South Cook News

Calumet City Alderwoman Monet S. Wilson (D-2nd) is concerned about the possibility of election fraud in the 29th District following the appointment of Rep. Rita Mayfield (D-Waukegan) as the new library director. 

The library is an early voting location.

"Jeff (Coleman)’s opponent (Rep. Thaddeus Jones (D-South Holland)) is on the ballot. And over the library, [Jones's] wife is a consultant for the library....And now he has appointed State Rep. Rita Mayfield to be library director right before early voting and it’s just suspect to us," Wilson said. "We want to make sure that this election is not stolen. Everything should go to our city clerk and not a state representative who appears on the ballot...Because Rita Mayfield is the library director she holds the keys to the doors of the library opening and closing ... where the election will take place."

Jones' also employs his niece works at the library.

Wilson had lost to Jones in the spring Democratic primary for the House seat. At the time, she said Jones had too much authority.

"He cannot have complete power. He doesn't know what to do with it," she said, according to South Cook News. "He's the state rep. He's the mayor and now he's running for committeeman at Thornton Township."

Jones will be facing Republican Jeff Coleman to represent South Cook County in November.

According to the South Cook News, Coleman wants to give his district a choice. He wants to reduce state taxes, and he supports the Second Amendment and reducing crime. Coleman is a businessman who started Barbershop News Network in 2003, which gives barbers and stylists access to more than 200,000 merchants through his network.

Illinois GOP Chairman Don Tracy has taken steps to ensure that election security is prioritized statewide, according to Prairie State Wire. He said in a memo, "We have made election security the state party’s top priority going into the fall. We will be spending considerable resources to recruit, train and manage poll watchers, election judges and election lawyers — all of whom will be our eyes and ears to provide accountability at the ground level in polling places in every precinct." 

An anonymously written email allegedly from a former Calumet City Library staffer member claims that five staff members have quit since Mayfield has become director. The alleged former staffer claimed little of the library's $2.3 million budget is spent on books, DVDs, and other resources. The email said Mayfield receives a salary of $90,000 despite not working on Fridays and coming in late, and leaving early on the days she does work.