08/14/2026
FORMER MAYOR IRVIN IS BEHIND THE RECALL EFFORT FOR MAYOR AND ALDERMEN-AT-LARGE:
Irvin for Aurora filed their quarterly D2 statement with the Illinois State Board of elections at the end of June 2026. The June filing revealed something interesting.
Three disbursements to Hani Consulting (Joseph Hani) totaling $15,000 and another check to Si Se Puede Consulting (Miriam Smith) in the amount of $6,855, both of whom were involved in the gathering signatures for the recall. Third quarter D2 statements will be checked for additional payouts. (Slides 1, 2 & 3)
Irvin’s mother also circulated the petition. (Slide 4)
In addition to Irvin financially backing the referendum, the frontmen for the effort have support from Republican attorney, John Fogarty, the same attorney who wrote Irvin’s failed attempt to remove John Laesch from the ballot in 2025 with a frivolous petition challenge. (Slide 5)
We have seen this show before. This recall effort is nothing more than a political stunt, similar to Irvin’s effort to remove Laesch, Garcia and Garcia from the 2025 ballot.
THE RECALL IS UNDEMOCRATIC AND ONLY TARGETS THE MAYOR AND 2 ALDERMEN:
If enacted, the referendum would allow 20% of the people who voted in the previous election to initiate a recall, effectively overriding the will of the 50% of the electorate who voted for the Mayor or any Alderman-at-Large. The recall petition does NOT apply to the ward aldermen. (Slide 6)
A LEGAL PROCESS TO REMOVE UNQUALIFIED PEOPLE FROM OFFICE ALREADY EXISTS:
We don’t need a recall mechanism because there is already a process for removing an unqualified elected official from office. It is called a Quo Warranto proceeding. (Slide 7)
Working Families Aurora backed an initiative in 2024 to remove former Alderman Llamas from office after he moved from Ward 1, where he was elected to serve, to Ward 5, where he currently resides. Prior to the State Attorney initiating a Quo Warranto proceeding to remove Llamas from office, he resigned.
DECEPTIVE MESSAGING:
The number, “9,000 signatures” that is being used to demonstrate a “groundswell of support” by proponents of the referendum is misleading. Only 4,600 signatures were filed to recall the Mayor, and the same people signed the 4,005 signatures that were filed to recall the Aldermen-at-Large. A large number of the signatories were not registered to vote, lived outside of Aurora, or signed the petitions two or three times.
THE OBJECTION IS FILED:
An official “objection” to the signatures was filed by a Working Families Aurora member, Helen Ratzlow. The objection will trigger a series of hearings/proceedings before an electoral review board. Mayor Laesch would be chairing the electoral review board, but he made it known that he will be recusing himself from this position because he has been involved in the objection. His participation in the objection is well-documented on ring cameras while he was spot-checking petitions. Because Laesch is recusing himself, the third position on the electoral review board will be filled by Alderwoman Garza. (Slide 8)
The Objection articulates the number of invalid signatures and calls for the Electoral Review Board to reject these two referenda questions from the November 2026 ballot. The objection also highlights several other legal challenges to the proposed referendum questions.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE ASKING (SLIDE 9):
1) Who is paying John Fogarty’s legal expenses?
2) Who is sending Richard Irvin $15,000 checks every quarter to keep this drama going?
3) Why is Danny Souri doing this? A right-wing shock jock certainly needs his ego fed, but who would waste all of this time on such a ridiculous effort?
