Andy Martin Fights to Open Illinois Republican Party

ANDY MARTIN,J.D.
Professor of Law (Adj.)
“He Works for the People of Illinois”
Suite 4406, 30 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4723
Toll-free tel. (866) 706-ANDY
Toll-free fax (866) 707-ANDY
Web site: http://www.AndyMartin.com
E-mail: AndyMart20@aol.com

May 13, 2008

Chairman Lee Roupas
134 N. LaSalle St., Suite 2460
Chicago, IL 60602
via fax (708) 349-1627, and
hand deliver

Eloise Gerson
208 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 1721
Chicago, IL 60604
hand deliver

Brian Sheahan, Esq.
Illinois Republican Party
205 W. Randolph, Suite 1245
Chicago, IL 60606
via fax (312) 782-0943 and 201-0181

Re: 2008 Illinois Republican State Convention

Dear Chairman Roupas,
Committeeman Gerson, and
Attorney Sheahan,

I am writing to express my concern at the way participation in the Illinois Republican 2008 State Convention is being manipulated and discouraged, and to note that if we are unable to resolve our issues I will be compelled to file a lawsuit later this week.

Two months ago, I wrote to Chairman Roupas about being a delegate to the 2008 convention. I did not receive a response. My second e-mail elicited a response from Lee that the matter was being handled at the ward/township level. There is no such requirement or limitation in the statute. Moreover, we have wards with apparently no committeeman, which would mean those wards were completely disenfranchised from participation in our party. State law cannot mandate such an absurd result. Today, hundreds of thousands of Chicagoans are being disenfranchised by the party’s leadership. This cannot stand.

Although we usually act like it, the Republican Party is not a private country club for the few and privileged. I have not received any notification of how and when the 42nd Ward is attempting to fill its delegate openings despite the fact that I have contributed to the ward. Moreover, anyone who lives in Cook County should be able to be a delegate from anywhere in Cook County. The artificial requirement that someone can only be appointed from their own township or ward is a concocted restriction which finds no support in state law.

Unlike much of Andy McKenna’s shenanigans, where he makes up the rules as he goes along to corrupt the party for the benefit of the "combine," the state convention is mandated by state law. Therefore, participation in the state convention is fully protected by federal civil rights laws. Denial of delegate access to the convention could prompt legal efforts to invalidate any action taken by a rump meeting.

If necessary, I will file a lawsuit later this week and hold the responsible individuals personally liable for discriminatory and exclusionary behavior in violation of and in excess of state and federal laws. However, before I take any action I would like to afford you a final opportunity to comply with state and federal law. Litigation should be a last resort, not a first.

All of these factors become even more critical now that I have decided to become a candidate for national committeeman, and begun to campaign to reform our party and to end the corrupt relationships between Republican leaders and the Democratic party, all of which were glaringly exposed during the Rezko trial.

For Andy McKenna to be writing nonsense letters to the Chicago Tribune—where his father sat on the board of directors and where they are presumably mildly favorable to him because of that fact—when Republicans were knee deep in Rezko’s mud, shows that McKenna is out of touch with reality. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/chi-0513ledelettermay13,0,1135129.story

If you remain silent, you also remain out of touch with reality.

The Republican Party is composed of activists and voters, millions of them. It is disgraceful that we allow our party to be tarnished by the evidence of bipartisan corruption documented in the Rezko trial. The Rezko—Republican link reflects a disgraceful abdication of ethics. A desire to clean up this mess motivates me to seek the national post.

I therefore request the following by the close of business on May 14th:

1. So that I may campaign for national committeeman, both a hard copy and electronic copy of the delegate list for the 2008 state convention; I can call to pick up this material where it is available.

2. That you open the Cook County delegation to any resident of Cook County to serve from any township or ward at the state convention. That’s what I believe both state and federal law mandates, particularly when the party is weak or nonexistent in many wards and the result of the current “policy” is to disenfranchise wide areas of the city and to leave delegate rolls vacant. I ask to be appointed a delegate.

Please feel free to call if you have any questions.

With best wishes,

ANDY

AM:sp