Rep. Marie Newman Sued Over 'Breach Of Contract' For District Job

OAK LAWN, IL — A college professor is suing U.S. Rep. Marie Newman, claiming that she violated a contract to give him a job on her staff if he dropped out of the 2020 Democratic primary in the 3rd Congressional District.

In March 2018, the complaint asserts, plaintiff Iymen Chehade, an adjunct history professor at Columbia College, began mulling a run in the 2020 congressional Democratic primary. Newman also planned a second run for Congress in the 3rd District, having lost the primary district by a narrow margin to incumbent Dan Lipinski. Conscious of the district’s large Palestinian-American community, Newman reached out to Chehade in 2018, offering him a job on her staff should she win the November 2020 election, the complaint said.

Chehade accepted the offer and dropped out of the March 2020 primary race, the lawsuit states. Another Arab American, Rush Darwish, ran in the Democratic primary, as did Charles Hughes, a former precinct captain for Lipinski’s father, the former U.S. Rep. Bill Lipinski. Another candidate, Abe Matthew, also dropped out of the Democratic primary.

In exchange for not running, the complaint maintains, Chehade was offered his choice of three positions, including foreign policy adviser, or legislative or district director. Chehade and Newman signed a contact — attached to the complaint as Exhibit A — stating that he would have a paid position on her staff with a salary ranging from $125,000 to $140,000, on Dec. 26, 2018, the complaint states.

In April 2019, Newman publicly announced her intention to run in the 3rd District Democratic primary. During the primary campaign, Chehade volunteered as a campaign adviser, crafting campaign statements for Newman to use addressing the Israel-Palestine impasse, targeting the district’s Palestinian-American voters, according to the lawsuit.

When Newman won the March 17, 2020, Democratic primary, Chehade offered his congratulations and reminded Newman of his availability to work. When the two met later in June, Chehade again confirmed his interest in taking on one of the positions mentioned in their contract, according to the lawsuit. The complaint alleges that Newman told Chehade that “she did not intend to fulfill the terms of the employment contract.” Chehade further states that Newman has since stated that he is “unsuited” for the role.

“Chehade was and is qualified for the position and remains exactly as suited for the role as he was when the parties signed the employment contract,” stated his attorney, Rima Kapitan.

Newman went on to win the Nov. 3, 2020, congressional election, “triggering her duty to employ Chehade as foreign policy adviser and either district director or legislative director pursuant to the terms of the contract,” according to the lawsuit.

On Jan. 3, 2021, Newman was sworn in as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing Illinois’s 3rd Congressional District. According to the complaint, “Newman continues to refuse to honor the terms of her contract with Chehade.” The college professor claims he has “suffered damages in the form of lost salary and opportunity” and is demanding a jury trial.

A spokesperson from Newman’s campaign issued a written statement, denying the allegations in the complaint:

“Mr. Chehade continues to make demonstrably false statements that are deeply offensive to Ms. Newman and the thousands of volunteers on her campaign. Marie Newman clearly communicated to Mr. Chehade well before her election to Congress that he would not be employed by her office. This decision was based upon interactions that Mr. Chehade had with Ms. Newman and others after their initial employment discussions. While these reasons have been communicated to Mr. Chehade, we are deeply disappointed by his continued fallacious accusations. We believe that this is a frivolous lawsuit and, frankly, a waste of time. We look forward to the matter being addressed in court and, until then, we will not be commenting further.”

Newman’s attorneys have filed a motion to dismiss Chehade’s lawsuit, claiming “sovereign immunity,” which allows a government body to choose immunity from civil lawsuits. Her attorneys maintain the employment agreement is “unenforceable because Ms. Newman did not have authority to enter into such an agreement.”

“Congresswoman Newman could not breach the contract in her individual capacity because she could only hire Mr. Chehade to work in the Congressional office in her official capacity,” Newman further stated in her motion to dismiss.

Chehade told Patch that it was Newman who directed him to draw up an employment contract.

“She pulled a fast one with me,” Chehade said. “Her approach is indicative of how she uses her power and position to not be accountable for contracts. She’s a politician using taxpayer expenses to cover her tracks and using an office you were elected to get out of contacts.”

Election laws prohibit “quid pro quo” by candidates using future taxpayer money to reward someone for work they’re doing when campaigning.

“It is very unusual for someone to be offered a contract,” said Dick Simpson, a former Chicago alderman and political science professor at University of Illinois at Chicago. “It is more frequent that people will be promised a role in government if a candidate is successful at winning an election.”