Chicago Democrats held a fundraiser in support of a fellow Democrat candidate, State Rep. Derrick Smith, who was charged with bribery only last week, saying even he would be preferable to a Republican.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports:
Perhaps the most audacious plea came from West Side Democratic elected officials who urged voters to support an Illinois House member charged with bribery. It looks bad, they acknowledged, but it will prevent the seat from falling into the hands of Republicans.
The rally in support of appointed state Rep. Derrick Smith (D-Chicago) featured U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.), three aldermen and a county commissioner and even adopted a catchy moniker: "No defeat or retreat — keep the Dem seat." …
Smith was arrested last week by federal prosecutors after being secretly recorded while allegedly accepting a $7,000 bribe in exchange for writing a letter of support for a daycare center seeking a $50,000 state grant.