I haven't seen the paperwork for Don Gordon's lawsuit--I'm requesting a copy--but the Chicago "free registration required" Tribune has, and here is an excerpt of what they reported today:
The unsuccessful challenger in last Tuesday's 49th Ward aldermanic runoff has sued to have the election results reversed, arguing the votes in 22 precincts should be excluded.
Don Gordon filed a lawsuit Monday in Cook County Circuit Court asking that he be declared the winner and incumbent Ald. Joe Moore the loser in the April 17 contest. Gordon's complaint contends that because "the fraudulent votes cannot be separated from the honest votes" in 22 precincts, none of the votes from those precincts should be counted.
The suit names Moore as a defendant, along with Chicago and Illinois election commissioners.
Moore won the election by 247 votes, but Gordon's lawsuit claims there were "mistakes, fraud, and irregularities that occurred in the conduct, counting, and return of the votes." Gordon claims once the invalid votes are excluded, he would win by 546 votes.
Wow. Off of the top of my head, I'm can't think of any election reversals in Chicago.
Now Moore's supporters will quickly jump on someone like myself expressing support for Gordon's suit as a bit of phoniness. Or maybe a lot of it. What about Florida 2000, "Sore Loserman" and all of that? I'm a Republican, yes, but Gordon isn't.
But the right of free elections is one of the most sacred American freedoms. Gordon's charges should be listened to, if only to reiterate the importance of a fair electoral system.
In the press release that announced the suit, Gordon alleges some traditional Chicago election illegalities, such as giving unwanted "assistance" to elderly voters in nursing homes, duplicate voting, and voters being registered in vacant lots and abandoned buildings.
Such chicanery used to be fairly common in Chicago, but things have gotten better in the last twenty-five years, probably because of shall I say, "federal interest" in various Chicago aldermen who've ended up in that place where each meal is prepared for them at the same time each day. The feds cleaned up Chicago's City Council somewhat, but I don't believe any recently convicted alderman--that is, over the last quarter century--ended up in the hoosegow for vote fraud. Accepting bribes, usually on zoning matters, was their ticket out of town, sans pension of course.
My web searches and a visit to Moore's campaign site haven't come across any comments from either Moore or his staff. That may have something to do with today's resignation of Kevin Cosgrove, Moore's chief of staff.
Odd timing.
Oh, I'm sure a statement will come out Wednesday that because Moore is fighting for "the little guy" he's a target, and that the lawsuit is frivolous.
Other than grandstanding on Wal-Mart and foie gras--hardly burning issues in the 49th Ward--I'm not sure what it is Moore does for the "little guy."
Graphic courtesy of Rogers Park Bench.
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