Why We're Suing Senate President Don Harmon
Senate President Don Harmon, a defendant in a federal First Amendment lawsuit.
OPINION
There’s nothing I take more seriously than the rights protected under the First Amendment. Without the first, the others after it don’t matter.
Before launching this newsletter in the fall of 2020, I had cut my teeth as a reporter in this state. From 2005-2011, I reported on politics, corruption at the University of Illinois, and broke piles of stories. In 2011, I moved into the political realm with a goal of trying to help good people get elected to make things better. I worked on campaigns in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and the 2020 primary. Most of those campaigns were for Republicans, some were for independents, and, yes, some were for Democrats.
When I stepped away from the political world and launched the newsletter in 2020, I pledged to treat both sides fairly and use my unique perspective, both in journalism, on state staff, and in politics, to help better inform the public about what is happening in Illinois politics and government.
Having access to the Senate floor isn’t usually a huge deal. But, we aren’t in normal times. The issue of access to the chamber is important in the Senate because the chamber in the Capitol building, with its large public gallery, is closed to the public during renovation. They’re currently working in a makeshift chamber across the street at the Howlett Building.
Not having eyes on lawmakers is detrimental to the public good. And, as newsrooms cut staff and provide less and less coverage of state government and the legislative process, the public relies on smaller, independent outlets like ours to carry the load.
When the new General Assembly took office in early 2021, I was offered the opportunity to apply for Senate credentials by Senate President Don Harmon’s staff. I was warned first time applicants take some time (why was never made clear).
Our request was not acted on during the entire 2021 session or the entire 2022 session. In that time, Senate President Harmon’s spokesman stopped responding to all my calls and inquiries, not only on credentialing, but on any topic. We were removed from the media distribution list of every Senate Democrat. Senate Democratic staffers canceled their subscriptions. In essence, they shut us out. We were even removed from the list of media outlets invited to apply for credentials in January of this year.
We have sued President Harmon, his top two communications advisors, John Patterson and Liz Mitchell, as well as the Senate Parliamentarian (who happens to be Harmon’s top lawyer), Giovanni Randazzo, for violating the First Amendment by selectively denying and punishing the rights of a media outlet. The suit is pending in federal district court in Springfield. Harmon’s high-priced, politically connected lawyers are delaying and obfuscating rather than seeking a fair resolution to this case.
I’m not here to make friends and I will not stand for political appointees to run roughshod over the constitution in a petty, desperate attempt to silence anyone who may be critical of their boss. Our track record has been clear since we launched this newsletter on September 1, 2020: everyone is fair game. We have been critical of Republicans, Democrats, candidates, and officeholders.
There’s no excuse to shut the media out. None. And we’ll fight to the end.