Cook County GOP Scandal: Bill Brady Takes Heat From Women Democrats Over 'Cover-Up'

Female Democratic leaders turned up the heat on Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady at a press conference on Friday, pressuring him over a growing scandal in the Cook County Republican Party.

State Senator Iris Martinez, State Representative Karen Yarbrough and Chicago Alderman Leslie Hairston gathered downtown to address the media at noon. They discussed a scandal that has led to the resignation of the Executive Director of the Cook County GOP amid allegations of sexual misconduct, and accused party chairman Lee Roupas of a cover-up.

"Illinois women are demanding the truth from GOP standard-bearer Senator Bill Brady," the Cook County Democratic Party wrote in a press release. "Women and all voters should be concerned that a cover up of this magnitude was perpetuated by Illinois Republicans."

The Huffington Post reported on the allegation and ensuing cover-up earlier this week. According to interviews and internal party documents obtained by this site, Cook County Republican Party (CCRP) executive director Jeremy Rose was accused of misconduct by a woman in the Chicago Young Republicans a year ago. CCRP Chairman Lee Roupas apparently turned a blind eye to the allegations when he hired and subsequently promoted Rose; in June, when a whistleblower sought to shed light on the complaint against Rose, Roupas allegedly organized a campaign to undermine and replace her in the party establishment.

At the press conference, Rep. Yarbrough insisted that gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady push for the firing of all parties involved, including Chairman Roupas, and that Brady's own role in the cover-up be investigated. And in a scathing talk, Sen. Martinez described Brady as against women, demanded accountability and took a passing swipe at Brady's new Wikipedia page--which has been scrubbed of some unpopular policy positions and replaced with "a series of canned talking points."

The story is especially potent in the governor's race, where Brady holds a lead over incumbent Democrat Pat Quinn. Democrats have been advertising aggressively in recent weeks to portray Brady as anti-women, citing his votes against mammogram coverage, against paid family leave and against abortion even in case of rape or incest.

Those points, paired with an alleged cover-up of sexual misconduct within his party and an attempted takedown of the woman who tried to draw attention to the story, does not play well for Brady.

Sources in the Chicago Republican organization tell HuffPost Chicago that Lee Roupas is not planning to resign in this matter, as Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady is reportedly standing behind him, hoping to hold ranks until the November elections.

Chairman Brady is not related to candidate Brady by blood. But they are related by politics, and if the chairman fails to make this go away, the candidate could pay the price.

Sen. Martinez drove that point home Friday, saying the scandal proves that Bill Brady and the Republicans place politics before women's rights.

Comments

[Aldyth]

08:57 AM on 08/02/2010

While Brady may hold attitudes towards women that would have been shared by his great-great grandfather, I haven't seen anything on reputable blogs that links him to this particular controversy. I'll withhold judgment until I see that.

[Chicagowill]

07:12 PM on 08/01/2010

It's not just the women. I saw Quinn's brother at a campaign appearance today, and he made the same points about Brady being anti-women. I expect that between this allegation and the tar that is sticking to both the senatorial candidates, Illinois will be in for a very sticky fall.

[mom52]

05:55 PM on 08/01/2010

What did Mark Kirk know and when did he know it? According to the Hillbuzz folks apparently Kirk knew all about the allegations against Rose & did nothing. Remember Mark Kirk was very concerned about online predators. He worked with Mark Foley to write legislation to protect kids from on line predators--of course he did nothing to protect those Congressional pages from Mark Foley. It appears there was a sexual predator in the GOP organization and Mark Kirk didn't bother protecting the Young GOP women from that predator-- guess he couldn't take the personal risk. What a guy.

[menlopian]

03:26 PM on 08/01/2010

jeremy...who? linked to... someone who is maybe linked to the gop governor candidate. major grasping for straws... all i know is quinn thinks we should increase taxes in a state that wastes more money than its elected officials can count... all i know is this place is filled with institutionally and habitually corrupt liberal politicians...

[LouisGA]

10:23 AM on 08/01/2010

Wait till they find out that Bill Brady has a ten year long affair with Larry Craig and Mark Foley.

[crookedcountyillinois]

12:54 AM on 08/01/2010

This story goes even deeper:

http://www.watchdogjenkins.org/2010/07/cook-county-gop-chairman-controversy.html

Jeremy Rose and Lee Roupas were the "go to" people for an 18th District Representative candidate (hopeful) who was overlooked for slating...

[themodernleader]

09:59 PM on 07/31/2010

One Chicago policewoman told me she wouldn't live in Chicago if Mayor Dailey didn't require police officers to have their residences there. The fate of this nation is in its cities.

