Those Who Cannot Remember the Past are Condemned to Repeat It

A Halloween treat goes to the first person who can name this Illinois GOP Congressman who gained notoriety for opposing Donald Trump. You would be as likely to see him on TV as in his Congressional office. His far-rightwing Congressional career ended because of redistricting. And he is now widely expected to run for President in 2024.

The answer, of course, is Lake County favorite son Ex-Congressman Joe Walsh:

Joe Walsh raises 'White Flag' with new podcast

In related news, some unknown downstate Congressman says he will not run for re-election:

The time to move on 'is now': Adam Kinzinger won't run again for Congress in 2022

The Halloween contest winner may claim their Snickers.

Bald Faced

Being that time of the year when the nation gathers to remember the dead, the Lake County GOP is celebrating Halloween:

Note to Ops: You are welcome to attend but your Halloween mask is not:

Now that's scary!

The Fantasy Press

An actual unretouched screencap from the Lake County Gazette, Lake County's #1 fake news source:

"No new teachers in Deerfield sign pledge on Oct. 10 to teach Critical Race Theory"

In related news, no new Lake County Gazette editorial staff members have started beating their wives.

On October 10.

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Park Your Drachmas in a Harvard Barn

Anyone who has ever seen the McHenryCountyBlog will not be surprised -- but the Russian Mafia has bought McHenry County.

A shell corporation called Optima bought the defunct Harvard Mororola plant in western McHenry County. Big surprise, the US Government now says the plant was not bought to crank out iPhones:

the DOJ complaint notes that the Harvard plant purchase was part of the sprawling Optima money laundering scheme (including fraudulent loans used to purchase the plant in the first place).
A Ukrainian Oligarch Bought a Midwestern Factory and Let it Rot. What Was Really Going On?
U.S. prosecutors say the decaying plant was part of a broader scheme to hide millions in stolen dollars across the American Midwest.

Don't plan on moving to Harvard to find work at the plant, it will have to be demolished by the Village ...

the net cost for that, after salvage, is probably three to five times the city's annual budget. It will be a financial catastrophe.
A Ukrainian Oligarch Bought a Midwestern Factory and Let it Rot. What Was Really Going On?

Note to Ops: If life gives you turnips, make borscht. Don't tear down that plant. Convert it into a Halloween Haunted House. Dress up the actors to look like Vladimir Putin. Now that's scary!

Kash in the Barrel

What a difference a day makes. The last time Lake County favorite son Kash Jackson appeared in this blog, he was an Illinois gubernatorial candidate:

Wither Winderweedle

Now he is under arrest for threatening to kill two Lake County judges:

A man who ran for Illinois governor in 2018 was taken into custody Thursday and accused of threatening to kill two Lake County judges, authorities said. Grayson K. Jackson, who also is known as Kash Jackson and Benjamin Winderweedle, 43, of Paris, Arkansas, made the threats Oct. 7, according to Lake County Sheriff’s
Former Libertarian gubernatorial candidate charged with threatening two Lake County judges

One legal scholar told your LakeCountyEye: "Well, that's an unconventional way to clear the courts."

In related news, Lake County favorite son Mark Curran is a candidate for the Illinois Supreme Court.

A Friend in Need is a Friend in High Places

How many times has this happened to you? You receive a total of $15,000 in donations from a wealthy family.

Never?

Well then your name isn't Ex-Barrington Hills Mayor Martin McLaughlin.

As readers of this blog are aware ...

The Friends in High Places Zone

over the past 5 years, members of the Sanfilippo family donated $15,000 to Martin McLaughlin.

And now McLaughlin is holding a fundraiser at the Sanfillipo Residence in Barrington Hills. Coincidence? Your LakeCountyEye does not think so:

Note to Ops: Politics is about raising dough.  This is the recipe for success:

• Solicit funds from a wealthy donor.
• Use those funds to hire that donor to host a fundraiser for you.
• Solicit funds from the wealthy donor.
• Repeat as often as needed.
• Any excess money raised is pure gravy!

The Friends in High Places Zone

Barrington Hills Ex-Mayor Martin McLaughlin may be gone but he is not forgotten.

The Village of Barrington Hills Zoning Board of Appeals held a special meeting last month. Its one agenda item was to grant a Special Use Application (Non-Commercial Event Facility) to the Sanfilippo Estate:

Barrington Hills - Zoning Board of Appeals - Special Meeting

The Sanfilippo Estate is located on the sort of 25MPH country lane where no one expects to see a theme park.  A Special Use Application would grant the Sanfilippo family a zoning variance on uses of their estate:

Barrington Hills - Zoning Board of Appeals - Special Meeting

For the Record, during the past 5 years, Sanfilippos have donated a total of $15,000 to Martin McLaughlin:

State Board of Elections
Contributions Search - By Candidates

Note to Ops: It's good to be the Ex-Mayor.

Is this Seat Taken?

Despite having been reported once already on this blog ...

Supreme Being

Lake County favorite son Mark Curran is running for Illinois Supreme Court justice:

Competition for the open Illinois Supreme Court District 2 seat grew, and a Republican primary is assured, as former Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran became the fifth candidate in the race.
Former Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran becomes fifth candidate in state Supreme Court race

By all indications a proponent of tough clean-air regulations, Curran was critical of Lake County's Republican smoke filled rooms:

Traditionally, Curran said, Lake County Republican leaders picked candidates for office in a "smoke filled room" telling party members who they should like.
Former Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran becomes fifth candidate in state Supreme Court race

For the record, some Lake County municipalities may deem a smoke filled room a community asset:

Suburbs' first cannabis lounge gets the thumbs-up to open in Mundelein

Will Mark Curran be on the High Court? Most excellent!

Boatloads of Cash

Your wouldn't know it from looking at their names, but the Village of Third Lake has two cash cows:

Druce Lake & Third Lake

The Village charges a fee to anyone who docks a boat on either of these lakes.

These revenues however may not be paying the bills. The Village of Third Lake is investigating ways to charge non-residents with the fees -- and is researching how other Villages do it:

Village of Third Lake
Lakes Commission
July 26,2021

One Village to the South -- the City of Chicago -- charges boats by the foot:

Chicago Harbors
2021 Harbor Fees

Note to Ops: Kerching!