“I pledge to you that reform of the position of Republican National Committeeman of the great State of Illinois starts today,”
said Kane County’s Pat Brady to Illinois Republican Party Convention delegates in Decatur Saturday.
“I know a lot about corruption.
“I know a lot about ethics.
“I know the difference between right and wrong.
“There will never be anything (I do) that reflects negatively on the Republican Party,” he continued.
“I will always remember that I represent the state party of Illinois and never represent myself,” Brady stressed, pointing to instances where people might confuse a private role with his party role.
Brady pledged that if he ever fall short of the highest ethical standards, or in any way brought disrepute to the office,
“I will resign.”
He welcomed input from “as many Republican Leaders and activists as possible.”
Brady replaces former Republican National Committeeman and Treasurer Bob Kjellander Steve Rauschenberger having beaten out Elgin’s former State Senator and gubernatorial candidate Steve Rauschenberger. Rauschenberger unsuccessfully challenged Kjellander four years ago.
According to newspaper reports after the Tony Rezko indictment, Kjellander was identified in the indictment as “Individual K.” However, a footnote on page 17 of the December 21, 2007, proffer in that case noted that “Individual K” was “not referred to in this filing.”
Kjellander was in attendance at the convention Friday afternoon.
Brady, a former federal prosecutor in Washington, now works as a forensic consultant in Chicago.
I met him when he asked me to take pictures of his wife Julie, who co-chaired the Illinois John McCain presidential effort and gave a speech at the Addison McCain rally. If you worked on the McCain campaign, odds are that she called you.
Brady is a cousin of State Rep. Dan Brady of McLean County and a boyhood friend of Bloomington’s State Senator Bill Brady.
In the article about the Addison rally, I suggested that Julie Brady would make an impressive candidate for congress in 2010, should Jim Oberweis not get elected.
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The picture of Illinois National Republican Committeeman Pat Brady speaking to the Decatur convention was taken from a screen. His head shot was supplied by Brady. The photograph of a smiling Bob Kjellander was taken on last summer’s Family PAC cruise.