WAUKEGAN - Keith Gray, Waukegan businessman and Republican candidate for State Senate in Illinois’ 30^th District, today condemned the actions of his opponent, Senator Terry Link, following the indictments of two of Link’s petition circulators and called for the Senator to remove himself from the ballot.

Jerry D. Knight and Kenneth Davison, petition circulators for Link’s campaign committee, were responsible for collecting 2,700 out of more than 3,200 signatures on Link’s nominating petitions. Today the grand jury announced the indictments of both circulators on multiple counts of forgery and perjury.

“I’m outraged that these kinds of activities have become something we expect in Illinois politics,” Gray said. “This would not even be an issue if the 12-year incumbent Senator took a few hours to walk door-to-door, stand at a train station or go to a grocery store. He’s out of touch with voters, out of touch with reality and wholly responsible for this situation.”

In December 2007 during the primary election campaign, former North Chicago Mayor Jerry Johnson, Link’s Democratic opponent, challenged the validity of Link’s petitions after discovering a host of irregularities including signatures of deceased individuals.

The Illinois State Board of Elections held court hearings in December 2007 and allowed Link to remain on the ballot due to a technicality prohibiting ISBE from considering the fraud allegations, which included a confession from one of the circulators. The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Illinois Appellate Prosecutor’s Office has since been investigating the allegations.

“Though the State Board of Elections followed procedures, this is a textbook example that the system is failing the citizens when people like Terry Link aren’t being held responsible for their staffers’ actions,” Gray said. “Senator Link remained on the ballot because of a loophole in the system which further proves the need for reform in Illinois government.”

“Now that these indictments have been made by the grand jury, it’s time for Senator Link to admit that his nomination is irreparably tainted and illegitimate, and he should remove himself from the ballot,” Gray said.

In a similar recent case Rodney McCulloch, a political consultant who collected nominating petitions for Milton Township Assessor Jim Gumm, was found guilty of election fraud and perjury in DuPage County Court. Gumm withdrew from the race when forgeries on the petitions were made public.

“I’m calling on Senator Link to be accountable for the actions of his campaign and his petition circulators by removing himself from the ballot,” Gray said. “It shows irresponsibility on his behalf to allow members of his team to engage in ethically questionable, if not downright illegal, activities. The indictments announced today prove we need a change in leadership in this district and this state, and we need it now.”

In July 2008 Gray announced an ethics reform plan governing campaign disclosures as a roadmap for ethically conducting business with the State.  In his plan, Gray would introduce legislation including the following proposals:

• candidates for public office sign all documentation filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections in order to be accountable for business conducted by the candidate’s campaign;
• campaign organizations file quarterly finance reports with the Illinois State Board of Elections, requiring all transaction amounts to be fully disclosed (currently only semi-annual finance reports are required and transactions under $150 are not itemized); and
• increase civil penalties for those who violate campaign ethics laws.

Gray also supports ethics legislation currently held up in by the General Assembly and the Governor’s Office, including House Bill 0824, which would ban state contractors from giving campaign contributions to the statewide officeholder responsible for awarding the contract.

“As we learn more over the coming months, I am hopeful voters will join me in raising the standard for elected officials and candidates and prevent any more Chicago-style politics from permeating Lake County - that is why I am running,” Gray said.

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