Posted on 02/23/2008 8:03:47 AM PST by jdm
Illinois millionaire Bill Foster said to be holding ex-wife “hostage”
Portraying a warm and fuzzy family image is nothing new for politicians seeking to curry favor with voters. But Illinois Democrat Bill Foster, seeking election to Congress in the district once held by former House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, has taken things a step further – boasting on his campaign website of the amicable relationship he enjoys with his ex-wife, who divorced him in 1996.
“Bill and Ann are both very proud of remaining on good terms and making things as easy as possible for their kids,” Foster wrote on his candidate biography.
But according to Illinois court records obtained by the Majority Accountability Project (www.majorityap.com), the Foster’s were far from being “on good terms” during their testy divorce proceedings.
In fact, in a motion filed in Circuit Court in Kane County, his then-wife Ann claimed, under oath, that Foster “pushed, shoved and caused physical abuse and emotional harm…putting her in fear for herself (and the couple’s) minor children.” Ann Foster asked the court to remove her husband from the home they shared, and that the court “issue a temporary restraining order against (Bill Foster) from calling, harassing or touching (Ann Foster).”
Read on . . .
Equally troubling is Foster’s claim that “Bill and Ann agreed to live within a few blocks of each other in Batavia.” Court records indicate Ann Foster’s decision to live near her soon-to-be ex-husband was not voluntary.
A provision of the couple’s divorce settlement stipulated that if Ann Foster moved outside of the Batavia School district prior to their daughter’s eighteenth birthday, “wife shall pay to husband the sum of Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000).” Circuit Court Judge Keith Brown, who presided over the couple’s divorce, seemed stunned.
“I have never seen a provision as this, such as $50,000 payment if someone moves out of the school district,” he said in a transcript obtained by majorityap.com. “I’m not sure if that’s – let’s say when that day comes, the enforceability of that provision would be an issue.”
The judge said of Bill Foster that “it almost sounds, on the initial surface, as if you are holding someone hostage to stay within any school district, which is not in the law of the State of Illinois.”
There is some evidence the Foster's once acrimonious relationship has improved.
Ann Foster has since moved from the Batavia School district, and now draws a paycheck from her ex-husband. According to Foster’s campaign website, she “works as a software engineer for Bill's company in Wisconsin.”
Majorityap.com refuted an earlier claim Foster made, when he wrote in a campaign mailing that he served on the staff of U.S. Representative Patrick Murphy, D-PA. Following that report, Foster and Murphy repeatedly changed their stories on what role, if any, Foster played in Murphy’s Congressional office.
Foster was a major contributor to Murphy, raising the specter of possible ethics violations by the Pennsylvania freshman.
Yeah, "Jack!" won the nomination handily before departing the race. I just wish we had someone better than Oberweis. The guy makes my skin crawl. I've had nothing but bad experiences with him. The guy couldn't care less about the GOP or conservatism. This is just an ego stroke.
He’s a dim so it won’t matter.
Probably not.
With the Democrat sweep of IL and so many states pending, who knows if the district where R. Reagan was born won’t also go Democrat?
While the IL-11 looks grim, I am feeling good about the IL-14. Bill Foster is running ads blaming Bush and Oberweis for Iraqi and recession. Oberweis is hitting back at Foster calling him a Moveon moonbat.
Oberweis will hold it, but he’s little better than a rich Romneyesque political whore. :-\
Yes but divorce proceedings usually go against the husband. He must have had the judge in his hip pocket to get a provision like that in the settlement.
Divorce law is ridiculous.
Update on the IL-14. Despite Foster and Oberweis being able to self-finance their campaigns, the DCCC and NRCC both have dumped a $1 million dollars into the race. The DCCC has a funny ad blasting Oberweis for his flip-flops. Plus a 527 group is using the scare seniors card against Oberweis. Both sides expect the race to be close.
Survey USA has a poll showing Foster leading Oberweis, 52-47. Oh great.
The cash-strapped GOP is dumping big money to help the independently wealthy Oberweis, while ignoring the campaign of the promising but underfunded Jon Elrod in Indianapolis. Quick thinking like this is one of the reasons that the Republican campaign committees are cash-strapped to begin with.
Foster has an ad featuring Hussein Obama speaking glowingly about Foster. IL’s Messiah says D.C stinks and Foster will bring real change. Although Obama does not say what kind of change. This ad may well pump up the Dem voters in the district to flock to the polls. In a low turnout special election that is not good news.
In addition, there maybe a sour grapes at work. The primary battle between Lauzen and Oberweis was bitter. Lauzen has not campaigned with Oberweis at all. It could be that Lauzen wants Foster to win the special election so he can face Foster in the fall. That theory works if hillary steals the Dem nomination thru the Super Delagates. If Obama is the Dem nominee, Foster won’t be going anywhere.
I am really hoping that Oberweis doesn’t become a Loserweis on Saturday.
I think I’d better retract my post #7 on this thread. I just saw Oberweis’s negatives.
“How long have you been beating your wife?”
Do you have Obie’s negatives? Survey USA’s site was down earlier today.
Is your opinion of Jim Oberweis ... favorable? Unfavorable? Neutral? Or, are you unfamiliar with Jim Oberweis?
38% Favorable
49% Unfavorable
12% Neutral
1% Unfamiliar
Compare to Democrat Foster:
Is your opinion of Bill Foster ... favorable? Unfavorable? Neutral? Or, are you unfamiliar with Bill Foster?
42% Favorable
31% Unfavorable
22% Neutral
5% Unfamiliar
Ugh. I guess there is a reason why Oberweis was rejected in 3 statewide primary contests.
Oberweis is a lot like Mitt Romney. Both are successful business people. Both change positions every election cycle. Both blast rival Republicans for having RINOish stands on the issues when they held the same positions a few years ago. Both Romney & Oberweis try to bully supporters of other Republican candidates into joining their sides. When Romney & Oberweis lose, they blame the RINO establishment for rigging the system against them.
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