Politics & Government
The Voice on the 'Malicious' Election-Day Robocalls Belongs to Beverly's Jim Parrilli
A state's attorney's investigation is under way as the Cook County GOP says the party had nothing to do with the calls.
The voice behind the election-judge robocalls that prompted Cook County’s state’s attorney to launch a criminal investigation belongs to Jim Parrilli, a 19th Ward Republican who lives in Beverly.
Parrilli is a GOP committeeman, and Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mark Brown reports that he was working with Sharon Meroni, a party volunteer who sent emails identifying herself as an election judge coordinator for the county Republicans.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the calls were disruptive to the voting process, causing some judges not to show up on election day — about 2,000 of the 10,000 judges — which in turn caused some polling places to open late. Long lines ensued, and some voters grew tired of waiting and left.
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“We feel that there was malicious intent,” said Chicago Board of Elections Chairman Langdon Neal.
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One Oct. 31 robocall went like this:
“This is your Chicago election judge coordinator Jim Parrilli. I’m calling to let you know that tomorrow, Nov. 1, we are having an additional training at our headquarters from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ... Beverages will be served. We will have people there to answer any question you might have about your responsibility as election judge on Tuesday, Nov. 4.”
Judges were told to go to 411 E. 79th St. (which is a vacant lot) or 8340 S. Western, according to Brown. On Nov. 1, a follow-up call told judges to go to 711 E. 79th (a clothing store) and 8140 S. Western. The GOP campaign office is actually at 511 E. 79th St., Brown reports, and 8340 S. Western was rented by the Cook County Republican Party.
Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner said he hasn’t looked into whether anyone on his campaign was involved, according to DNAinfo Chicago.
“I hope if there’s any issue there it gets fully investigated and if there’s any improprieties that it gets dealt with very harshly,” he said.
Besides the criminal probe, the City Council wants hearings.
Cook County Republican Chairman Aaron Del Mar told Brown the party had nothing to do with this.
“Anything they did, they acted alone,” Del Mar said.
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