Sierra Club gives endorsement to Froehlich
Green -- in the form of cold cash -- is an essential ingredient for political success.
But green -- in the environmental sense -- may also benefit a campaign.
That is what state Rep. Paul Froehlich is hoping. On Sunday, the 56th District incumbent from Schaumburg, who exchanged his Republican Party attire for Democratic garb last year, received the endorsement of the Illinois Sierra Club.
The endorsement was announced at an environmental roundtable held at the Spring Valley Nature Sanctuary in Schaumburg.
"Paul has been a very good friend of ours, and we value that," said Barbara Hill, political chair for the Northwest Cook County Group of the Sierra Club. The Illinois chapter represents more than 26,000 people.
Hill added that Froehlich was instrumental in the creation of an environmental caucus in the legislature.
"Every vote that Paul could make that we wanted to make he has done," she said. "We couldn't ask for a better person."
Froehlich, whose district includes portions of Schaumburg, Roselle, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, Hanover Park, Bloomingdale, Rolling Meadows and Palatine, vowed to live up to the endorsement if elected.
"I'll be as staunch as ever, only now I won't have pressure from my party leadership to vote 'no' the way I did when I was still a Republican," Froehlich said.
He especially promised to continue to work on a variety of environmental issues, including opposing the use of the toxic flame retardant known as Deca, which is found in electronics and furniture.
The announcement was a disappointment for challenger John Moynihan. The Schaumburg Democrat describes himself as passionate about the environment and a supporter of former Vice President Al Gore's environmental efforts.
Moynihan, an attorney specializing in financial cases, said he was project chairman of his law school's environmental law society.
He said he doesn't understand why the Sierra Club would endorse Froehlich, but that it won't affect his own support for the Sierra Club.
Froehlich used the roundtable as an opportunity to attack Moynihan for his affiliation with the law firm of Reed Smith LLP.
Froehlich charged that Reed Smith has clients that sell lead-painted toys in the United States and companies that sell drugs that may cause breast cancer.
"So, his own firm that he is a partner in … does have a track record on some health issues, defending those who are being sued for causing health problems," Froehlich said.
Reached for comment on Sunday, Moynihan called Froehlich's attack "pretty ridiculous."
"I work at a law firm," Moynihan said. "It is not my law firm. I am a partner but I am not an owner."
He added that he is what is called a non-equity partner.
Moynihan said he worked for the firm Sachnoff & Weaver for 14 years, adding that one of the firm's former employees was Attorney General Lisa Madigan. In March 2007, the firm merged with Reed Smith.
"Do I work at a large law firm that represents corporations? Yes I do," Moynihan said. "Do I have any idea about the cases they're talking about? No. I'm not in the product liability group."
He said he represents investors in fraud claims against issuers and, for example, has represented the government to collect money from people who engaged in savings and loan fraud.