The complaint by All Children Matter, a proponent of private school vouchers, cites documents that suggest that Riley, a 69-year-old former CEO of the University of Illinois Hospital, voted twice in the 2000 general election, once in Chicago and then again in Oconomowoc. A well-heeled liberal Democrat, Riley is running a vigorous primary campaign against state Sen. Jeff Plale, a conservative Dem from South Milwaukee.
Late Friday, Riley offered this stunning written response to the charges:
"My best recollection is that I was splitting my time between Wisconsin and Illinois, and it's possible I made a mistake. If the Elections Board decides to look into this matter, I will gladly assist."
This is just a killer for Riley. Even if he is ultimately cleared of the charges, the whole incident helps Plale because it reminds voters Riley is not a long-time resident of the district. While that may not matter in Delafield or Milwaukee's East Side, Milwaukee South Siders like their local politicians to be locals. And they really don't want their candidates to be from Illinois. Where do you think the term FIB came from?
