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* Mark Maxwell…
With nine weeks to go before the 2022 midterms, local election officials across Illinois are fielding a new wave of baseless grievances and impossible demands from ‘election integrity’ activists who insist the 2020 presidential election was stolen.
In recent weeks, a variety of form letters and emails, most of them including the same language, started arriving in county clerks’ inboxes. The letters often came as open records requests filed under the state’s Freedom of Information Act law, but they included incoherent demands or inaccurate lists of data the clerks don’t collect in their election counting processes. […]
Michelle Turney, a former Chicago police officer who failed to collect enough signatures to appear on the 2022 primary ballot, sent an email to the Iroquois County Clerk’s office under the subject line “Class Action Lawsuit.”
“I am contemplating filing suit against your organization based on credible information I have received regarding your organization’s possible involvement in criminal and/or civil actions pertaining to election integrity issues,” Turney wrote.
Later, in the same email, she told the local election authorities who work in a county two hours south of her hometown that she was their employer and threatened them with criminal consequences.
“I AM CONSIDERING SUING YOU FOR YOUR AND/OR YOUR ORGANIZATION’S INVOLVMENT IN THE FRAUDELENT (sic) ELECTIONS THAT WILL SOON BE PROVEN TO HAVE TAKEN PLACE SINCE 2017,” Turney wrote in all capital letters. “Any attempts by you or your organization to destroy the election records and accompanying relevant documentation that I, as your benefactor and employer, have demanded you retain will be met with the harshest possible criminal and civil repercussions available under the law.”
Isabel has filed a Freedom of Information Act request for all the FOIAs filed with the Madison County clerk, which appears to be a top target of election results deniers. We’ll let you know what we see.
Also, Iroquois is about the most Republican county in the state.
* More on Ms. Turney from earlier this year…
A slate of far-right conspiracy theorists have filed to run in June’s Republican primary for nominations for Illinois public offices ranging from governor to a seat in Congress, aiming to amplify baseless claims of rampant voter fraud and to “take back” the government.
Their website features a slogan and symbol linked to QAnon supporters, although one of the candidates sought to downplay the connection. […]
Secretary of state candidate Michelle Turney — a former police sergeant from the Beverly neighborhood — said in an email that her first priority would be to “decertify the 2020 Election on day one of my term.”
Turney, who has more than a thousand YouTube followers, also wrote that all “voting machines will be disassembled, sold, donated, or destroyed.” She’s no longer on the city payroll.
Her failed slate’s website is still active and might conceivably be the source for at least some of the FOIA filings. Click here.
* Related…
* Madison County Clerk comments on “frivolous” FOIA requests
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Sep 7, 22 @ 2:50 pm
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The internet is a great resource for any number of things. But considering the megaphone it provides to kooks and nut jobs, overall I think it’s a net negative for humanity
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Wednesday, Sep 7, 22 @ 2:54 pm
It is becoming increasingly difficult to treat this people as equal citizens when they push this nonsense. This is at a minimum, harassment. At worst, it’s a continuing insurrection. Either way, it’s almost time to start arresting these nuts for the crimes they are committing.
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Sep 7, 22 @ 2:55 pm
– filed a Freedom of Information Act request for all the FOIAs filed–
Yay.
Having made these requests locally in the past, I already know this is going to have some amazing content.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Wednesday, Sep 7, 22 @ 3:02 pm
“This office has no information responsive to your request” is about to get paid overtime for this election. The courts and AG’s PAC office should stock up on Tylenol; it’s gonna be a real headache.
Comment by thisjustinagain Wednesday, Sep 7, 22 @ 3:06 pm
===it’s a continuing insurrection===
I think this is a correct conclusion when combined with Trump’s recent public demand to be installed as President, the terrorist attack on the FBI in Cincinnati, etc. It’s a very incompetent and silly-looking insurrection, but it is happening.
Comment by vern Wednesday, Sep 7, 22 @ 3:09 pm
They should pass a new law that any FOIA with ALL CAPS is immediately invalid which should decrease the level of crazy.
Comment by ArchPundit Wednesday, Sep 7, 22 @ 3:13 pm
But Michelle “ALL CAPS” Turney was measured and thoughtful when she was a representative of Illinois’s law enforcement community, rite?
– MrJM
Comment by MisterJayEm Wednesday, Sep 7, 22 @ 3:21 pm
I followed the link to their site; it has a section on surety bonds. I wonder if their next step is to assert that various elected officials are not carrying out their duties and then file claims against their surety bonds. Could end up with a lot of these folks in way over their heads.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Sep 7, 22 @ 3:46 pm
I think they must be targeting blue counties downstate because I hear there have been similar letters in Rock Island County.
