Recent reporting reveals gubernatorial candidate Richard Irvin inappropriately wielded his position as Aurora mayor to determine who does and does not make it onto the ballot. The report found that Irvin and his political donors conspired to abolish the Aurora Election Commission.
The Commission’s functions included “registering voters, ruling on challenges to candidates’ nominating petitions and administering elections,” but after it was abolished Irvin used his post as Mayor to help his friend stay on the ballot. While Irvin spends Ken Griffin’s millions grandstanding as a candidate for “honest and good government,” his record speaks for itself and tells an entirely different story.
WTTW continued its dive into Irvin’s world of unsavory dealings, further uncovering the “complicated web of campaign cash and lucrative city deals tied to Irvin.” What is clear is Irvin’s dangerous pattern of dishing out millions in pay-to-play city contracts to donors and cronies for his own personal gain, the benefit of his moneyman, and his ex-wife, even to the detriment of free and fair elections.
Irvin’s unethical actions confirm he would choose to bypass the will of voters for a blank check. This latest chapter of Reboot Richard’s corruption saga poses a threat to voting rights, and Irvin must come clean on his plans to take us back to Bruce Rauner’s Illinois where the will of special interests like Ken Griffin trump working families.
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