Republican Rodger Cook responded to Jason Plummer's attack on Cook's service as a homicide detective. The video above is an audio recording of Cook's conference call with the press from Friday, March 16th. Cook also circulated the following press release:
Plummer sinks even lower Says he wants to talk about the issues, then
attacks Cook’s record as a police officer
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 16, 2012
BELLEVILLE, IL…The increasingly desperate Plummer campaign dug even deeper into its
bag of deceit and directly attacked the integrity of Rodger Cook’s record as a decorated police
officer.
“Jason Plummer should be ashamed of exploiting the murder of a woman 20 years ago for a
last minute cheap shot against a decorated police officer,” said Illinois Fraternal Order of Police
(ILFOP) Trustee Mark Krampf, who served over 10 years with Cook an officer in the Belleville
Police Department. “Rodger Cook was an outstanding cop and this kid has no right to attack his
very distinguished record.”
The ILFOP endorsed Rodger a couple weeks ago, and his record speaks for itself. Cook was
twice named police officer of the year, received 12 official commendations and served on the
Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis, specializing in homicide investigations.
“I’m proud of my service as a police officer,” said Cook, who has been endorsed by the
Fraternal Order of Police. “Jason clearly lacks the experience and the judgment to understand
how hard those officers who serve our community work.”
Plummer dug up a case from nearly 25 years ago about a woman who was brutally murdered in
an East Alton motel. Cook worked tirelessly to find and charge a suspect. The evidence was
overwhelming that the suspect committed the crime, but prosecutors failed to win a conviction.
Madison County’s former top prosecutor and former judge Don Weber weighed in on the issue
of the prosecutors on the case.
“In some cases there simply is not enough evidence to convince all 12 jurors beyond a
reasonable doubt. A Not Guilty verdict does not mean the defendant is innocent. It simply
means the evidence was insufficient in the jurors' minds to convince them beyond a reasonable
doubt,” said Weber. "John Rekowski, and his sidekick, Ron Slemer, are two of the most
unreliable sources for opinion on a matter effecting law enforcement imaginable. Rekowski has
been a consistently left-wing, ACLU-type political activist on criminal law matters. Rekowski is
an outspoken critic of the death penalty while advocating ultra-liberal ideas like sequential line-
up laws that help criminals avoid being caught.”
Cook said he expected Plummer to go on the attack after it was learned that Plummer has
been embellishing the endorsements of a number of conservative organizations, “But I really
didn’t think he’d go this low. All I can think about is that victim’s family,” said Cook. “Has he no
shame?”
Just before Plummer e-mailed the smear piece, he told reporters “These are serious times that
demand serious people discussing serious answers to our problems.”
###
Paid for by Citizens for Cook
707 N. State St.
Freeburg, IL 62243
Cookforcongress.org
Rodger Cook, GOP candidate in IL-12, held a press conference yesterday about his opponent, Jason Plummer's, remarks at a debate last weekend. Plummer accused Illinois's Family PAC of trading endorsements for donations. Family PAC denies this charge and has implied that it will pursue legal action against Plummer.
Rodger Cook has been endorsed by Family PAC in IL-12. He held the press conference Wednesday to highlight the wild accusations that have been typical of Jason Plummer's campaign.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. • The head of a leading conservative issues group is demanding a public apology from Illinois Republican congressional candidate Jason Plummer by noon Wednesday, over Plummer’s allegation that the group gives endorsements for cash.
Paul Caprio, head of FamilyPAC, an Illinois-based issues group, is implying he will sue if he doesn’t get the apology by the Wednesday deadline. “If (Plummer) does not make a full public apology, I have instructed my attorney to take appropriate action,” Caprio told the Post-Dispatch today.
Plummer has now resorted to wild attacks against one of the most conservative, grassroots groups in Illinois: Family PAC. Primary voters in Illinois's 12th Congressional District should note the rash invective that is Plummer's stock and trade. This sort of arrogance may also be why Jason Plummer has refused to release his income tax filings.
There's a conservative with a proven track record running in IL-12: Rodger Cook. Please vote for him next Tuesday.
Against that backdrop, it's not really surprising that Illinois's Fraternal Order of Police has endorsed Roger Cook. Cook's press release read in part:
Belleville, IL….Rodger Cook, Republican candidate for the Illinois 12th Congressional
District, was unanimously endorsed by the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the
largest organization of active duty & retired police officers in the state representing more
than 35,000 officers.
