LTHS Leader An Election Denier?

LA GRANGE, IL – Six years ago, the president of the Lyons Township High School board supported a petition that sought to overturn the 2016 election in Democrat Hillary Clinton's favor.

Kari Dillon, who joined the board in 2019, supported an anti-Trump petition in the days after Republican Donald Trump's election as president. She signed the petition and posted it on Facebook.

"Not going to accept four years of hate," she wrote.

Trump won enough states in the 2016 election to prevail in the electoral college, but he did not win the popular vote. Under the Constitution, the electoral college decides elections.

Yet the petition that Dillon supported sought a way to evade constitutional requirements.

"Donald Trump has not been elected president," the petition stated. "The real election takes place December 19, when the 538 Electoral College Electors cast their ballots – for anyone they want."

Dillon's post appeared a couple of days after the 2016 election. It was after Clinton conceded the election to Trump.

"If (the electors) all vote the way their states voted, Donald Trump will win," the petition said. "However, in 14 of the states in Trump's column, they can vote for Hillary Clinton without any legal penalty if they choose."

It continued, "We are calling on 'Conscientious Electors' to protect the Constitution from Donald Trump, and to support the national popular vote winner."

According to the Change.org petition, 4.9 million people signed it.

The petition's scheme would have gone against the will of the voters in the states involved. In 2020, Trump's opponents accused him of election denialism when he sought to overturn the results in battleground states.

A look at Dillon's Facebook posts shows that she is a supporter of President Joe Biden, U.S. Rep. Marie Newman and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, all Democrats.

Other posts show her backing of the ACLU, Planned Parenthood and more gun regulations.

A day after Trump's inauguration, Dillon posted photos to her page of anti-Trump protests in Chicago. One of the protesters' signs in the photos read, "In this house, we believe: black lives matter. Women's right are human rights. No human is illegal. Science is real. Love is love. Kindness is everything."

Dillon commented, "Way to show up, Chicago. Proud to call u home."

Dillon did not respond to a message for comment about her Facebook posts.

Dillon is one of the nine candidates running for the school board. The election is April 4.