ROCKFORD, Ill. – On Monday, audio of a conversation between the staff at a district office of Illinois Congresswoman Cheri Bustos and another individual was released to the press by the Schilling campaign.

The individual taping the conversation was asking the Bustos staffer about an issue in Rockford and Peoria, Illinois, which are partly represented by Rep. Bustos. The staffer described Rockford as “very urban” and “very underprivileged.” She said constituents there spent “more in jail than church.”

IR contacted Bustos for comment. There has been no reply.

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The following is a transcript of the conversation:

Constituent: But the other areas, like Rockford or Peoria or those areas?”

Bustos’ Office: “You know, I don’t spend a lot of time in those areas. I don’t think–I’ve never heard anything in Rockford. You’ve gotta understand, the part of Rockford we have, though–”

Constituent: “Is pretty rural? Or, pretty, no, urban, isn’t it?”

Bustos’ Office: “Very, very urban, very poor, very underprivileged. Not people that, um, spend a lot of time in church [laughter]. More in jail [laughter] than church.”

The audio recording was released by the Schilling for Congress campaign, which also released a statement:

“Before they vote, voters need to know how their Representative thinks of them. This recording is particularly revealing and Cheri Bustos has a lot to answer for.”

“The views stated on the recording are a window into a cynical operation that does not respect the people she serves. The people of Rockford deserve an apology.”

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According to the Schilling campaign, the conversation was recorded last winter in one of Rep. Bustos’ district offices. These offices are not part of the campaign operation and are funded by government appropriation. The staff member in the recording, then, would be a Congressional employee and not a campaign volunteer.

Listen to the audio here:

Published with permission