Judge sued over unpaid loan gets Daley endorsement

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

As he seeks election with the support of former Mayor Richard M. Daley, a Cook County judge is engaged in a legal battle, fighting in state and federal courtrooms to avoid repaying a bank loan for a French kitchenware store on Michigan Avenue.

Judge Daniel Patrick Duffy — the husband of Daley’s longtime City Hall chief of staff Sheila O’Grady — was facing a lawsuit over a $300,000 loan he personally guaranteed when the Illinois Supreme Court appointed him in April 2014 to fill a vacant seat on the Cook County bench, according to court records.

At the time, Duffy’s business owed more than $40,000 in state and federal employment taxes for the store’s employees, records show.

Now, as he continues his court battles over the loan, Duffy is hoping the Cook County Democratic Party will endorse him in August, giving him the political muscle that would guarantee his election next year to keep his seat on the bench.

Duffy has Daley’s support. The former mayor is honorary chairman of the judge’s campaign and helped host a fundraiser for him June 23 at a River North restaurant.

The great moments of the Democrat party.