'This Is Not Me': Hastings' Ex-Wife Disputes Campaign Letter

FRANKFORT, IL — The ex-wife of State Sen. Michael Hastings is speaking out after she alleges that a campaign letter from by the Frankfort politician's sister was intentionally written to seem like it came from her.

On Wednesday, the campaign said that it did not mean to mislead voters when it sent out a letter written and signed by Kate Hastings. While officials said Wednesday that Michael Hastings had said previously the letter was written by his sister, ex-wife Kathleen Hastings — who sometimes goes by Kate and whose divorce to the senator became official last month — wrote a passionate response on social media this week insisting the letter did not come from her.

"This IS NOT ME," the message, posted to Kathleen Hastings’ personal Facebook page on Monday, said. "I did NOT write this letter. I had NO knowledge of this letter being written. This is NOT my signature. I have NEVER lived at the address that is posted as the return of address. I would also never use such terrible (stationery)."

The letter, sent out by the campaign on social media and in text messages, supports Hastings’ re-election bid despite calls for Hastings to resign from office. Those pleas have come from various Democrats, including Gov. J.B. Pritzker after Hastings was accused by his ex-wife of abusing her. Hastings is suing the Frankfort Police Department after he said the report of the alleged domestic abuse was leaked from within the department.

The campaign letter referred to Michael Hastings as the right person to be Illinois' state senator and characterized the politician as an "extraordinary husband and father." However, the letter never indicated the author's specific relationship with the senator, although a Hastings spokesperson said that Michael Hastings had made it clear who wrote the letter.

In her post, Kathleen Hastings said that she has stayed extremely quiet the past two years, but noted with October being Domestic Violence Awareness month, she was no longer willing to remain silent.

"You can imagine how difficult these past two years have been not only on me, but my children, my family, and my closest friends," she wrote. "I know it’s election season. I have seen the mailers, the horrific text messages, and the social media posts and I have read all of the dozens of (media) articles written.

"THIS IS NOT OK."

A spokesperson for Michael Hastings' campaign claimed on Wednesday that since their divorce, Kathleen Hastings has used her maiden name, Kate Drew. However, Patch was informed on Thursday that wrote Kathleen Hastings has kept her married last name since she and Michael Hastings share children together.

Patch was also told that Kathleen Hastings changed her Facebook profile name after her then-husband voted for the police reform bill, which led to local residents sending her social media messages voicing their displeasure with the vote.

A source also claims that the letter marked at least the second time that Michael Hastings’ sister, Kate, pretended to be Kathleen Hastings. The source that the letter is another attempt to save face and fool voters into thinking that his ex-wife supports him or his candidacy to keep his political office.

In her social media post, Hastings called the campaign letter "a slap across the face of any victim of domestic violence."