My Takes From the Kathy Michael Press Conference

By: Diane Benjamin I didn’t attend to hear what Kathy had to say, her press release said most of what she wanted people to know: https://blnnews.com/2026/04/30/press-conference-1100-am-friday/ I attended to hear what questions the press was going to ask. The WGLT story was reasonably fair, which was surprising after listening to questions asked by the reporter. […]

Press Conference 11:00 AM Friday

MCLEAN COUNTY CLERK PRESS CONFERENCE: FRIDAY, May 1, 11:00 am, Lobby of Government Center 115 E. Washington Street, Bloomington, IL The Democrats on our McLean County Board have gone too far. I can handle bullies, but not when they unjustly try to scare and bully members of our staff by sending the IL State Police […]

Kathy Michael email – Part 1

By: Diane Benjamin Below is an email that was sent and answered in March by William Bessler to McLean County Clerk Kathy Michael on behalf of the Finance Committee. The chair of that committee, Val Laymon, at least one other committee member, and administration also received the response from Kathy Michael. Bessler’s questions are listed […]

County Board Theatrics

By: Diane Benjamin It looks like the County Board Democrats were merely playing theatrics to promote their McLean County Clerk candidate. If you appreciate lies, then we all know who you are going to vote for. PDF page 238 https://mcleancountyil.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04162026-1174 This was passed last Thursday: This is what the Board actually approved – from Kathy […]

Is Fake News Distorting Local Budget Facts?

By: Diane Benjamin The media can either perpetuate lies or report fairly. This will clearly show who is only interested in promoting the left and who actually cares about the truth. I have emails proving McLean County Clerk Kathy Michael responded to the Administration and Finance Committee when questions were raised about budget overages. I […]

The Real County Budget Story

By: Diane Benjamin Budgeting low for optics is how government works. That is why many “budget amendments” happen throughout the year. It isn’t departments that budget low, it’s administration cutting budgets to make themselves look good. Since the 2025 County financial statement haven’t been issued yet, look at 2024: https://mcleancountyil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/30155/ACFR-123120240001 PDF page 122 and following […]

Stop the Lies

By: Diane Benjamin I love when attack dogs show how they think by leaving comments here. This one was last night while I was sound asleep at almost 11:00pm: Yes totally ignore the total corruption coming out of the McLean County Clerk office. Missing money, A guy that worked for the Clerks office had porn […]

No one was denied the right to vote!

By: Diane Benjamin The video below is from Public Comment at the McLean County Board meeting last night. Just hit play. These speakers expect poll workers to be perfect. Perfection doesn’t exist. Nobody is perfect. 4 people spoke and then Kathy Michael. Why anyone would sign up to be a poll worker if they aren’t […]

Public Test of Election Equipment Today

I just received this, if the Bloomington Election Commission is holding a public test I wasn’t notified:

Planning to Early Vote downtown?

By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader This picture is the entrance to the Government Center from Washington Street where early voting takes place. According to County Clerk Kathy Michael the building has experienced the smell of sewage. She was not told what is going on at this entrance, but obviously a plumbing crew is digging […]

County Clerk’s office damaged by water pipe break

By: Diane Benjamin Kathy Michael was notified over the weekend of water damage to her office. The office is open today, the front part and vital records did not sustain damage. Most of the damage is confined to election rooms toward the rear. Crews are in the offices now assessing the damage. Desktop computers are […]

Kording moves hearing to Monday

By: Diane Benjamin A Zoom hearing was held this morning to hear the filing by the State’s Attorneys office representing County Clerk Kathy Michael. She is bound by Federal Law to mail ballots to service members 45 days before the election. She can’t print the ballots before the referendum issue is decided or risk having […]

Press Release: Voting by mail and not mailing a ballot

See the entire Press Release here: In case you don’t trust the Post Office to actually deliver your ballot: Excerpts: Click on the link above to see those locations.

Nazi mask cops on the loose!

