Forte-Scott flier pulled after Daily Herald complaint

A campaign flier supporting Anita Forte-Scott's bid for the 56th District State House seat has been pulled after a complaint by the Daily Herald.

The flier, sent out in mid-September, featured a quote from a 2005 Daily Herald endorsement of Forte-Scott for the Schaumburg Township District Library board.

In an Oct. 4 editorial on the flier, the Daily Herald wrote: "Republican Anita Forte-Scott of Schaumburg is making language from a three-year-old library board editorial appear to be an endorsement from us in her race against incumbent State Rep. Paul Froehlich."

State House GOP spokesman David Dring said the flier was pulled Thursday after the party received the complaint. Still, Dring defended the flier, noting the quote's publication date was clearly included under the text. The flier made no mention that it was about the library board race.

"We do not feel it was misleading," Dring said.

Froehlich, the 56-year-old Democrat House incumbent, said the flier could have tricked voters into thinking the Daily Herald had endorsed Forte-Scott, 39, for the 56th District seat.

The flier was consistent with other attacks that Froehlich said were also misleading, particularly linking him with Cook County Board President Todd Stroger's tax hike.

But Dring added the flier in question is nothing compared what he said were misleading campaign mailings the Froehlich camp has sent out attacking Forte-Scott.

For example, Dring said Froehlich's camp has disseminated information about the Department of Children and Family Services receiving complaints about the day care center Forte-Scott runs in Elgin. But Dring said the state agency determined those complaints unfounded.

Froehlich and Forte-Scott were both questioned about negative campaign tactics on Sept. 25 during a debate in Schaumburg.

"Unfortunately, it's not a called a campaign for nothing. It's a war, and that's generally what elections are all about, sadly enough," Forte-Scott said.

The 56th district includes Schaumburg, parts of Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Roselle, Hanover Park and Bloomingdale.