EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (Legal Newsline) – The Democratic nominee seeking to represent Illinois’ 13th Congressional District may not have technically lived in the state while serving as a circuit judge, according to a recent report.
The candidate in question is Ann Callis, a former Madison County chief judge who stepped down from a 19-year career on the bench last year to challenge incumbent Rep. Rodney Davis.
On Sunday, the Lee Enterprises Springfield bureau reported that Callis, when she was still a judge, signed multiple mortgage papers identifying her residence as a home in Kirkwood, Mo.
The article stated it obtained copies of mortgage records and that a Callis’ campaign spokesperson, David Miyashiro, confirmed Callis signed the documents. He also said the candidate is a resident of Illinois who lived in a house she owns in Troy, but she moved into a rental house in Edwardsville for the campaign.
The Davis campaign is also questioning Callis’ residency, according to the article.
"Ann Callis is either being untruthful about her residence in Missouri or untruthful about her residence in Illinois," Davis campaign manager Tim Butler said in the article. "These documents, attested to by a notary and signed by Callis, raise very legitimate questions as to whether she actually lived in Illinois while being an elected judge in our state. At the least, a judge and lawyer should know not to sign fraudulent documents."
The National Republican Congressional Committee believes Callis, who has attacked Davis in the past over his relationship with lobbyists, should spend less time at fundraisers in D.C. and more time determining her residency.
“Ann Callis should be explaining why over numerous years she signed notarized documents saying she lives in St. Louis, but instead she bailed from the 13th District to raise money with a mega-lobbyist in D.C.,” said Katie Prill, NRCC Spokeswoman.
“We know Callis is trying to figure out if she is from Missouri or Illinois, but she should know better than to hob-knob in Washington with (Nancy) Pelosi’s lobbyist friends.”
On Wednesday, Callis attended a fundraiser in D.C. at the home of lobbyist Tom Trotter.
Reach David Yates at elections@legalnewsline.com
IL13 race: Article calls Callis’ residency called into question
