State GOP shows Bob Kjellander to the door
Jeff Berkowitz:... “If someone like Karl Rove gave Kjellander a call and said ‘I think it is time for you to go,’ do you think Kjellander would give up his position as National Committeeman from Illinois"
Sen. Dave Syverson:... At this point, we did what we had to do. He is doing what he has to do. I think it sends a message that as a Party we are going to have a zero tolerance level, which is what we have to do. So, we go on from there. Whether he stays there for the next year and a half or whether he goes, that really won’t make a change in what we are trying to do in the Party.
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The Republican State Central Committee, under the leadership of State GOP chairman Andy McKenna, Jr. got around to dealing with the “Kjellander affair,” at its quarterly meeting today in Bolingbrook, IL. The meeting lasted for about two hours in its public session and for about an hour in executive session. The Kjellander matter was dealt with in executive session and consumed only a small portion of that session.
Reliable sources indicated that it was State Central Committee member Mary Alice Erickson who stepped up and made the motion to try to push her colleague Bob Kjellander out of the national committeeman’s role he plays for Republicans in Illinois.
After the Executive Session, Chairman McKenna indicated that the Central Committee approved the motion encouraging Bob Kjellander to resign as an Illinois member of the Republican National Committee, due primarily to a "loss of confidence of leadership," as reported here.
Reliable sources also indicated that the weighted vote, while not unanimous, was “pretty overwhelming, over 70%” to encourage septuagenarian Kjellander to find something else to do, other than representing Illinois on the RNC during his golden years.
In response to the vote, Kjellander said, “I am not resigning because I have done absolutely nothing wrong.” [See here]. However, Kjellander did not join the rest of the State Central Committee when Chairman McKenna announced, publicly, the Committee’s vote to encourage Kjellander’s resignation.
Moreover, notwithstanding Kjellander’s denials of wrongful conduct, some of the problems caused by Mr. Kjellander are raised by John Kass, who forever is discussing the Daley-Ryan Combine, or a variant of same:
While backing Topinka, he [Kjellander] received $4.5 million in questionable "finders fees" in state pension deals through Blagojevich's administration. The pension funds are at the center of a federal grand jury investigation. involving Democrats and Republicans. [See here].
State Senator Dave Syverson [R-Rockford] sits on the State Central Committee’s Executive Committee with State Central Committee member Mary Alice Erickson and with Chairman McKenna. This reporter asked Sen. Syverson in a phone interview after today’s State Central Committee meeting, “If someone like Karl Rove gave Kjellander a call and said ‘I think it is time for you to go,’ do you think Kjellander would give up his position as National Committeeman from Illinois.”
Syverson responded:
I don’t know. That’s a good question. I am not sure what contacts from Washington there have been on this. I know some in the Illinois congressional delegation have had discussions. I don’t know if they have been with Bob or with people in Washington, but the concerns of some in the congressional delegation have been raised, as well. At this point, we did what we had to do. He is doing what he has to do. I think it sends a message that as a Party we are going to have a zero tolerance level, which is what we have to do. So, we go on from there. Whether he stays there for the next year and a half or whether he goes, that really won’t make a change in what we are trying to do in the Party.
If you have any suggested questions for Sen. Syverson, please send them promptly to this reporter, as we will be videotaping the good Senator for “Public Affairs,” tomorrow.
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Jeff Berkowitz, Host and Producer of Public Affairs and an Executive Recruiter doing Legal Search, can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
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Sen. Dave Syverson:... At this point, we did what we had to do. He is doing what he has to do. I think it sends a message that as a Party we are going to have a zero tolerance level, which is what we have to do. So, we go on from there. Whether he stays there for the next year and a half or whether he goes, that really won’t make a change in what we are trying to do in the Party.
******************************************************************
The Republican State Central Committee, under the leadership of State GOP chairman Andy McKenna, Jr. got around to dealing with the “Kjellander affair,” at its quarterly meeting today in Bolingbrook, IL. The meeting lasted for about two hours in its public session and for about an hour in executive session. The Kjellander matter was dealt with in executive session and consumed only a small portion of that session.
Reliable sources indicated that it was State Central Committee member Mary Alice Erickson who stepped up and made the motion to try to push her colleague Bob Kjellander out of the national committeeman’s role he plays for Republicans in Illinois.
After the Executive Session, Chairman McKenna indicated that the Central Committee approved the motion encouraging Bob Kjellander to resign as an Illinois member of the Republican National Committee, due primarily to a "loss of confidence of leadership," as reported here.
Reliable sources also indicated that the weighted vote, while not unanimous, was “pretty overwhelming, over 70%” to encourage septuagenarian Kjellander to find something else to do, other than representing Illinois on the RNC during his golden years.
In response to the vote, Kjellander said, “I am not resigning because I have done absolutely nothing wrong.” [See here]. However, Kjellander did not join the rest of the State Central Committee when Chairman McKenna announced, publicly, the Committee’s vote to encourage Kjellander’s resignation.
Moreover, notwithstanding Kjellander’s denials of wrongful conduct, some of the problems caused by Mr. Kjellander are raised by John Kass, who forever is discussing the Daley-Ryan Combine, or a variant of same:
While backing Topinka, he [Kjellander] received $4.5 million in questionable "finders fees" in state pension deals through Blagojevich's administration. The pension funds are at the center of a federal grand jury investigation. involving Democrats and Republicans. [See here].
State Senator Dave Syverson [R-Rockford] sits on the State Central Committee’s Executive Committee with State Central Committee member Mary Alice Erickson and with Chairman McKenna. This reporter asked Sen. Syverson in a phone interview after today’s State Central Committee meeting, “If someone like Karl Rove gave Kjellander a call and said ‘I think it is time for you to go,’ do you think Kjellander would give up his position as National Committeeman from Illinois.”
Syverson responded:
I don’t know. That’s a good question. I am not sure what contacts from Washington there have been on this. I know some in the Illinois congressional delegation have had discussions. I don’t know if they have been with Bob or with people in Washington, but the concerns of some in the congressional delegation have been raised, as well. At this point, we did what we had to do. He is doing what he has to do. I think it sends a message that as a Party we are going to have a zero tolerance level, which is what we have to do. So, we go on from there. Whether he stays there for the next year and a half or whether he goes, that really won’t make a change in what we are trying to do in the Party.
If you have any suggested questions for Sen. Syverson, please send them promptly to this reporter, as we will be videotaping the good Senator for “Public Affairs,” tomorrow.
********************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Host and Producer of Public Affairs and an Executive Recruiter doing Legal Search, can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
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