FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE               CONTACT: Rich Morthland
August 25, 2010           P: (309) 654-2229

Morthland to Ahern: Put your money where your mouth is

Challenges Ahern to return campaign cash from Speaker Madigan

PORT BYRON – Rich Morthland, Republican candidate for State Representative in the 71^st House District, is calling his opponent’s new-found opposition to House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) just another example of double talk from a desperate politician.

Morthland reiterated his challenge to Ahern to refuse any further campaign contributions from Speaker Madigan and to return all previous contributions Ahern has accepted from Madigan.

“I find it very interesting for my opponent to suddenly announce that, if elected, he won’t support Mike Madigan for Speaker of the House,” Morthland said.  “Dennis Ahern has already taken more than $12,000 in campaign contributions from Madigan.  He can’t have it both ways.”

According to Ahern’s D-2 Semiannual report on file with the Illinois State Board of Elections, Ahern has accepted $10,298 in campaign contributions from Friends of Michael J. Madigan since the beginning of 2010.  Ahern has accepted another $2,277 in contributions from the Democratic Party of Illinois, which is chaired by Madigan.  Altogether, the contributions from Speaker Madigan account for nearly one-third of the total amount raised by Ahern’s campaign this year.

“I can assure the voters of the 71^st District that I will never vote for Mike Madigan for Speaker,” said Morthland.  “If my opponent agrees with me that we need a change of leadership in Springfield, then I challenge him to put his money where his mouth is.  Dennis Ahern should refuse any new campaign contributions from Speaker Madigan and to return all of his previous contributions.”

Morthland indicated that Ahern had previously criticized Rep. Mike Boland for accepting campaign contributions from Speaker Madigan.  A Dispatch-Argus article dated February 14, 1996, stated the following:

Most of the barbs were aimed at Rep. Boland, who took sharp criticism from
both Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Ahern for receiving financial backing from Chicago
Democrat and former state House speaker Rep. Michael Madigan in his last
campaign.

“We need someone who is a local representative, not someone who will stand up
and fight for Chicago as Mr. Boland has 78 percent of the time,” Mr. Ahern said.

-more-

Page 2

In a letter to the editor of the Dispatch-Argus dated June 30, 1996, Dennis Ahern wrote:

“Less than six months ago, it was pointed out that Mr. Boland was supported by Michael Madigan… Please, Mr. Boland, if you truly believe in reform, stop accepting all this money from outside your district.”

“I think Dennis Ahern should take his own advice and stop accepting all this money from Speaker Madigan,” Morthland said.

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For questions or more information, please contact the Committee to Elect Rich Morthland at (309) 654-2229 or via e-mail at electmorthland@gmail.com.