Ugly false robocall makes defamatory attacks against John Schiera and Brad O'Halloran tonight

I hate getting telephone calls from unknown numbers, especially after 8 pm. And that's just when one came to the phone from a number identified on my Caller ID as "000-000-0000."
Right away, I knew it was some kind of scam. With technology today, I figured I can always listen later, but then I figured, why not check it out. So I did.
It was disgusting. 
A woman's voice comes on claiming to be against "Domestic violence." She then identifies herself as "Sharon," no last name at all. Just "Sharon."
That sounds suspicious.
Then in the most disgusting manner possible, she starts off attacking Orland Park Trustee and METRA Chairman Brad O'Halloran, someone with an impeccable background and career in public service, and another person who I don't know named "John Schiera."
Turns out John Schiera is a candidate for the Moraine Valley Community College Board, running in the April 9 election. O'Halloran is running on the same ballot in Orland Park for re-election as a village trustee.
I plan on voting for O'Halloran but I had no idea who to vote for in the race for Moraine Valley Community College. I know Gary D. Lewis and I like him and plan to vote for him, but Lewis is only one of 6 candidates battling it out for the three (3) seats on the MVCC Board.
Here's the list of names from the April 9 ballot.

John Brosnan Donahue	NonPartisan	204
Sandra S. Wagner	NonPartisan	205
John Schiera	NonPartisan	206
Ricardo A. Fernandez	NonPartisan	207
Joseph P. Murphy	NonPartisan	208
Eileen M. O'Sullivan	NonPartisan	209
Gary D. Lewis	NonPartisan	210

I did some quick searching on John Schiera. I reached out to him on Facebook and I checked him out online using BeenVerified.com which identifies whether or not someone has had a criminal past, as was alleged in the robocall by "Sharon."

Turns out the accusation is false. Schiera has no criminal record on file. In fact, he is a businessman from Palos Park. He's 51 years old and on top of it, he was born on a day I really love, July 4.

The robocall is a scam, one of the worst kind. True disgusting mudslinging. If the accusation were true, the caller, "Sharon," would have identified her last name. But more significantly, the Robocall would come from a traceable number, not one that is intentionally disguised to hide the source of the political mudslinging.

Worse is at the end. Election law REQUIRES to all campaign literature have a disclosure of who is responsible for the literature be it a printed mailer or a telephone robocall. But this one ends by saying, "This call has been paid for by." And it just ends.

In fact, it ends that way in every phone call.

I think that Cook County Clerk David Orr should get off his partisan ass and earn his salary and investigate who is behind this defamatory, illegal election robocall. I think the Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan -- who would clearly do a more professional job than the very partisan David Orr -- should investigate this too.

The political person who is behind this should be arrested and charged with a crime. Better yet, if they have the cajones, they should stand up and defend their slanderous accusations.

But the person who paid for the robocall -- and robocalls cost money -- won't because that person is a coward. There is no doubt that the person who paid for the call doesn't give a damn about domestic violence, but used it believing that it was the most scurrilous thing you could say about someone to destroy their reputation weeks before an election.

It's disgusting.

Just to show that I won't be bullied, you can bet that I will go out and vote for John Schiera now. AND I definitely will make sure that I vote for Brad O'Halloran, too. YOU SHOULD VOTE FOR BRAD O'HALLORAN and JOHN SCHIERA, TOO!

If someone is so desperate to keep them off the ballot using slander and defamation, and are afraid to identify themselves as the source of the accusation, then clearly the accusations are false and John Schiera is a good person.

I urge you to send a clear and strong message on Tuesday April 9 and vote for Brad O'Halloran and John Schiera and show the scumbag who paid for the ugly robocall that we won't be bullied by shameless cowards.

--- Ray Hanania