Video captures shouting match before Porter County Election Board meeting
Post-Tribune
March 12, 2018
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-porter-county-officials-shout-st-0313-story.html
A video recorded before Friday’s Porter County Election Board meeting shows Democrat J.J. Stankiewicz, president of the board, berating Clerk Jessica Bailey and accusing her of not doing her job to ensure there are enough poll workers for the upcoming municipal primaries.
Stankiewicz’s exchange with Bailey, which escalated into a shouting match, takes up the first 10 minutes of the 20-minute video, until Bailey, also a Democrat, and board attorney Monica Conrad leave the room.
During the last five minutes of the recording, an exchange between Stankiewicz and David Bengs, the board’s Republican representative, Stankiewicz refers to Bailey as “a pimple” and nothing more than a secretary on the election board.
The Post-Tribune received the video after submitting an Access to Public Records Act request to the Porter County Board of Commissioners. The video was recorded in the commissioners chambers.
In light of the video, some Republican Party officials are asking for Stankiewicz to step down or at the very least apologize, but Democrat Party Chair Jeff Chidester said any apology would be up to Stankiewicz, and he won’t ask him to resign. Stankiewicz is Chidester’s appointment to the board.
County officials are putting a strong emphasis on making sure the municipal primaries run smoothly after an array of problems during the November general election, including late-opening polls and election results that came in three days late because 18,000 absentee ballots were not taken to precincts to be counted on Election Day.
The focus of the Friday election board meeting was putting a Duneland School Corporation referendum on the ballot, which put the final tally on the number of poll workers at 306.
During the discussion between Bailey and Stankiewicz before the meeting, Bailey repeatedly said that she has reached out to the county’s party chairs to secure poll workers, as that’s their responsibility, and her office is to fill any slots left after that.
“You haven’t talked to anybody to start calling,” Stankiewicz said.
Bailey replied it’s not up to her to get poll workers and when people call her office asking about working, she tells them to call the party chairs.
“Quit the crap,” Stankiewicz said.
“You’re not going to treat me that way,” Bailey replied.
On Monday, Bailey said she wasn’t sure why Stankiewicz was “irate,” but a lot of people are working together toward the goal of a good election and to put out the impression that she’s not working is false.
Stankiewicz’s behavior before the meeting was not acceptable, Bailey said, and added their relationship going forward could be tense.
“Unfortunately, Porter County is very apprehensive about the election process after what happened last year. It’s very upsetting because this just adds gas to that fire, and a lot of things are going on behind the scenes” to make the election a success, she said.
For people to infer from the video that Bailey isn’t doing her job is incorrect, she said.
“It definitely showed the worst of what politics can be. It didn’t show all the work everyone put in,” she said. “Unfortunately, it showed all the stigma we’re trying to avoid.”
Stankiewicz referred to the exchange as a “dust up” Monday and reiterated that Bailey has not been in contact with the party chairs, a point both chairs said was inaccurate.
He said he doesn’t want the election board to be blamed for an administration not having enough poll workers, and wants to avoid the problems that plagued the last election.
As far as what was captured on the video, Stankiewicz appeared unapologetic.
“I’m following the law and I’m going to make sure there are workers at the polls,” he said. “If anyone’s feelings are getting hurt, they ought to consider why they took the job in the first place.”
He did not return a call seeking further comment on requests for him to apologize or step down.
Porter County Republican Party Chair Michael Simpson called the video “reprehensible” and said he’s never been more appalled.
“Based on those comments, he owed Jessica an apology and he should resign,” Simpson said, also calling Stankiewicz “a misogynist.”
He also said he’s been in regular contact with Bailey about the need for poll workers.
“J.J. is a liar. I’ve had repeated conversations with her. I’ve had email correspondence with her,” Simpson said, adding he will have names to her for both early voting and Election Day. “We’re on task and we’re on point and she has been fully in communication with me and my team.”
Bengs serves as the board’s vice president and Bailey serves as its secretary, Bengs said, but all three have equal votes on the board. He added the comments about her duties were “totally unnecessary.”
“That’s totally inaccurate and J.J. should apologize for that comment. Whoever the clerk is has full authority on the election board,” Bengs said, adding coming up with a list of poll workers is not her responsibility, something he also pointed out to Stankiewicz in the video.
Stankiewicz has served on the election board since before Chidester became party chair, Chidester said, and has been through good and bad elections.
“People are tense about things,” Chidester said, referring to the problems in November and potential changes in how elections are handled, pending legislative action.
He won’t ask Stankiewicz to resign.
“If he feels the need to make an apology, I’m sure he’ll step up and do it,” Chidester said.
He has been in contact with Bailey about poll workers, he said, and he has been getting out the word about poll workers at precinct committee meetings, and a call-out is on the party’s website and Facebook page, as well as the Valparaiso Democratic Committee Facebook page.
“I have always understood that has been my job since 2007, and I’ve always done that,” Chidester said.
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