REVEALED: Illinois Democrat congresswoman bribed rival to not run against her, offered six-figure job at congressional office

Democrat Illinois Rep. Marie Newman admitted to a federal judge that she offered a six-figure job at her congressional office to a potential political rival, an apparent bribe that may be a federal crime.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Democrat Illinois Rep. Marie Newman admitted to a federal judge that she offered a six-figure job at her congressional office to a potential political rival, an apparent bribe that may be a federal crime.

The broken contract in question was offered to Iymen Chehade, a local Palestinian activist who was considering running against Newman in the primaries last year.

According to legal filings obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, "The contract between Newman and Chehade promised the activist a senior role in Newman's congressional office should she be elected. The role did not require Chehade to maintain specific hours at the office, despite paying a $140,000 salary. The contract also gave Chehade complete discretion about the selection and employment termination of staff members under his supervision."

It appears that the job never materialized, however, and Chehade wound up suing Newman. The legal action was settled out of court in June 2021, with the terms not made available to the public. Kendra Arnold, the executive director of the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, stated: "Civil liability and government ethics and criminal liability are two completely separate things. The civil court case is between her and the other individual."

"Whether they resolve their personal differences has nothing to do with the ethics case and her issues with the federal government. The facts in the civil case show the ethics concerns are significant," Arnold said.

The Newman campaign acknowledged the settlement in a statement to the Free Beacon: "Congresswoman Newman and Chehade have resolved their dispute and the lawsuits have been dismissed by agreement," the campaign said. The spokesman did not respond to additional questions about the ethics complaint.

Newman could still face further ethics ramifications after the civil court settlement. The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust filed a formal ethics complaint against the Democrat congresswoman in May 2021.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Join and support independent free thinkers!

We’re independent and can’t be cancelled. The establishment media is increasingly dedicated to divisive cancel culture, corporate wokeism, and political correctness, all while covering up corruption from the corridors of power. The need for fact-based journalism and thoughtful analysis has never been greater. When you support The Post Millennial, you support freedom of the press at a time when it's under direct attack. Join the ranks of independent, free thinkers by supporting us today for as little as $1.

Support The Post Millennial

Remind me next month

To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
ADVERTISEMENT
© 2024 The Post Millennial, Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell My Personal Information