Suit against DuPage board candidate delayed until after election

An attempt to dismiss a lawsuit against a Democratic DuPage County Board candidate by his former campaign manager was rejected Monday by a judge.

Lawyers for District 1 candidate Rifat Sivisoglu, however, successfully requested a jury trial, which will delay the case until after the Nov. 4 election while a three-attorney panel is convened to recommend whether the case deserves to be heard by a jury. All requests for jury trials in small claims cases have to go through this process, Judge Kenneth Abraham said.

The candidate is being sued by Jeff Houston who is trying to recoup roughly $1,400 in expenses and mileage he accrued while serving as Sivisoglu's campaign manager from June to September. He was paid $2,500 in advance for the job.

Houston asked the judge to expedite the trial, but the judge refused saying the jury trial request would take at least 60 days to process.

"By their very nature, campaigns try to spend down to zero," Houston said. "Because he isn't working right now ... I'm not sure he'll have the money to pay this if it goes past the election."

Sivisoglu said by phone that he has plenty of money to cover any judgment that may be rendered against him.

Sivisoglu lists his occupation as college professor, but he currently isn't teaching. He said he will resume teaching business classes at Elmhurst College for the spring and summer terms.

Sivisoglu called the lawsuit a "diversionary tactic" by the Republican Party and accused Houston of colluding with at least one of Sivisoglu's GOP rivals.

"They're clearly working in concert," Sivisoglu said. "They're trying to push the issue away from what's really at stake here and that's the future for taxpayers in this county, not how this lawsuit is resolved."

District 1 board member and Republican incumbent Paul Fichtner said he has talked with Houston about how Sivisoglu treated campaign workers and opportunities within the Republican Party. But because Houston signed a nondisclosure agreement to work with Sivisoglu, Fichtner said there wasn't much depth to the discussions.

"Jeff expressed extreme displeasure with Rifat's campaign and how things were going over there," Fichtner said. "Jeff told me he had had enough and he wanted to go back to his roots, which were Republican."

Sivisoglu learned of the contact between his former campaign manager and his GOP rival when Fichtner accidentally called Sivisoglu's campaign headquarters trying to reach Houston. While Fichtner didn't talk to anyone at the headquarters, the caller ID showed Fichtner's number.

When the two candidates happened to run into each other campaigning a few days later, Fichtner explained what happened after Sivisoglu inquired.

Following his appearance in court, Houston went to work as an early voting election judge. He said he was called by DuPage County Election Commission officials and told county Democratic leaders asked for him to be removed. He is appealing the decision.

"This is petty and vindictive," Houston said.

District 1 covers all or portions of Addison, Bensenville, Bloomingdale, Elmhurst, Itasca, Lombard, Roselle, Villa Park and Wood Dale.

The next court date for the case is slated for Dec. 2.