The former IL House GOP Leader's vote in favor of the Assault Weapons Ban may be the reason he was not permitted to speak last night at Chicago FOP.

View this email in your browser ([link removed])
[link removed]
Illinois Review eBlast Powered By
[link removed]

REPORT: Jim Durkin Removed from Speakers List During U.S. House Judiciary Hearing in Chicago After his Vote in Favor of the Assault Weapons Ban was Discovered ([link removed])
[link removed]
Former Ill. House Republican leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs. (Source: Screen Image from BlueRoomStream)
On Tuesday, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a special hearing ([link removed]) on “Victims of Violent Crime in Chicago,” as witnesses testified about failed Democratic policies, the violent crime plaguing the city and the lack of political support for local police officers. Three witnesses testified before the committee, but as a report on Wednesday revealed – there was one witness missing: former Illinois House Republican leader Jim Durkin.

In Wednesday’s edition of POLITICO’s
Illinois Playbook ([link removed]) , it was reported that Durkin – who attended Tuesday’s hearing at Chicago FOP Lodge #7 and was a strong opponent of the SAFE-T ACT when he was in the Illinois legislature, “had initially been set to testify but was taken off the speaker list when organizers got wind of his OpEd ([link removed].) supporting an assault weapons ban.”

In January, before he resigned from the Illinois legislature, Durkin was the only Republican to join the Democrats,
voting ([link removed]) in favor of the assault weapons ban ([link removed]) – a move that angered conservatives and supporters of the 2nd Amendment, who vehemently opposed the unconstitutional weapons ban.

During the 2022 midterm election, Durkin suffered embarrassing losses, giving Democrats once again, supermajority control in the Illinois House.

In an interview with the
Chicago Tribune ([link removed]) after the election, Durkin blamed the Second Amendment ([link removed]) and social issues like abortion for Republican losses this past November.

Durkin remains a close ally and best friend of IL GOP chairman Don Tracy. During the primary, Durkin was a
supporter ([link removed]) of Richard Irvin’s Republican campaign for governor, despite Irvin pulling Democratic Primary ballots ([link removed]) in 2014, 2016 and 2020.

Rumors are swirling in political circles that Durkin is thinking about running for Cook County State’s Attorney after Kim Foxx announced in April that she won’t run for re-election.

Rep. Jim Jordan, House Judiciary Committee, Hold Emotional Hearing at Chicago FOP on "Victims of Violent Crime," Blames "Left Wing Policies" on Rise in Crime ([link removed])
[link removed]
Members of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee during a hearing at the Chicago FOP Lodge #7 on Tuesday, September 26, 2023. (Source: X/Chicago FOP)
In a packed room at the Fraternal Order of Police Chicago Lodge #7 on Tuesday, Republican chairman U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-OH and the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on “Victims of Violent Crime in Chicago” as witnesses including Gianno Caldwell, a family member of a murder victim; Lt. John Garrido III, a retired Chicago Police Detective and Carlos Yanez, Jr., a retired Chicago Police Officer who was seriously wounded while on-duty during a traffic stop, testified about the violent crime plaguing the city and the lack of support for the police.
[link removed]
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-OH, holds a committee hearing on “Victims of Violent Crime in Chicago” on Tuesday, September 26, 2023 at Chicago FOP Lodge #7.
Yanez’ partner, Ella French, was shot and killed during the traffic incident.

“When you let bad guys stay on the street, you shouldnt be surprised when you get more crime; when you defund the police, you shouldn’t be surprised when you get more crime; when you pass legislation that ends cash bail, you shouldn’t be surprised when you get more crime – and when you do all those things, you shouldn’t be surprised that we have, what, a 1,700 police officer shortage in the city. That’s what left wing policies have done,” said House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan.
[link removed]

Gianno Caldwell, who was born and raised on the south side of Chicago, lost his 18-year old brother Christian in 2022. Christian was murdered and his killers are still out on the streets.

Caldwell blamed the policies of Chicago Mayor’s Lori Lightfoot and Brandon Johnson, Gov. JB Pritzker, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and other politicians for failing to address the rise in violent crimes.

“These officials have recklessly ignored the people they were elected to represent. And as a result, bodies – mostly black bodies, are littered throughout the streets of Chicago.”

Caldwell then spoke painfully about the moment in 2022 when he received a call that his “innocent, teenaged baby brother Christian” had been murdered.
[link removed]
Retired Chicago Police Lt. John Garrido III testified about the “adverse effects of politics on law enforcement in Chicago,” and referred to police officers as “pawns in a larger political game forced to enforce laws and policies that may not necessarily serve the best interest of our community and public safety.”

Garrido also spoke about the long term damaging effects of the “defund the police movement,” that resulted in a “police department that is both underfunded and understaffed, compromising our ability to serve and protect.”
[link removed]

Retired Chicago Police Officer Carlos Yanez, Jr. testified about “policies and procedures put into place” by Democratic leaders that lead to officers feeling like “their hands are tied behind their back” – unable to do their jobs and protect the public.

Yanez suffers from long term effects from the shooting, which took the life of his partner, as he explained during the hearing.

“I was shot a total of 5 times, 4 of which were in the head; I lost my right eye, some of my hearing in both ears. I also have tinnitus in my right ear as well as partially paralyzed on the right side of my body.”
[link removed]
State’s Attorney Kim Foxx released a statement ([link removed]) prior to the hearing, in which she blamed guns, saying,

“As the nation is on the verge of a Republican sponsored government shutdown, Jim Jordan has chosen to come to Chicago rather than fulfill his obligations to his constituents. Instead of focusing on the victims of mass shootings caused by weak gun protection laws including his own district, he has chosen to spend his time with John Catanzara – the man who in the immediate aftermath of January 6th, proclaimed it to be a peaceful protest.”

Foxx concluded with,

“Jim Jordan is seeking to exploit the deaths of black and brown victims of crime, rather than supporting common sense gun legislation…”

The Illinois State Rifle Association issued a
statement ([link removed]) immediately following the hearing.

“As Chicago crime statistics continue to dominate national headlines, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx continues to deflect any responsibility – and instead chooses to blame ‘weak gun protection laws’ instead of the violent criminals who to this day, continue to roam the streets of Chicago targeting innocent victims.

Since 2021, nearly 250 attorneys have resigned from Kim Foxx’s office out of frustration because of her failure to hold violent criminals accountable for their crimes. And as a result, victims’ families are suffering, and the criminals are celebrating.

In Illinois, Democrats like Gov. JB Pritzker and Kim Foxx have declared war on the 2nd Amendment and are deliberately targeting law-abiding citizens and their lawful right to bear arms – blaming the guns for the crimes rather than the criminals committing them.”
[link removed]
The ISRA then thanked Rep. Jordan and the committee for holding the hearing as well as members of the Chicago Police Department for their sacrifices.

“We applaud U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan and the House Judiciary Committee for coming to Chicago and shining a light on the violent crime plaguing the city, and we remain grateful to the brave police officers who put their lives on the line each day under such difficult circumstances.”
[link removed]

============================================================
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
** Email (mailto:[email protected])
** Website ([link removed])
Mark A. Vargas, Editor-in-Chief
Scott R. Kaspar, Publisher

Our mailing address is:
P.O. Box 2783, Orland Park, IL 60462

Copyright © 2023 IR Media Corp., all rights reserved.
ILLINOIS REVIEW and the IR design are trademarks of IR Media Corp.

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can
** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
.