As the race for the Illinois Supreme Court heats up with weeks to go, there are questions raised about contributions incumbent Justice Michael Burke previously received and the subsequent nominations he made.
The donations to Burke’s campaign were made by Judge Athanikar’s husband, Manas Athanikar, and the company he currently works for as executive vice president, Batavia Container Inc out of Batavia, Ill.
More than two months after the donations, on Jan. 5, the DuPage Circuit Court announced Manas’ wife, Kavita Athanikar, was appointed to fill a DuPage Circuit Court judicial position that would be vacated in March after the retirement of the Honorable Robert Kleeman, according to a DuPage Circuit Court news release.Prior to the appointment, Athanikar had been an associate judge for the DuPage Circuit Court since 2018.
Campaign contribution data shows Manas Athanikar made donations to two other state campaigns in the last two years. While Athanikar initially planned to run for an additional term on the DuPage Circuit Court bench, in recent months, she abruptly announced her retirement. “Emphatically, I never asked to be appointed to the Circuit Court,” Kavita Athanikar’s statement reads. “I was honored when I was asked by Justice Bob Thomas and Justice Mike Burke to serve in that role. Hosting meet and greet events for candidates is a bedrock of our democratic process.”
Burke was first appointed to the Supreme Court to replace Justice Robert Thomas in March of 2020, and is running in the general election for an additional term.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
How GWU Students Protested Justice Clarence Thomas On CampusAfter the Supreme Court Roe v. Wade leak, GWU students organized a petition targeting Thomas, who'd taught a course there for over a decade.
Read more »
Illinois Supreme Court races could impact big issues --- including abortionThe Illinois Supreme Court races may impact some big issues in the state, including access to abortion.
Read more »
Clarence Thomas crudely mocked by left-wing MSNBC host Tiffany CrossMSNBC host Tiffany Cross went on a vulgar tirade against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife Ginni Thomas on her weekend program over the weekend.
Read more »
Election Day 2022: Illinois Supreme Court race could impact abortion, gun rightsThe Illinois Supreme Court election could impact issues like abortion and gun rights. Early voting has already started.
Read more »
Hockey Canada begins steps to repairing reputation with changesHockey Canada has made the first wave of changes to address former Supreme Court Justice Thomas Cromwell interim recommendations. HockeyCanada hockey
Read more »
New Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson makes herself heardIn the Supreme Court's first sitting, over eight oral arguments, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dominated the questioning and commentary, speaking twice as much as her next most loquacious colleague.
Read more »