Byron Sigcho-Lopez, a Chicago alderman who represents parts of the neighborhood of Pilsen, went “Jew-hunting” when he said that AIPAC was at fault for releasing his divorce records. And in fact, the Jewish lawyer whom he blamed had no ties to the pro-Israel lobby, according to a lawsuit filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County.
In Chicago, members of the City Council are called aldermen. Sigcho-Lopez, who represents the city’s 25th ward, spent “incredible” amounts of the family’s money on prostitutes and pornography, his former wife alleges in records of the 2011 divorce proceedings, which JNS viewed.
The records became public after the Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy petitioned an Illinois court to unseal the documents.
Adam Florek, who represented the coalition with Edward “Coach” Weinhaus, told JNS that the coalition sought the records because Sigcho-Lopez is an elected official and has pursued higher office.
“Sigcho-Lopez is putting his character at issue in a lot of his promotional materials,” Florek said. “He points to his good works in the community, his status as a family man and his kids appear in a lot of promotional materials.”
“These speak to his character, and I think the voting public has a right to evaluate all aspects,” he told JNS.
Sigcho-Lopez denies the allegations and has blamed the American Israel Public Affairs Committee for releasing the records.
The Jewish United Fund, the Federation in Chicago, told JNS that “it is bizarre to suggest that a Jewish organization played any role in the release of these records.”
“What we do know is that blaming Jews or Jewish organizations in an attempt to deflect the public’s attention away from something that you don’t like is antisemitism, pure and simple,” the JUF said.
Florek told JNS that he thinks that Sigcho-Lopez attributed the record release to AIPAC because “it’s an easy scapegoat to conjure up some bogeyman, who is responsible for your political ills.”
He, Weinhaus and the coalition filed a lawsuit on Wednesday alleging that after Sigcho-Lopez blamed AIPAC, the alderman’s campaign engaged in “Jew-hunting” and targeted Weinhaus due to his Jewish and Israeli connections. (The suit specified that it is accusing the alderman of non-violent targeting.)
The complaint identifies Weinhaus as the Jewish attorney targeted by the campaign and states that he has no affiliation with AIPAC. It also noted that Weinhaus has criticized the Israeli government and advocated for judicial reform in Israel, making him, per the complaint, something of an opposite of an AIPAC representative.
The lawsuit alleges that the campaign nevertheless used his Israeli connections to tie him to Sigcho-Lopez’s AIPAC accusation.
On July 9, Robert E. Douglas, an associate judge at the 18th Judicial Circuit Court of Illinois, ruled that the records “were not properly sealed and impounded” and ordered them unsealed.
Sigcho-Lopez appealed but, per the lawsuit, did not obtain a stay before the order took effect on July 24.
“COGS is interested in governmental transparency,” Florek told JNS. “Our position is that the public has a right to inspect more documents unless there’s some extraordinary reason to give these documents sealed.”
“That’s not because something would be embarrassing. It’s because there’s a very narrow reason and a compelling government reason to keep something secret,” he said.
“Frankly, it’s just not the case here.”
