Unlike former Illinois Senator Roland Burris, who was pushed out of office by an Illinois legal system that determined that he failed to meet a deadline to run for re-election, Rahm Emanuel appears to be above the law.
The Illinois Supreme Court today announced that it would stay a lower court ruling that disqualified Rahm Emanuel from the ballot for Chicago’s Feb. 22 mayoral election.
The high court ordered the city’s election officials to include Emanuel’s name on any ballots printed as the third- largest U.S. city begins early voting on Jan. 31.
“It is ordered that emergency motion by petitioner Rahm Emanuel for stay pending appeal is allowed in part,” the court wrote in an order. “The appellate court decision is stayed. The Board of Elections is directed that if any ballots are printed while this Court is considering this case, the ballots should include the name of petitioner Rahm Emanuel as a candidate for Mayor of the City of Chicago.”
An appellate court panel had ruled 2-1 yesterday that Emanuel “unquestionably does not satisfy” a requirement that candidates reside in Chicago for one year prior to the election. Emanuel and his family moved to Washington in early 2009 and rented out their home after Obama selected him.