Dold uninvites his State of the Union guest

U.S. Rep. Bob Dold rescinded a guest's invitation to next week's State of the Union address after it was reported the guest's ex-wife once had a restraining order against him.

Early Wednesday, Dold, a Kenilworth Republican, announced he would take Durrell McBride as his guest.

McBride served prison time after a robbery conviction, and Dold invited him to highlight his stances on criminal justice policies and anti-poverty proposals.

Later in the day, the Chicago Tribune reported McBride's then-wife had in 2014 received a series of threatening messages from him and a court issued a restraining order that she canceled later in the year.

A Dold spokesman said neither the congressman nor the Lake County YouthBuild program that recommended McBride knew of the situation.

"Congressman Dold has a long history of efforts to prevent domestic abuse, including his Zero Tolerance for Domestic Abusers Act, and does not tolerate violence against women of any kind," Dold spokesman Brad Stewart said in a statement. "Immediately after learning of this, Congressman Dold notified Mr. McBride that, in light of this information, he would no longer be attending the State of the Union as Congressman Dold's guest.

Dold said he strongly backs YouthBuild and plans to ask another graduate to attend the State of the Union with instead.

"Congressman Dold strongly supports YouthBuild and their mission of reducing poverty. He also remains a strong supporter of efforts to reduce recidivism and reform our criminal justice system," Stewart's statement read.

Lake County YouthBuild issued its own statement.

"Mr. McBride was the 2013 YBLC Alumni of the Year and interned at YouthBuild Lake County for the past year," said Laurel Tustison, executive director. "He was an outstanding student and we were unaware of this personal situation with the restraining order when we recommended him for the trip."

Previously, Dold said he'd picked McBride, who spent 8 years behind bars, because of his post-prison success story.

"Durrell is proof of what people can accomplish when we show a little compassion, and I'm thrilled he is able to join me for the State of the Union," he said in the original statement.

Members of Congress often invite local guests to the annual address to highlight an issue of importance to them.