Comment by There we go Wednesday, Sep 7, 22 @ 3:48 pm
=Turney, who has more than a thousand YouTube followers=
If Turney were to ask each of her followers for a dollar, I wonder how many dollars Turney would receive in the mail from these followers.
Followers does not mean devotees. Follwers at best refer to what sociologist Mark Grannovetter referred to as “weak ties.” At worse, they represent even less. I follow some pages on Facebook, because I want to see how crazy, crazy can be. I would guess the same goes for some proportion of the followers of any would-be social influencer / politician. When push comes to shove, I bet a lot of followers are not really supporters. By way of example, I bet a lot of our Facebook friends are not really friends at all. And I bet that fewer followers are friends.
Comment by H-W Wednesday, Sep 7, 22 @ 3:48 pm
Unfortunately, as crazy as these requests may be, they all cost taxpayers, as staff members must appropriately review and respond to such FOIA requests. It is especially unfair that the request comes from a non-residents of the political subdivisions to whom the request and cost of work is inflicted. Just as unjustified/unsuccessful “re-count” efforts have cost state/local governments millions of dollars(& enriched connected contractors doing recount work) this is truly wasting/time effort and taxpayers ends up paying for it. Every GOP elected official should publicly condemn this waste of public resources
Comment by LomgtimeGOPnevertrumper Wednesday, Sep 7, 22 @ 4:01 pm
“She’s no longer on the city payroll.”
Love that.
Comment by Paddyrollingstone Wednesday, Sep 7, 22 @ 4:23 pm
“Every GOP elected official should publicly condemn this waste of public resources”
Thanks for the afternoon chuckle.
Comment by Huh? Wednesday, Sep 7, 22 @ 4:23 pm
“overall I think it’s a net negative for humanity”
If there is a future beyond apocalypse, they will say, “It was Facebook”.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Sep 7, 22 @ 6:06 pm
=It is becoming increasingly difficult to treat this people as equal citizens when they push this nonsense. This is at a minimum, harassment. At worst, it’s a continuing insurrection.=
=Unfortunately, as crazy as these requests may be, they all cost taxpayers, as staff members must appropriately review and respond to such FOIA requests. =
=I followed the link to their site; it has a section on surety bonds. I wonder if their next step is to assert that various elected officials are not carrying out their duties and then file claims against their surety bonds.=
Yes, yes, and yes. Unfortunately for the election officials they are just a bit late to this insanity. Schools (other too) have been getting this insane form letters for things relating to COVID, fake CRT, and sex ed among others. The letters are always the same. We work for them. They want copies of bonds not required in Illinois. These groups have either threatened or actually filed suit seeking payment from the bonds .We received many of these FOIA’s. They are time wasting and abusive.
Try a construction project and inevitable some CAVE person (Citizens Against Virtually Everything) will punish you with seemingly endless FOIA’s.
FOIA is grossly abused and you get little to no support from the AG or state. Maybe this will cause them to revise this easily and regularly abused statute.
Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Sep 7, 22 @ 6:09 pm
Oops…anonymous @6:06 was me.
Comment by Dotnonymous Wednesday, Sep 7, 22 @ 6:15 pm
=== “Every GOP elected official should publicly condemn this waste of public resources” ===
I’m laughing with Huh?.
MAGA GOP officials have made misusing taxpayer money for political reasons an art form. I’d say let me count the ways, but that would be exhausting.
Comment by Norseman Wednesday, Sep 7, 22 @ 6:30 pm
Glad to see Mark Maxwell still covers Illinois politics.
Comment by Anyone Remember Wednesday, Sep 7, 22 @ 6:46 pm
This mentally ill person had a full career in law enforcement. Think about that
Comment by Commissar Gritty Wednesday, Sep 7, 22 @ 7:22 pm
Go Isabel (banned puncuation)
I think I see how this model scales all the way to (or from) a Gubernatorial race, in exchange for an endorsement or another shiny object. That’s all I’m gonna say. It’s probably done all the time. /s
Go Isabel.
Comment by XonXoff Wednesday, Sep 7, 22 @ 9:13 pm
=== =Also, Iroquois is about the most Republican county in the state.=====
The Buckle of the Corn Belt.
But not sure if they went with Alan Keyes.
Comment by Been There Wednesday, Sep 7, 22 @ 10:15 pm
==This mentally ill person had a full career in law enforcement. Think about that==
And was promoted to Sergeant.
Comment by Big Dipper Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 8:41 am
// And was promoted to Sergeant. //
See: The Peter Principal
Comment by XonXoff Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 8:47 am
One must wonder whether reaching point that sane Republicans need to break away and create a new party as was done in response to the ineffectual state of the Whig Party in 1856.
Comment by Midwesterner Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 9:41 am
BeenThere Iroquois county did indeed go for Alan Keyes
Comment by iroquoiscountydem Thursday, Sep 8, 22 @ 11:34 am