“As a former police officer, it’s an honor to have the backing of my former
colleagues,” said Cook. “These men and women honorably serve our state and our
communities. They keep our families, streets and schools safe. Having their support is very
humbling.”
Cook served as a Belleville Police Officer for 12 years, 10 as a detective. He was also
a member of the Major Case Squad, which served Madison, Monroe and St. Clair Counties.
As an officer of the law, Rodger received over a dozen official commendations, and was
named ‘Policeman of the Year’ in 1986. He also focused on Juvenile Investigations, and
helped found the Belleville Teen Center (with no taxpayer money) to give students a drug
& alcohol free place to go on the weekends.
Rodger Cook (cookforcongress.org) and Adam Andrzejewski (forthegoodofillinois.org) talk about the need for candidates for public office to release their income tax filings this past Tuesday, February 21st. Cook is running for Congress in IL-12 and released his income statements recently. Cook's opponent in the GOP primary, Jason Plummer, has so far refused to release his.
Andrzejewski spoke about the effectiveness of this policy for identifying corrupt politicians. He provided examples from Illinois as well as other states to illustrate the effectiveness of financial transparency among candidates for office.
Cook's campaign issued the following press release about Wednesday:
Andrzejewski Lauds Rodger Cook’s Reform Agenda
Says Cook will fight to clean up government;
Asks why Plummer won’t release his
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ben Evans 573-268-2790
Freeburg, IL….Government watchdog Adam Andrzejewski threw his support behind Rodger Cook’s efforts to bring transparency to government in the race for the Republican nomination in the 12 congressional district, citing Cook’s record as a government reformer and his release of his own personal taxes. Cook’s opponent, Jason Plummer, has evaded calls to release his taxes.
“The people of Illinois deserve the truth. If you don’t have gold-standard ethics, you’re part of business-as-usual. Rodger Cook is the latest and most prominent candidate in this election cycle to lead on this transformational ethics policy,” said Adam Andrzejewski, former 2010 gubernatorial candidate.
Rodger Cook released his taxes and has posted them on the internet at www.cookforcongress.org. Cook, a former cop and homicide detective, is a proven reformer who took on the machine in Belleville and cleaned up a system of patronage and back room deals. When Cook was mayor of Belleville he opened city council meetings to the public for the first time in the city’s history. That’s the kind of Representation we need in Washington.
“Illinois’ number one manufactured product is corruption,” said Adam Andrzejewski. “Transparency of personal sources of income is critical ethics policy.”
Top Republicans are especially concerned that millionaire candidate Jason Plummer’s refusal to release his taxes could cost Republicans a chance to pick up a seat held by Democrats for nearly 70 years. It was also a major issue in his failed campaign for lieutenant governor where he was dogged by questions about his taxes. It got so bad he didn’t even show up to the last debate. Many believe if Plummer was not on the ticket in 2010, Pat Quinn would have lost.
“Since 2010, I’ve called on the leadership of both political parties to release their income tax returns. This is the single most important ethics policy that would challenge the culture of corruption in Illinois,” said Adam Andrzejewski. “Rodger Cook is leading on and issuing the clarion call on the best policy.”
Rodger Cook's campaign for Congress over in IL-12 sent out the following press release highlighting his roots in the district and especially his local financial support. Some key quotes:
Cook raised more money from voters in the district than the other GOP candidates combined, garnering 57% of all individual contributions from IL-12.
“Residents of the 12th Congressional District want a candidate who has loved living here and isn’t a political opportunist. They want someone who has a lifetime of commitment to the area,” said Cook. “I’ve lived and worked in the 12th district all of my life, growing up here, working here, raising a family here, and serving as a police officer and Mayor of Belleville.”
According to the FEC reports, failed Lt. Gubernatorial [candidate] Jason Plummer, who recently moved into the district and signed a 6-month lease, raised nearly 90 percent from outsiders. In contrast, Cook’s in-district funds constitute 85 percent of his total individual contributions. Cook raised $16,700 from constituents, while Plummer only raised $12,450 from constituents.
While carpetbagger Plummer is raising money from outside interests, Cook is building a network of supporters based on his lifetime commitment and public service in Illinois's 12th Congressional District.
Tea Party Conservative who began blogging at http://RebootCongress.NET when TARP passed. Email me: contact@RebootCongress.net. Help support my work: Donate Bitcoins
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