[jazzboy]

08:47 PM on 07/31/2010

As a Democrat and liberal I DO want my party to play the cheap modern politics of guilt by association if it defeats right wing extremists. All is fair in Rove and politics.

[Mrguitar]

09:58 PM on 08/01/2010

How is Brady a right wing extremist? This is IL (a very blue state). No governor will be a right wing extremist, Or is that term just your text book mudslinging?

[RexxySexxy]

10:19 PM on 08/01/2010

Illinois is not a "very" Blue State. The Repubs owned the Governor's office, and all of its social services and regulatory agencies, for 26 years, from 1977 to 2003. Nearly every county south of I-80 is overwhelmingly Republican. And, in the densely populated counties north of I-80, the ideological line between Democrats and Republicans has always been blurry: The head of the state Democratic Party is pro-life, while the Republicans' last gubenatorial candidate was pro-choice. Illinois is NOT too "blue" to elect an Evolutionist, retrograde Babbitt like Brady. I grew up in a farm town in Brady's district. He and his Rotarian brothers rule the "rest" of Illinois. If, after the November election, they rule all of us, then God help us.

[timothycat]

08:02 PM on 07/31/2010

As a Democrat and liberal I do not want my party to play the cheap modern politics of guilt by association. If a link that stands intellectual rigger is shown between this developing scandal and Brady himself then by all means use it. Otherwise, campaign on the real issues. Illinois Democrats are far from golden themselves. Bulgakov called cowardice the greatest sin of the twentieth century, let's do something about hypocrisy being the greatest sin of the twenty first.

[VOTER]

08:07 PM on 07/31/2010

There is a "fire" with this "smoke."
The GOPer blog HIllbuzz is all a twitter. Would they eat their own?

[Rantigone]

11:54 PM on 07/31/2010

Oh would they ever. Hillbuzz isn't GOP; Hillbuzz claims to have slept with Rose.(see July 16 Beth Christie post),and was at one time "buddies" with him, which really speaks badly for both parties: google Chicago Time Out article. There's obviously something extra going on, and ironically, Hillbuzz observes how lazy reporters can be. Definitely right on that one!

[miles120]

01:55 PM on 07/31/2010

People ask me how Democrats get elected in Illinois. It's because Republicans are that much worse.

[jsgaetano]

03:18 PM on 07/31/2010

The only difference between Illinois and everywhere else is that Illinois voters realized decades ago how bad Republicans are, whereas the rest of the nation didn't figure it out until recently.

[Doom Diva]

01:38 PM on 07/31/2010

I'm still waiting for the opposition ad that notes something along the lines of...

"Bill Brady. He hates puppies. And kittehs!"

Oops. Too late! ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZPHzXU199M

Let's face it. Not too many people hate puppies and kittens! We can debate abortion rights, gay marriages, prayer in schools, the state budget and fair pay all we want, but mass genocide of cuddly wuddlies? "Man's best friend" even?! THAT craziness needs to get more press!

Nope. Sorry. That's political suicide. He may as well raped a school full of kindergartners and the kindly little old lady teachers.

[VOTER]

10:01 AM on 07/31/2010

I hope a reporter asks Liar Kirk about this matter.
His answer should be very, very intersting.

[seniorfellow]

12:17 PM on 07/31/2010

voter just loves BANKSTER DON Giannoulias,,,, the guy who as State Treasurer, lost $160 million of families college funds, Bankster Don gave millions in shady loans to his mobster buddies, and The Bankster and his Criminal family took out $147 million from their bank to line their pockets, when if they only scammed HALF that the bank would have stayed solvent

[seniorfellow]

12:19 PM on 07/31/2010

THE BANKSTER DON AND HIS FAMILY are responsible for stealing over $300 million from the taxpayers,,,,, VOTER,,, you don't have a John Kass middle name like Knuckles or the Tuna , or some other Mob name ?

[VOTER]

12:23 PM on 07/31/2010

ROFLMAO

Are your lies deliberate or has dementia set in?

[coolaid8]

09:56 AM on 07/31/2010

Isn't politics wonderful. Either we get this guy or we get a continuation of Quinn, the Madigan lap-dog who doesn't have the stones to deal with the legislature on anything. Illinois will continue to be owned by the Madigan and Daley clans. At least Stroger is getting out of the picture.

[Scott MacKenzie]

04:53 AM on 07/31/2010

Wow, this OUTRAGEOUS. Bill Bradly is a women hating Karl Rove, George Bush, Dick Cheney, Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck wannabe, who has no place in our pristine state government here in Illinois

[zombywulf]

04:01 AM on 07/31/2010

He has to claim the 5th as he's probably involved in it.