By:  Diane Benjamin McLean County Clerk Kathy Michael contacted me after she received a phone call from a reporter at WGLT.  Knowing that it was likely Tari Renner who told Ryan Denham what to write, she wanted the truth out first. This saga starts with Bloomington City Manager Tim Gleason sending an email to Kathy […]

Will Incompetence Run Vote By Mail?

By:  Diane Benjamin We are headed for the worst election in the history of this country.  Vote By Mail will be fraught with errors, outright fraud, and incompetence by election authorities.  Irregularities will allow people who want reek havoc easily do it.  China and Russia can’t possibly do more damage than Vote By Mail will. […]

Voting by Mail? I’m not!

By:  Diane Benjamin Last week the Kathy Michael, McLean County Clerk, and Tim Mitchell, Executive Director of the Bloomington Election Commission, issued a joint Press Release. Note:  If you had voted to abolish BEC when you had the chance there wouldn’t be TWO now!  (No, I’m not letting you forget) You will be getting a […]

Early Voting, vote by mail

By:  Diane Benjamin I have avoided any information on where to vote early because I don’t believe in it.  All  Democrats who early voted in the Primary had a good chance of throwing their vote away because many people have dropped out of the presidential race. An early vote doesn’t means anything more than not […]

Nikita, where are you?

By:  Diane Benjamin Think back folks.  Nikita Richards accused Kathy Michael of voter suppression because the kids at ISU had to stand in lines.  Prediction:  The kids will show up to vote in November right before the polls close and Nikita will complain again about voter suppression at ISU. BUT, Nikita hasn’t said a word […]

Proof money can’t buy local elections

By:  Diane Benjamin JB might have bought the governorship, but it didn’t work in the McLean County Clerk’s race. The final contribution numbers to candidates are not yet available.  I can tell you what contributions are listed to date on the Board of Elections website. Nikita Richards received $20,720     Nikita Richards Here’s a few […]

Election Recap

By:  Diane Benjamin Congrats Illinois.  Democrats are in complete control.  Will somebody please name one place where Democrats have allowed prosperity.  Anyone?  Anyone?  Democrats create dependents, not a vibrant growing economy.   Illinois will collapse under the weight of politicians who refuse to fix the problems. Likely it is too late to leave Illinois since property […]

The Pantagraph is the problem, not the Russians

By:  Diane Benjamin I’m not supposed to be anywhere near a computer screen with a concussion, but some things have to be said. The media is not the enemy of the people, they are the enemy of the truth. I have reports from multiple sources that the Pantagraph hasn’t printed at least 20 Letters to […]

City of Refuge Church: GOP not allowed!

By:  Diane Benjamin Remember when Nikita Richards campaigned during a church service?     https://blnnews.com/2018/10/01/nikita-lying-in-church/ City of Refuge Church must have decided they messed up with Nikita, so the GOP was invited to speak at the church.  Various dates were discussed and then all mysteriously cancelled. Four candidates where going to come BEFORE a service to […]

Nikita defeated herself

By:  Diane Benjamin If you haven’t decided who to support in the McLean County Clerk’s race, this article in the paper should make it crystal clear:    https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/mclean-county-clerk-hopefuls-push-improvements-bemoan-bitter-race/article_b4244ca0-16a0-5910-8666-00349ca6c74e.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-2 If you live in the County (not Bloomington-Normal) are you under-served by the Clerk’s office?  Nikita Richards thinks you are and plans to spend more money to serve […]

Clerk debate – laughable

By:  Diane Benjamin The room was packed with citizens last night wanting to hear the two candidates.  There was easily over 200 people, standing room only. Nikita Richards continued her attacks on Kathy Michael, including that she violated the law by delaying early voting.  It didn’t matter that Michael had the permission of the State’s […]

County Clerk debate tonight!

6-7 pm at Heartland Community College – Community Commons building. Kathy Michael – Nikita Richards Should be fun!  

