http://www.daily-chronicle.com/articles/2007/04/25/news/news03.txt
Political consultant got information for Wogen mailing By Benji Feldheim - Staff Writer
DeKALB - A conservative campaign consultant from Maple Park said Tuesday that he provided a group with information about property maintenance violations at DeKalb Alderman Steve Kapitan's home that was later used in a controversial campaign mailing in the 3rd Ward election.
Jon Zahm, a former candidate for Maple Park village president who runs a political consulting group called Goliath Slayers Communications, declined to say who asked him to write the freedom-of-information request that turned up the information. Zahm's wife, Jennifer Hansen, dropped the request off at the DeKalb City Clerk's Office on April 3.
The violations were included in an anti-Kapitan mailer sent out three days before the April 17 election. Zahm said he had nothing to do with the other, more inflammatory allegations contained in the mailing. Those allegations characterized Kapitan as “extremely pro-gay” and “the go to guy in DeKalb” for socialists.
An anonymous group calling itself Citizens for a Better 3rd Ward put out the mailer.Zahm said he would not name the people affiliated with the group because they felt privacy was necessary and feared possible repercussions if Kapitan was re-elected.
“If an incumbent remains in office, he can punish those who were involved,” Zahm said.
According to Zahm, a few people from the group approached him about getting the code violation information. He said some of the members are residents of the 3rd Ward, and others have an interest in the area.
Citizens for a Better 3rd Ward also paid David Grier of Skokie to design a Web site detailing some of the property maintenance violations mentioned by the flier. Last week, Grier refused to say who hired him to do the work.
On Grier's company's Web site, under a heading that reads “Grier Productions' Happy Customers,” is a picture of Fairdale-based political consultant Joe Wiegand that was taken for a Beacon News article that ran on Nov. 12, 2006.Asked Tuesday if he was involved with Citizens for a Better 3rd Ward, Wiegand said: “I don't see the point of this questioning.”
Wiegand also declined to comment on whether he knew the identities of the group's members.
Victor Wogen defeated three-term incumbent Kapitan by 14 votes for the 3rd Ward aldermanic position on April 17.
On the night of the election, Wogen told a Chronicle reporter that he was not involved with the production or distribution of the flier, which appeared in mailboxes April 16. The following day a post office clerk confirmed that Wogen had bought extra postage for the fliers on April 14, and returned later with the fliers properly stamped to be sent. Wogen says he did not create the flier and did not look at its contents before adding postage to mail it out.
According to Zahm, Wiegand is a “longtime friend,” and the two have known each other since 1991. Zahm said he was not paid for his effort and said he was not aware of Wogen's politics when he submitted the Freedom of Information Act request. He said he considered himself on the same page with people opposed to Kapitan's “left-leaning policies.”
“I knew it (the flier) was against Kapitan, but I didn't know anything about Wogen,” Zahm said. “I guess from one person looking at a distance I'm glad Victor won. The flier was a hard-hitting piece, but it was fair and legal.”
In 2005, when Zahm ran for Maple Park village president, a letter alleging he had been involved in criminal activities showed up at voters' homes days before the election.
Zahm has since filed a defamation lawsuit against those he feels were responsible for distributing the information, and he blames the letter for his defeat.
The suit is pending in Kane County, he said, but on the advice of his attorney he declined to discuss it further on Tuesday.
City Editor Chris Rickert contributed to this report. Benji Feldheim can be reached at bfeldheim@daily-chronicle.com.
Political consultant got information for Wogen mailing By Benji Feldheim - Staff Writer
DeKALB - A conservative campaign consultant from Maple Park said Tuesday that he provided a group with information about property maintenance violations at DeKalb Alderman Steve Kapitan's home that was later used in a controversial campaign mailing in the 3rd Ward election.
Jon Zahm, a former candidate for Maple Park village president who runs a political consulting group called Goliath Slayers Communications, declined to say who asked him to write the freedom-of-information request that turned up the information. Zahm's wife, Jennifer Hansen, dropped the request off at the DeKalb City Clerk's Office on April 3.
The violations were included in an anti-Kapitan mailer sent out three days before the April 17 election. Zahm said he had nothing to do with the other, more inflammatory allegations contained in the mailing. Those allegations characterized Kapitan as “extremely pro-gay” and “the go to guy in DeKalb” for socialists.
An anonymous group calling itself Citizens for a Better 3rd Ward put out the mailer.Zahm said he would not name the people affiliated with the group because they felt privacy was necessary and feared possible repercussions if Kapitan was re-elected.
“If an incumbent remains in office, he can punish those who were involved,” Zahm said.
According to Zahm, a few people from the group approached him about getting the code violation information. He said some of the members are residents of the 3rd Ward, and others have an interest in the area.
Citizens for a Better 3rd Ward also paid David Grier of Skokie to design a Web site detailing some of the property maintenance violations mentioned by the flier. Last week, Grier refused to say who hired him to do the work.
On Grier's company's Web site, under a heading that reads “Grier Productions' Happy Customers,” is a picture of Fairdale-based political consultant Joe Wiegand that was taken for a Beacon News article that ran on Nov. 12, 2006.Asked Tuesday if he was involved with Citizens for a Better 3rd Ward, Wiegand said: “I don't see the point of this questioning.”
Wiegand also declined to comment on whether he knew the identities of the group's members.
Victor Wogen defeated three-term incumbent Kapitan by 14 votes for the 3rd Ward aldermanic position on April 17.
On the night of the election, Wogen told a Chronicle reporter that he was not involved with the production or distribution of the flier, which appeared in mailboxes April 16. The following day a post office clerk confirmed that Wogen had bought extra postage for the fliers on April 14, and returned later with the fliers properly stamped to be sent. Wogen says he did not create the flier and did not look at its contents before adding postage to mail it out.
According to Zahm, Wiegand is a “longtime friend,” and the two have known each other since 1991. Zahm said he was not paid for his effort and said he was not aware of Wogen's politics when he submitted the Freedom of Information Act request. He said he considered himself on the same page with people opposed to Kapitan's “left-leaning policies.”
“I knew it (the flier) was against Kapitan, but I didn't know anything about Wogen,” Zahm said. “I guess from one person looking at a distance I'm glad Victor won. The flier was a hard-hitting piece, but it was fair and legal.”
In 2005, when Zahm ran for Maple Park village president, a letter alleging he had been involved in criminal activities showed up at voters' homes days before the election.
Zahm has since filed a defamation lawsuit against those he feels were responsible for distributing the information, and he blames the letter for his defeat.
The suit is pending in Kane County, he said, but on the advice of his attorney he declined to discuss it further on Tuesday.
City Editor Chris Rickert contributed to this report. Benji Feldheim can be reached at bfeldheim@daily-chronicle.com.
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