By Jim Talamonti
The Center Square
(The Center Square) – A Chicago alderman has launched his reelection campaign and continued his push to get on the ballot for Congress, even after recently unsealed divorce records showed his ex-wife claimed he previously spent marital funds on prostitutes and pornography.
Byron Sigcho-Lopez, who has represented Chicago’s 25th Ward on city council since 2019, denies the allegations.
Byron married his former wife, Patricia Sigcho, in 2007. Their marriage was dissolved in April 2012 after Patricia filed for dissolution the previous September. He moved to seal the claim of dissipation records in 2012, citing his position as a teaching assistant at the University of Illinois, his aspirations to teach at the university level, and potential harm to his career.
The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy recently petitioned that the couple’s divorce records be unsealed, arguing that the people of Illinois have a right to vet public officials and candidates for public office. Last month, DuPage County Judge Robert E. Douglas ordered the unsealing, stating that the records had not been properly sealed and impounded and that they are of interest whether they occurred before or after a candidate sought office.
In the unsealed documents, Sigcho Lopez’s then-wife claimed he spent marital funds on escort services, prostitutes and his pornography addiction.
“These kind of personal shortcomings certainly speak to a person’s character, and they’re something the electorate should be able to discuss and consider when voting for their representatives,” said Adam Florek, the attorney who represented the Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy.
Florek is also a litigator of counsel at FOIA Solved and operates Florek Law, a boutique practice out of New York.
“Given how involved state and local governments are becoming in everyone’s day-to-day life, it’s important that the public have an opportunity to vet their public servants. Mercifully, the First Amendment does provide this right of access for us to understand what’s going on behind closed doors.” Florek said. Florek noted that Sigcho-Lopez’s counsel filed an appeal seeking to re-impound the records, but the documents were available on the DuPage County e-access website and to the public at large.
Sigcho-Lopez launched his reelection campaign Tuesday night in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, where he told The Center Square the divorce records don’t concern him.
“I know AIPAC is trying to defame me, and that has been always the case. The rumor campaign, the campaign of gossip, of defamation, that’s AIPAC,” Sigcho Lopez said. AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, did not immediately respond to The Center Square’s request for comment. It is unclear why Sigcho-Lopez linked the unsealing to AIPAC.
Sigcho-Lopez said he was not concerned that his opponents might use the divorce records against him.
“I’m always used to big fights. I think that if we’re not having opponents that are financed by the billionaire class, we’re not doing our job,” Sigcho-Lopez said.
Florek said the reason for the litigation was Sigcho-Lopez’ aspirations for high constitutional office. The alderman filed to run for the U.S. House in Illinois’ Fourth Congressional District as an independent, but the state elections board rejected his petition signatures. Following the decision, Sigcho-Lopez called Democratic Party nominee Patty Garcia and U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, D-Chicago, “two individuals hiding from the public.”
Sigcho-Lopez said his team filed a federal lawsuit challenging the decision, but he thinks his chances of getting on the November ballot are slim.
“We’re going to continue fighting for our constituents…and we’ll keep fighting for democracy, so in the future we hope that independent candidates don’t have to deal with these barriers,” Sigcho-Lopez said.
