Libertyville man's lawsuit against GOP dismissed
A lawsuit against the Illinois Republican Party and Lake County GOP leader Daniel Venturi has been thrown out, officials confirmed Wednesday.
The complaint, filed in December 2006 by Raymond True, a Libertyville resident and leader of a conservative group called the Republican Assembly of Lake County, was dismissed Tuesday in Cook County circuit court.
It had claimed Venturi violated state election law in the way he voted for a statewide party leader in April 2006.
Venturi wasn't surprised the civil suit was tossed.
"I always thought the case didn't have any merit," said Venturi, who also serves as Lake Villa Township's supervisor.
State GOP spokesman Lance Trover called the case frivolous.
Neither True, the leader of several plaintiffs in the case, nor his attorney could be reached for comment. Another plaintiff, Nancy Thorner of Lake Bluff, said she was disappointed the suit was dismissed but doesn't expect the legal fight is over.
The suit contended Venturi used his position as local party chairman to improperly cast weighted votes in a race for a state central committeeman during the group's convention last year.
The candidate Venturi backed, T. Tolbert Chisum of Kenilworth, defeated the candidate True claimed should have won, Ruth O'Connell of Arlington Heights.
At the time, the state party's executive director said he was confident proper procedures were followed.
O'Connell opposed the suit when it was filed, saying she was caught in the middle of a party squabble.
In her ruling Tuesday, Circuit Court Judge Nancy J. Arnold cited a lack of standing and a lack of justiciable controversy in dismissing the matter.
True has been publicly critical of Venturi and other local party leaders. He once called Venturi a "master of disaster" because several GOP-controlled seats in local government and in the legislature were lost to Democrats last year.
Venturi said he bears no ill will toward True and hopes they can "work together on our common interests and agree to disagree on the things we don't see eye to eye on."