Edgar County Watchdogs Accuse Sullivan Campaign, County Sheriffs of Improper Electioneering

By Benjamin Cox on April 1, 2022 at 10:52am

An Illinois watchdog group has accused an Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate of improper electioneering in a recent campaign ad.

Illinois Leaks, also known as the Edgar County Watchdogs, believe that GOP candidate Jesse Sullivan has “improperly used public property for campaign purposes” due to the depiction of 5 Illinois county sheriffs appearing in a campaign commercial. You can view the commercial here.

In the video, the five sheriffs which includes Cass County Sheriff Devron Ohrn, appear in support of Sullivan’s campaign platform on crime and support of law enforcement. Some of the sheriffs are seen in their official uniforms and badges or appear driving official police vehicles.

Illinois Leaks, citing sections of the Illinois State Constitution governing elections, says that the video depicts official misconduct and illegal use of public property for electioneering purposes. According to the section that Illinois Leaks cited from the State Constitution, the Sullivan campaign could be cited for a Class B misdemeanor.

Ohrn specifically appears in the video dressed in a suit standing outside of a police vehicle. The Cass County Sheriff’s logo or a Cass County Sheriff’s badge is not shown nor does it appear directly or indirectly in the video.

When asked for a comment about the accusation from Illinois Leaks, Ohrn says he has no public comment at this time.

Illinois Leaks has threatened to file a formal complaint about the video with the Illinois State Board of Elections. Illinois Leaks says they have reached out to the sheriffs in the video and the Sullivan campaign for comment but have received no response at this time.