Nikita not apologizing for lies

By:  Diane Benjamin At least 2 Peoria TV stations  and WYZZ covered the lies told by Nikita Richards in a local church last Sunday.  The local Republicans asked her to apologize for claiming Kathy Michael broke the law by delaying the start of early voting.  If you missed that story, see it here:   https://blnnews.com/2018/10/01/mclean-county-republicans-news-release/ Nikita […]

Kevin Gerrard response to media

By:  Diane Benjamin Gerrard is the guy who filed the ethics complaint with the City of Bloomington against Nikita Richards. This morning he left a comment on this site that neither the Pantagraph reporter or the WJBC reporter contacted him before doing stories.  He stated he is not behind the Bloomington Deserves Better Facebook page, […]

Nikita’s June history + Funny FOIA

By:  Diane Benjamin Kevin Gerrard, the guy who filed the ethics complaint with the City of Bloomington, also filed for Nikita’s browser history for the entire month of June.  According to him, he filed the complaint and FOIA because HE is paying Nikita’s salary as a resident of Bloomington. One quick note about who filed […]

What really happened at ISU?

By:  Diane Benjamin Think back.  Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are vying for the Democrat nomination for president.  The Illinois primary election was held on March 15, 2016. The Town of Normal has 30 precincts.  The entire County picked Hillary Clinton, 26 of Normal’s 30 locations picked Bernie Sanders. 

Video: Kathy Michael Press Conference

Press packets proving many of the points made were distributed to all members of the press there.

Democrats FOIA Kathy Michaels

By:  Diane Benjamin The Kathy Michael press conference is going to be interesting.  The Democrats hired a lawyer to FOIA Kathy Michael’s browser history!

Press Conference – Kathy Michael

Email from Kathy Michael to the press: In light of recent false comments in the article below, and numerous other past disturbing and now deliberate false statements regarding our election process in McLean County by Ms. Nikita Richards, I can no longer stand by and remain silent. The election process in McLean County is being […]

Once again Nikita, facts matter

By:  Diane Benjamin Nikita Richards wants to be the next McLean County Clerk.  She has a problem with facts however.  See this post from her Facebook page and try to spot the problem: Spot it yet?  Should I wait? waiting . . . waiting . . . Nothing? She claims she met a guy in […]

GOP: Eliminate the Bloomington Election Commission

By:  Diane Benjamin The GOP met tonight to hear presentations from Bloomington Election Commission head Paul Shannon and County Clerk Kathy Michael. The purpose was to determine if the GOP should support a referendum to combine BEC with the County Clerk’s office. After the presentations, the precinct committeemen voted unanimously to support the referendum.  I […]

Say hello to Governor JB

By:  Diane Benjamin Bruce Rauner will not be able to recover.  In his acceptance speech he said Jeanne Ives ran a principled campaign.  He didn’t.  Illinois is much worse since Rauner has been governor, he doesn’t deserve 4 more years.  Besides the lies he told during the campaign, he is responsible for making Illinois a […]

Correction: Enough Games!

I’m changing my statements as it pertains to Jamie Mathy and Kim Bray.  The statements they filed this year apply to last year, so alderman would not be on it.  The real problem is the County does not post the Statements of Economic Interest filed with petitions.  That means voters have no way of knowing […]

Kathy Michael Press Release: Customer Satisfaction

By:  Diane Benjamin I was one of the people against dissolving the Recorder’s Office.  The only reason was because property rights are vital to securing freedom and the right to own property.  Other countries do not protect private property like this one.  I do know before Lee Newcom (the late Recorder of Deeds) spent many […]

Vote Test:

From:   Kathy Michael McLean County Clerk Phone:  309.888.5183 See the law here: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/001000050K24B-9.htm . . . . .

Corruption Central

By:  Diane Benjamin Multiple Choice test: A)  Why is Matt Sorensen’s name not being taken off the March 15th ballot?  The “powers” think voters are just stupid enough to re-elect him  The “powers” want him re-elected so they can they get his resignation and appoint the person they want  The “powers” want the March 15th […]

Setting the Record Straight: Kathy Michael

by:  Diane Benjamin A month ago this story was posted:  http://blnnews.com/2014/01/08/fly-on-the-wall-kathy-michael/ Kathy Michael ranted in the comments – she has a real problem with being anything less than perfect and somebody pointing that out. Kathy, here’s a tip: just tell the truth and nothing else matters.  I told you to get me proof of what […]