Durante did nothing wrong in '95 venture

Paul Sjordal's Sept. 4 letter to the editor attacking Addison Township GOP Chairman Patrick Durante continues to illustrate the state of denial DuPage Democratic Chairman Bob Peickert's supporters are in.

To distract from Peickert's being found guilty by the state board of elections for improper finance disclosure, Sjordal had to refer to a business venture Durante undertook in, get this, 1995. Imagine, I was 9 years old back then. After doing some research into Sjordal's fantasy charges, here are the facts that he and other Peickert supporters hate.

In the incident Sjordal refers to, Durante was never charged with anything. Nothing. Nada. Why not? Because he didn't do anything wrong, that's why. On the other hand, Peickert was charged, found guilty, and fined, not for being late with is campaign disclosure forms as Sjordal claims, but rather for not filing anything, period.

Late? He wasn't late; he refused to file what by law he was supposed to file. Everyone can read the Peickert guilty verdict at www.addisontwpgop.com. And if Sjordal were to compare the record between these two men for serving people, many would vouch for the help Durante provided to thousands of people and dozens of communities during his 32 years of service as executive director to U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde.

The scoreboard would clearly show: Helping others? Durante - thousands, Peickert - zero. Because of his ethical service in government, Durante still maintains a mortgage on his modest home. People like me who know Durante have quite a laugh when we read statements by people like Sjordal who make fictitious claims that Durante could have made $20 million. I don't think Durante or anyone else would stick around here and put up with all this nonsense if they had. Do you?

Larry Moretti Jr.

Addison