Republican gubernatorial candidate Jeanne Ives is facing criticism after she was forced to dis-invite a special guest to a suburban fundraiser.
The Woodstock fundraiser, scheduled to take place Thursday, was set to feature Bill Whittle, who has gained notoriety for his controversial remarks while speaking as a commentator for the National Rifle Association.
Ives’ campaign released a statement just before the fundraiser saying that Whittle had been disinvited after they became aware of his comments.
“Whittle was a guest of the organizer,” her campaign said. “His comments are obviously offensive and objectionable. Whittle has been disinvited from the event.”
Whittle, highlighted as a “special guest” for the event on a promotional sheet published on Capitol Fax, has come under fire for referring to African Americans who support Democrats as “slaves who prefer to remain in captivity.”
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He has also been criticized for his remarks on the “Islamic invasion of Europe” and for calling former President Barack Obama “unqualified” and that he was only elected because he is black.
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Governor Bruce Rauner’s campaign issued a statement about the controversy, saying that is shows “how unelectable Representative Ives really is.”
Ives’ campaign says that she disavows any endorsement from Whittle, and that a video of him supporting her campaign has been pulled from her website.
