Photos from past come out in Palatine council race

If he could go back to that Chicago nightclub three years ago, Palatine councilman hopeful Aaron Del Mar said he probably wouldn't pose for that picture again.

"But that has nothing to do with my policies or vision for Palatine," he said.

The photo is of Del Mar sipping champagne while sitting on a throne-like chair between two women who are bending over him and who appear to be topless except for body paint.

Del Mar, 30, is challenging four-term incumbent Mike Jezierski in the District 1 Village Council race.

Jezierski, 63, denies Del Mar's claims that he's been showing these photos around on the campaign trail. Jezierski's camp decided against using them because "some people might be offended," he said.

Jezierski, who calls his opponent energetic but inexperienced, did save a copy of the photo, along with others from the same Web site that show Del Mar posing with fully clothed women at events hosted by the party planning company Del Mar founded.

Del Mar has since taken the photos down from his company's Web site.

"This is just a smear campaign," Del Mar said. "I wasn't doing anything illegal or unconscionable."

Jezierski is also attacking Del Mar's party affiliation in a new mailing.

Records show Del Mar pulled a Democratic ticket in last year's primary. Yet he's a member of the Palatine Township Republicans group TOPPER and filed his political action committee Citizens for Aaron Del Mar as Republican. Palatine's political races are nonpartisan.

Del Mar responded that he aligns himself with the GOP and only voted in the Democratic primary because he didn't want to see Hillary Clinton elected.

"(John) McCain was already going to take Illinois easily" in the presidential primary, Del Mar said. "I'm not the only Republican who did that."

One of the photos Del Mar said Jezierski is passing around shows him and Clinton together at a fundraiser she hired his company to host in 2005.

"Her money is just as green as anybody else's," Del Mar said. "I wouldn't vote for her but I respect her."

Del Mar said the photos, some of which date back several years, are a misrepresentation of who he is now - a married father of three and owner of three small businesses in Palatine. He said his company doesn't work with nightclubs anymore, adding that its next event is a bunny dash at the forest preserve.

Del Mar said Jezierski is out of touch with his constituency. Del Mar wants to form a residential advisory board and business retention committee.

Jezierski, who works for the Illinois secretary of state's office, said Del Mar's actions haven't been honest or responsible.

"We're held up to a higher standard being in politics," Jezierski said. "There's more expected of us than the average Joe Citizen."