[LPIL - Board of Directors] Request for legal assistance

[Ken Mattes]

If above $1,000 we would need the SCC to approve.

On 2024-12-30 15:52, treasurer at lpillinois.org wrote:
> It's probably in the neighborhood of 4k. That's the typical filing fee 
> for
> federal court.
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Justin Tucker <executivedirector at lpillinois.org>
> Sent: Monday, December 30, 2024 9:16 AM
> To: treasurer at lpillinois.org
> Cc: Ken Mattes <secretary at lpillinois.org>; Matthew Piron
> <ViceChair at lpillinois.org>
> Subject: Re: Request for legal assistance
> 
> I am fine with it. How much?
> 
> On 2024-12-27 16:44, treasurer at lpillinois.org wrote:
>> To all:
>> 
>>                 I wanted to get the approval of the executive
>> committee before I contact Andrew Finko on my recount.
>> 
>> For my county board election, a partial recount was requested by my
>> Democratic opponent. I was not notified of the recount by the County
>> Clerk and was not able to be present during the discovery recount of 2
>> precincts. A discovery recount is where the clerk's office hand
>> recounts the race including all the blank, voids, and scatters and
>> reviews all mailed in ballots for validity.  Their take on Illinois
>> election law was to only notify the winner, my Republican opponent. I
>> believe this is a 14th Amendment violation as I was denied the
>> opportunity to view the ballot recount. The date was not published
>> publicly, to my knowledge, until after it had occurred. My view is
>> that we could sue and win but I have no clear remedy. I already have
>> ballot access, such as it were, due to my 6% result.
>> 
>> I have now been sued by my Democratic opponent to force the County
>> Clerk to declare her the election winner. The issue here is that my
>> vote tallies have not been included in her statement of facts for the
>> lawsuit and with only an 8 vote difference between the two opponents,
>> it would be to the Democratic opponent's advantage to "waterfall"
>> votes from my tally to hers. I could now use the 14th Amendment
>> violation to cause a complete discovery recount of the entire contest.
>> 
>> Would the committee be in support of paying for Andrew's initial fees?
>> I believe it is very likely that I will win and Andrew's fees will be
>> paid for by the Sangamon County Clerk. I will keep the committee and
>> party appraised of the activity and if Andrew is willing to take the
>> case.
>> 
>> Russ Clark
> 
> --
> Best,
> Justin Tucker
> Executive Director, Libertarian Party of Illinois

-- 
Ken Mattes
Secretary, Libertarian Party of Illinois
secretary at lpillinois.org
815 342 5177