Tolomei puts village before politics

During the 14 years that my husband, John Tolomei, served as a village trustee and mayor, I have not written a letter or voiced my opinion during any of his campaigns. Rather, I have been a steadfast but silent supporter. However, recent letters sent to newspapers and circulated campaign propaganda items have been so egregiously defaming that I am compelled to speak out.

After nearly 35 years of marriage, I know John's character and can attest to the decency and honesty which he applies to all facets of his life. Nonetheless, the CARE party and its cohorts repeatedly attack John's integrity. In particular, they cite a document he signed under the approval of the village's legal counsel that pledged village property as collateral for a mortgage.

As Suzanne Branding and all the village trustees know, current litigation with Bank of America prohibits John from clarifying the circumstances of this action. In other words, it would hurt the village's case. I am outraged at Suzanne's duplicity and lack of commitment to her role as trustee in allowing CARE to use this as a means of slandering John to obtain her political ambitions and personal agenda. Because these tactics cast a shadow on Suzanne's ethics, I can only hope that she does not comprehend the enormity of her behavior and is being imprudently guided by her running mates or other members of her party.

To the CARE supporters who have accused John of wrongdoing I say, "Before you throw mud, you should know all of the facts." You are like a judge passing sentence before hearing a case. As John's wife, I am privy to the details and know the real story. Moreover, I know the impeccable moral fiber of my husband.

Sharon Tolomei

Lake Zurich