An Iowa attorney who wanted to run for Rock Island County States Attorney, was kicked off the ballot, but not over where he resides.
The three-person electoral board ruled that the state constitution allows for an Iowa attorney to run for the job in Illinois. However, it took issue with some of his nominating petitions, and booted him off the Democratic primary ballot for March.
The heated hearing was at the request of Doug House, the head of the Rock Island County Democrats, who says he has an issue with Schwartz as a candidate.
"Jack is known as an unscrupulous attorney and he likes to even advertise; he operates in shades of gray and he tried to pull a fast one over on the voters of Rock Island County. Had he been a Rock Island County candidate and filed his petitions properly, there wouldn't have been an issue, but he wants to run down Rock Island County. We do our business properly and legally, and as an attorney, he should do the same," House said after the ruling.
But Schwartz and his attorney say House is simply protecting his candidate, incumbent John McGehee, and is disenfranchising other candidates.
"For the Democratic chair to make these irresponsible comments is quite frankly, the pot calling the kettle black. Democrats control who they want on their ballots in Rock Island County. This is proof of it," said Steve Fieweger, Schwartz's attorney.
Schwartz says it is business as usual in Rock Island County Democratic politics, and says he will appeal the board's ruling to the Circuit Court.
"The Democratic party is what it is. Everybody is inter-connected. I defy him (House) to prove I'm unscrupulous, especially given the tactics shown here," Schwartz said.
"Mr. House is there to make sure his candidates get into office and not anyone who is not his candidate," he said.
County Clerk Karen Kinney and Fieweger clashed numerous times during the hour-long hearing, at one point the attorney telling the clerk, "Do your job."
Fieweger argued that Kinney should have recused herself from the hearing for "serving as both a witness and an adjudicator," and called the hearing "a kangaroo court."
The board ultimately kicked Schwartz off the ballot over his petitions. It said that some of the sheets submitted by Schwartz as the person who circulated them, should have been signed by him. Instead, they were signed by his wife, Amy.