed the complaint, and if you don’t, just Google it.

Don’t worry about D-2s; I don’t think the illegal workers cleaning Jim’s store were on his payroll either- subcontractors as I recall.

Hint: Roeser funds them.

- Bubs - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 5:07 pm:
Hicks: If you want to pass that message along, be my guest. Do make sure they have damned good lawyers. P.S. I don’t work for JBT, volunteer or otherwise.

GOP: Polls, polls. Go back and check - I did not crow over the last Rasmussen, mainly because I thought JBT came in high. Now I suspect she is coming in a bit low. She may well be one to three behind, given combination of Gidwitz and the Blago TV Love Train. Interesting, though, that she remains the closest to Blago despite the abuse from unemployed millionaires in her own party. The Vicious Season is far from over, so my advice to JBT would be “drop the gloves.”

Beowulf: There was more than one disgruntled employee, you may recall. It was my understanding that both were only selling smoke, rather than actual fire. Turns out smoke was all there was.

P.S. Your authoritative sounding comments are based on one case, and that “many years ago”? At a minimum, times have changed.

- GOP worker - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 5:26 pm:
Rick
The Illegals were put there by the ICIRR. It was their 2nd attempt with the same two at suing legit businesses. You see there was a follow up but you knew that didn’t you? As far as Roeser in yesterdays Hearld it was reported that Jack Roeser had given under $200,000. That make all the people who work for Jack work for Oberweis? Does that mean all the people who work for the banks that have given Judy hundreds of thousands work for her as well? That is a story

- Never Judy - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 5:28 pm:
Bubs: So why have “unfounded smears” and “outright defamation” resulted in the downward trend in Judy’s support and the upward trend in her negatives? By the way, if there has been “outright defamation”, why hasn’t there been a JBT lawsuit? Probably for the same reason Chirenjeev Kathuria’s defamation suit was withdrawn…. no chance of winning one.

- GOP worker - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 5:36 pm:
Bubs
I hate to tell you this but the election against Blago does not start until after the primary. That’s why I put the entry the way I did. I used her +&-’s and how far she fell. Any Judy supporter knows if the primary voters know what she stands for she loses ground. Thats why she is not going out and speaking even in places she promised to speak at. Her people are keeping her out of site hoping to hold on. That’s why she announced in December as for millioniares she has or had 1.3 million in her war chest. Is she not spending it so she can keep it if she loses? As the old saying goes A million bucks aint bean bag

- Bubs - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 6:12 pm:
GOP: It wasn’t a primary poll. That shoots a big hole in your reasoning.

- B Hicks - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 6:16 pm:
I believe ya, Bubs. I’m sure that everyone else does, too.

Like I’ve said time and time again; I hope she wins the primary. She’ll be toast by June.

However, one of the other dudes is going to harder for Rod to soften-up. He’ll get the job done, but it won’t be as easy.

Come on, please tell her, hi.

- Bubs - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 6:29 pm:
Give it a rest, you are on the wrong trail, Cowboy.

Do you work for Rod?

- Rick - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 6:31 pm:
For the record, Judy is clean on this issue, and the complainer knows it. It is a perfect example of how little some professed conservatives value integrity.

BHicks/GOP/Beowulf, my advice to you is this: keep believing in your conspiracy theories. Keep dreaming about boxes and truckloads of evidence that must be behind the doors of the US Attorney’s office, the copies that Rod must have, and the copies that Jim wants. Remember, Jim said there was a two and a half year investigation. Think of how thick the final report must be, with all the appendixes.

Keep at your keyboard.

In the meantime, I’m out to another Rod & Gun Club meeting. Yes, those conservatives will sure stay home & not support Judy & Joe against Rod. They’d rather have Rod for 4 more years and let their gun rights go to hell just to spite Judy because she doesn’t support conservatives and doesn’t really support Joe.

- Anon - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 9:06 pm:
Cathy Lynn Santos filed the affidativ if I remember correctly. Does she work on the Oberweis camp as stated above?

- B Hicks - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 9:51 pm:
No, I donâ€™t work for Rod, nor am I a volunteer. Just like you, Bubs.

However, Iâ€™m a hard working Union member that plans on getting Rod re-elected.

You claim to have all the inside information, you know that the indictments are coming, you monitor this political blog, you talk about how pretty Judy is, but you donâ€™t work for JBT.

Yeah, youâ€™re just some regular dude that follows politics

- B Hicks - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 10:02 pm:
Hey Rick, my advice to you is, don’t quit your car lot job, yet. I doubt she makes it out of the primary.

- GOP worker - Tuesday, Feb 28, 06 @ 10:27 pm:
Rick

What about the bank workers do they work for JBT as well? You never answered. See how ——/ off the mark your comment was?

- Rick - Wednesday, Mar 1, 06 @ 8:09 am:
GOP, go ask whoever you’re talking about- they’ll tell you who they’re working for for guv.

One not need draw a paycheck to expend labor on behalf of the Oberweis campaign. As I stated, the complainer is actively working for- running websites, talking up, etc.- Oberweis.

As I also mentioned earlier, keep believing your conspiracy theories. Put all of your eggs in the basket hoping that JBT gets indicted. It ain’t gonna happen-she’s clean. Your candidate will wind up exactly where Oberweis did 2 and 4 years ago.

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