Court hammers GOP chairwoman's husband

A federal court appeals panel chastised the husband of a Cook County commissioner Wednesday, saying his companies behaved "like a pack of weasels and can't expect any part of their tale to be believed."

The stinging rebuke came from the U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit. Written by Chief Judge Frank Easterbrook, the ruling affirmed a trial court's decision to sanction Ridge Chrysler Jeep and Dodge dealerships of Midlothian.

The two dealerships, owned principally by Gerald Gorman had sued Chrysler after the car manufacturer demanded up-front payment of cars. Gorman is husband of Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman, the chairwoman of the Cook County Republican Party.

In the initial lawsuit, a judge ordered the dealership to continue supplying cars on the condition the dealerships could get nearly $1 million in financing that did not put Chrysler at risk. Gerald Gorman represented that he had secured financing, but in fact he had a $750,000 loan from former Chicago Alderman Edward Vrdolyak that was secured by the dealership's inventory, thus still putting Chrysler at risk, the court said.

When the trial court learned Gerald "Gorman had lied" about this and other representations, it sanctioned the dealerships by dismissing their complaints that Chrysler had discriminated against black customers.

Easterbrook noted that Gerald Gorman had claimed to have proof of those allegation in copious notes but couldn't produce those records when the time came.

"Plaintiffs insist that the claims of racial discrimination are legitimate, but that is dubious," the court ruled.

Gerald and Liz Gorman could not be reached Wednesday evening for comment.