The Spin: Kanye West bounced from Illinois ballot | Feds charge former Cook County commissioner | IDPH acknowledges nursing home abuse allegations weren’t properly investigated for more than 3 months

Federal prosecutors have accused former Cook County Commissioner Jeffrey Tobolski, who was also the mayor of McCook, with conspiracy to commit extortion and filing a false tax return.

Meanwhile, rapper Kanye West was booted from Illinois’ Nov. 3 ballot today.

And, the Illinois Department of Public Health acknowledged Friday that it did not properly process or investigate complaints of neglect and abuse at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities for more than three months during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Former county official and McCook Mayor Jeff Tobolski charged with extortion conspiracy, filing false tax return

The Tribune’s Jason Meisner reports: “Former Cook County commissioner and McCook Mayor Jeffrey Tobolski was charged in federal court Friday with conspiracy to commit extortion and filing a false tax return.

“The two-count criminal information filed against Tobolski marked the latest domino to fall in a sprawling federal corruption investigation that has touched some of the Democratic Party’s key suburban political players -- including Tobolski’s own chief of staff and fellow local mayor Louis Presta.

“According to the bare-bones charges, Tobolski allegedly conspired with an unnamed McCook official to extort a victim identified only as Individual A by using ‘actual and threatened fear of economic harm.'

“He also allegedly filed a falsified income tax return for 2018, reporting his income for that year as $214,000 when his actual income was ‘substantially’ higher, according to the paperwork.” More here.

* From the Tribune’s Jamie Munks: State Sen. Terry Link resigns as Lake County Democratic chair following federal income tax evasion charge

Kanye West is off Illinois’ Nov. 3 ballot, state elections board rules

From the Tribune’s Rick Pearson: “Rap artist, entrepreneur and aspiring presidential candidate Kanye West, a Chicago native, did not qualify to appear on Illinois’ Nov. 3 ballot, the Illinois State Board of Elections decided Friday.

“Board members, acting to finalize the fall ballot, voted 8-0 that West, whose independent campaign has been associated with a number of Republican operatives in other states, fell short of filing the required number of signatures needed to appear on the ballot.” Read the rest here.

Illinois nursing home complaints not properly investigated amid pandemic that killed thousands of residents

From the Tribune’s Joe Mahr: “A month after firing the state’s top nursing home regulator without explanation and disciplining another, the Illinois Department of Public Health acknowledged Friday that the agency did not properly process or investigate complaints of neglect and abuse for 3u00bd months during the coronavirus pandemic.

“In a news release, the agency said it hired a consulting firm and a former federal prosecutor to conduct a ‘top to bottom’ outside review of its Bureau of Long-Term Care. The bureau oversees regulation of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, which have been tied to more than half of Illinois’ COVID-19 deaths.” Read more here.

Illinois Democrats resurrect Bruce Rauner to counter attacks on House Speaker Michael Madigan, party leadership

From Rick Pearson and Bill Ruthhart: ”Illinois Democrats concluded their virtual national convention with a ready response to counter divisions over their leadership -- focus on unifying around defeating Republican President Donald Trump.

“It’s the same response Democrats nationally applied to try healing the continued split between the party’s progressive wing embodied by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and its establishment side represented by presidential nominee Joe Biden.

“But for Illinois Democrats, the divisions are much deeper and say much about the near-term direction of the state party.” Find out more here.

* From Jaime Munks: Amid ComEd scandal in Springfield, ethics reform front and center in Pritzker’s energy agenda

Mayor Lori Lightfoot invokes Kent State shootings to oppose National Guard troops in Chicago after allies stall plan to seek state of emergency

The Tribune’s Gregory Pratt reports: “Mayor Lori Lightfoot and her City Council allies stalled an effort led by political rivals on Friday to ask the governor to declare a state of emergency in Chicago and send the National Guard into the city.

“At a news conference after the meeting, Lightfoot reiterated her opposition to bringing in the guard by invoking the 1970 Kent State shootings where guardsmen killed four and injured nine others on the Ohio college’s campus.

“‘That was a huge moment in my young life,’ Lightfoot, an Ohio native who was 7 at the time, said.

"Lightfoot said she understands the concerns of people worried about their safety but learned from that experience that National Guard troops have very different training than police.

“‘I don’t want a circumstance where we bring in a tool that isn’t the right tool for the moment,’ Lightfoot said.” Read the rest of the story.

Chicago postal unions rally in front of Bronzeville post office to attack Trump, postmaster general for mail delays

From the Tribune’s Alice Yin: “About 30 postal union and political leaders rallied in front of a Bronzeville U.S. Postal Service branch Friday afternoon to condemn President Donald Trump and the postmaster general for slowdowns in mail service as the nation prepares for a general election amid a pandemic.

“Rallygoers wore black masks with the slogan ‘Save the USPS!’ as they stood in front the Henry McGee station, 4601 S. Cottage Grove Ave. They carried signs encouraging voting by mail and for the passage of the HEROES Act, a second coronavirus stimulus bill that passed the U.S. House and would inject the Postal Service with $25 billion.” Read the rest here.

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