Illinois Republicans Disown Candidate Over Conspiracy Theories

ROCK ISLAND, IL — A second Illinois Republican congressional candidate set to appear on this November's ballot has been disowned by party leaders for expressing extremist beliefs. State, county and central committee representatives all dropped their support of 17th Congressional District candidate Bill Fawell over his social media posts endorsing conspiracy theories.

In social media posts on his "Elect Fawell" page, the candidate has suggested 9/11 was carried out by the Israeli government and that mass shootings in Newtown, Orlando and San Bernandino were staged by the United States. He also endorsed the idea of a satanic conspiracy involving a Washington D.C. pizza shop.

Fawell, 64, of Galena, is facing Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Moline) in the northwestern Illinois district, which includes the Quad Cities area and parts of Rockford and Peoria. A licensed real estate broker and precinct committeeman, he said he has not received support from the state party.

"The party cut me loose a long time ago. I’m not their candidate," Fawell told the Dispatch-Argus. "I’ve been a Republican my whole life, but the American people have had it with both parties. I appeal to the independent voters.”

He said the state GOP was in disarray and had been reacting to left-wing media reports.

The Illinois Republican Party had no response to a report in May from CNN, which Fawell described as the "Clinton News Network" and "fake news."

It noted the candidate claimed in 2013 that entertainers Jay-Z, Beyonce and Madonna were promoting the Illuminati through satanic Super Bowl halftime shows. The Illuminati is an alleged secret society believed by some to mastermind world events.

In a statement Tuesday, Tim Schneider, chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, called Fawell a liar and said he could not support his candidacy, according to the Dispatch-Argus.

“Bill Fawell has a problem with the truth and his statements have done a disservice to the individuals who lost their lives from terrible acts of violence,” Schneider said.

Like Lyons insurance salesman Art Jones, a self-described "national socialist" who organizes neo-Nazi events and denies the Holocaust, Fawell was heading into the November election as a deep underdog.

Fawell ran unopposed in the Republican primary after Galesburg developer Mark Kleine, who had been expected to self-fund much of his campaign, fired his staff and dropped out of the race with a letter sharply critical of the political financing.

“I’ve learned this is an industry that celebrates wasteful spending, encourages inflated campaign budgets and has no regard for operational oversight," Kleine told campaign contributors, according to the Register-Mail. "Unfortunately, I learned the hard way, that sacrificing one’s values and beliefs is expected to be a part of the process."

As a result, Fawell, the author of the books "New American Revolution" and "The Science of Liberty," found himself alone on the ballot in the March 20.

“I guess I was kind of surprised just like everyone else,” Fawell told the Register-Mail in January.

Along with Schneider, Rock Island County GOP committee chair Drue Mielke, and Jan Weber, Republican state central committeeman for the 17th Congressional District, withdrew their support for Fawell's candidacy, the Dispatch-Argus reported.

Read more from the Rock Island Dispatch-Argus

(Video via The Telegraph-Herald)