Republicans continue to distance themselves from Skoien

Local politicos have been buzzing about domestic dispute between Palatine Township GOP Committeeman Gary Skoien and his wife, but most stopped short of publicly calling for Skoien's resignation.

Even Inverness Village President Jack Tatooles, whom Skoien unseated as committeeman in 2002, said only that he doesn't agree with allegations the police messed up.

"He's made some innuendos about the police department, but these are good men and women who don't lie on reports," Tatooles said, adding he hasn't had much contact with Skoien in the last seven years.

Palatine Mayor Rita Mullins also ran and lost against Skoien in the 2002 election. She called the situation "very unfortunate" and said, "My heart goes out to his wife."

State Rep. Suzie Bassi, a fellow Palatine Republican, went further to say she was "not willing to endorse him in the future" and that the situation has hurt the image of the party.

"It's about time he got his life together and spent some time taking care of his family," Bassi said. "Step down? That's going to be a choice he is going to have to make, but I hope he is willing to think long and hard about doing the right thing for the Republican organization and the community."

Thursday night local Republicans gathered at a fundraiser at Palatine bar Durty Nellie's. The money raised benefits the Republican candidates for Palatine Township posts. It's the kind of event that Skoien would have normally attended. But early on Thursday at the event he was nowhere to be seen, and those who attended tried to distance themselves from him. Palatine Township Trustee Lisa Moran, who is running for township clerk, said she wasn't privy to whether Skoien would resign from his post.

"That's his own issue," she said. "He had absolutely nothing to do with this."

Sharon Langlotz-Johnson, a GOP candidate for Palatine Township trustee, stood firm in her call for Skoien to sit down. She requested the Daily Herald remove the committeeman from her list of endorsements, a move that prompted a phone call to her from Skoien himself.

"He left a message I'd rather not repeat," Langlotz-Johnson said. "I choose to stand by my morals and convictions."

Luke Praxmarer is president of TOPPER, the Township of Palatine Principled Energized Republicans. That's the local GOP group Skoien helped build. He said he's spoken with Skoien and is in shock.

"This is not him acting on the behalf of the Republican Party; this is a personal thing with his family," he said.

Skoien's term as committeeman expires in February 2010.

• Daily Herald staff writer Nicole Milstead contributed to this report.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=278640">Skoien hints at stepping down after wife's arrest <span class="date">[03/13/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=278385">Candidates backing away from Skoien after domestic dispute <span class="date">[03/13/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>