THE CHICAGO WAY: Thousands Of Residents Commit Fraud To Keep College Student Off Ballot

A conservative college student attempted to take on the Chicago political machine and lost – but the way he lost may result in more than 2,600 residents charged with a felony.

David Krupa, a 19-year-old freshman at DePaul University, decided to run for alderman of Chicago’s 13th ward and take on current alderman Marty Quinn. But Krupa wasn’t just going up against Quinn. He was actually going up against Illinois state House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, the state’s most powerful politician, referred to as Boss Madigan, according to Chicago Tribune reporter John Kass.

Krupa drives a forklift and is studying political science and economics. He needed 473 valid signatures from residents of the 13th ward in order to run for alderman. He got 1,703. In a strange – and corrupt – turn of events, before Krupa could file his signatures, 2,796 ward residents signed affidavits revoking their signatures to Krupa’s petition.

“Revocations are serious legal documents, signed and notarized. Lying on a legal document is a felony and can lead to a charge of perjury. If you’re convicted of perjury, you may not work for a government agency. And I know that there are many in the 13th Ward on the government payroll,” Kass wrote.

Jim Allen, an election board spokesman, told Kass the board receives “a few revocations here and there in very rare electoral board cases over the years,” but said no one could remember ever receiving this many in the past.

Just 187 of the signatures on Krupa’s original petition matched with those of the revocations, meaning 2,609 people committed fraud by signing an official legal document saying they had signed the original petition but hadn’t. One has to wonder what these ward residents were told to get them to sign such a document. This reporter can’t imagine they were told the whole truth about what they were signing.

Michael Dorf, the election attorney representing Krupa, called the case a “clown car of felonies”

“This is clown school and election fraud. This is going way, way beyond the line. David is a huge underdog. Go ahead and beat him on Election Day, or do subtle fraud, like taking away yard signs, but when this number of false affidavits are filed, you’re talking fundamental fraud, epic fraud,” Dorf told Kass.

Current alderman Quinn probably could have beaten Krupa easily, so the level of fraud committed to keep the college student off the ballot is stunning. As Kass points out in his article, it is unlikely any repercussions will be felt, as the matter could be referred to Democrat Kim Foxx, Cook County State’s Attorney, who wouldn’t dare go against Boss Madigan. Incoming Attorney General Kwame Raoul also accepted $1 million of “Madigan political money,” according to Kass. Oh, and current Illinois AG is Lisa Madigan – the daughter.

“I’m from Clearing,” Krupa told Kass. “All I want to do is get on the ballot to address the serious issues we have, from public safety to taxes. People don’t want to say things out loud here. People who’ve challenged the 13th Ward get intimidated. You know the neighborhood.”