Second letter alleges bad Aurora vote

A second anonymous letter -- one with new allegations -- has surfaced and claims Aurora's primary Feb. 5 for a judicial subcircuit seat was blemished by faulty ballots, authorities said Thursday.

The new allegations -- this time in a letter postmarked March 14 to Aurora attorney Renee Robinson -- are under investigation by Kane County prosecutors.

Robinson received the first letter late last month, a vague, two-paragraph note implying more than 1,000 faulty ballots influenced the results of the Democratic party's nomination.

The second letter also was mailed to Robinson's law office and in eight paragraphs poses a list of questions in an apparent bid to steer investigators to errors at the polls.

"I was really surprised because this one was more detailed," Robinson said. "I hope it leads to something."

Aurora's board of election commissioners has maintained there was no wrongdoing during the judicial subcircuit race, which Robinson lost by about 200 votes in the city.

And a state-level inspection of Aurora's election also did not reveal any glaring errors, which were fewer than in other communities on Feb. 5, Ken Menzel, with the Illinois State Board of Elections, said.

Both letters Robinson received were mailed in an envelope from the Aurora election board. The Feb. 25 letter said more than 1,000 faulty ballots swayed the outcome of the primary.

The author also wrote he or she planned to resign soon and asked Robinson to seek a recount or investigation.

The second note also is unsigned but asks several questions.

"What happened to ballots erroneously cast for the judge's race in 5/1, 5/2, 5/11, 5/12, 5/13[sic]9/2-9/9 and 10/01?" The letter continues: "What happened to ballots cast in split precincts?"

Clint Hull, Kane County's first assistant state's attorney, said prosecutors were sent a copy of the new letter this week and have been investigating the allegations since Robinson faxed a copy of the initial memo.

Robinson lost the five-way primary by 338 votes from Aurora's 78 precincts and 12 in Kane County to Jim Murphy, Aurora's Township supervisor, according to election results.

Murphy faces Republican attorney Fred Morelli Jr. of Aurora in November.

The election marked Kane County's first subcircuit race since Illinois lawmakers ordered the 16th Judicial Circuit to divide into subcircuits, with additions in Aurora and Elgin.

The 16th Judicial Circuit includes Kane, Kendall and DeKalb counties. The creation of subcircuits has been billed as a vehicle to increase the number of minorities on the bench.

Robinson and Aurora attorney Herb Hill were the only black candidates on the ballot.