From The Southern

STATE BAR SAYS COURT ATTACK ADS MISLEADING
BY MATT ADRIAN
FOR THE SOUTHERN
[Fri Oct 22 2004]
SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois State Bar Association wants two downstate Illinois Supreme Court candidates to pull or disavow "misleading" attack ads but neither man seems willing to back down.
The Committee on Supreme and Appellate Court Election Campaign Tone and Conduct, the association's elections ethics arm, sent letters Thursday chastising Judge Lloyd Karmeier, a Republican, and Judge Gordon Maag, a Democrat.
"We are troubled by the negative tone of some of the campaign advertising in the 5th District Supreme Court race," wrote Thomas S. Johnson, the committee's chair. "We urge all interested parties to show restraint as they criticize either candidate so as not to endanger public confidence in our system of justice."
The committee reported that Maag's commercials paid for by the Democratic Party of Illinois regarding the Nashville Republican's rulings are misleading. The committee also wants Karmeier to disavow advertisements paid for by JUSTPAC, a group not affiliated with the judge, for suggesting the Glen Carbon Democrat is a liar.
However, neither group seemed willing to give up the mudslinging.
"It is our belief that the negative attacks against Justice Maag will not cease and will in fact escalate. In addition, we believe that the ads representing us sponsored by the Democratic Party of Illinois are accurate," wrote Kyle Anderson, a campaign coordinator, in a response letter to the committee. "While we respect the committee's judgment we note you have not demonstrated the omission of any relevant facts in our advertisements and do not feel it would be a prudent move to pull these advertisements in light of these facts."
Steven Tomaszewski, a spokesman for the Karmeier campaign, declined to answer whether his candidate would disavow the ads paid for by JUSTPAC.
"There is no additional comment on that subject besides what is in the statement," he said.
The statement reads: "Judge Karmeier respectfully disagrees with the opinion of the ISBA committee. JUSTPAC was not allowed to present a defense of their ad, which is truthful and factually based on newspaper accounts."
The committee was created in June arising from concerns that Illinois judicial races have become too political with opposing sides dumping large amounts of cash into elections.
matt.adrian@lee.net 217-789-0865