A Republican candidate for governor of Illinois has come under attack by a Democratic governors’ group who accuse the GOP candidate of defending unsavory and perverted suspects during his time as a defense attorney.
Richard Irvin, the mayor of north suburban Aurora, is running in the GOP primary to oppose incumbent governor J.B. Pritzker in the November election. Irvin, who is black, is running on his record as mayor, claiming a reduction in the murder rate. He believes that “All Lives Matter” and supports not defunding the police.
But for 15 years, Irvin was a defense attorney and during that time, he defended some rather unsavory characters. This has allowed the Democrats to pounce.
“For 15 years, Irvin has been a defense lawyer, profiting by defending some of the most violent and heinous criminals,” the narrator in the ad says.
The ad then lists Irvin’s various defendants including “Domestic abusers and sexual assault,” a “kidnaper who molested a child” and “reckless homicide.”
“Even accused child pornographers,” the narrator stressed, before adding “Richard Irvin has been getting rich by putting criminals back on our streets” and urging Illinois voters, “Tell Richard Irvin to stop pretending to be tough on crime and start supporting policies that keep people safe.”
Of course, defending child pornographers is good — if the candidate being accused of doing so is a Democrat. Members of the Obama Justice Department gave Biden’s Supreme Court nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson, a ringing endorsement, writing that “Capable advocates willing to defend the most reviled in society, without endorsing the crime, is a pillar of our system.”
And condemning those who defend child pornographers is not always the right thing to do.
Durbin called such attacks from Republicans “vicious” while Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. decried the “truly poisonous, cynical behavior that trolled through the absolute bottom of what the Senate has done in dark times past.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said Jackson appeared even “more dignified and even majestic” in the face of “shameful, really disgraceful” behavior from Republicans over two long days of questioning. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., described the attacks as “cruel and unfair.”
The White House even accused Republicans of “QAnon-signaling,” a talking point that was echoed by the media.
Since there are very few QAnon Senators sitting in the United States Senate who would potentially vote on Jackson’s nomination, what is the White House referring to when they accuse Republicans of “QAnon signaling”? Is QAnon a major force in the GOP? Of course not, and the White House knows it.
Astonishingly stupid.
In addition to defending pedophiles, Irvin was also a Democrat and voted in Democratic primaries. His commitment to conservative issues is, dare we say it, suspect?
Irvin shot back that the ad was “breathtakingly hypocritical” since the chair of the Democratic Governors Association who released the ad, Roy Cooper, was also a long-time defense attorney. And Governor J.B. Pritzker said the DGA was “telling the truth” in their wildly exaggerated claims against Irvin.
JB Pritzker and national Dems are meddling in our primary in an unprecedented manner. They know Richard Irvin is the best chance Republicans have to beat JB Pritzker this fall. pic.twitter.com/NAHWJEsSkK
— Richard Irvin & Avery Bourne For Illinois (@IrvinBourne4IL) April 1, 2022
By the way, Pritzker gave his full-throated support to Judge Jackson’s confirmation while accusing Irvin of being everything Republicans accused Judge Jackson of being.
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