Lake County Gazette

The $50.4 billion budget decided between Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Democrat supermajority in the General Assembly has funded Black Live Matter Lake County again to the tune of $300,000.

Breakthrough Ideas broke the story on Black Lives Matter Lake County and Clyde McLemore, who runs the operation.

“Democrats just gave a convicted felon who runs a Facebook group for a Marxist organization $300,000 of your money,” Breakthrough Ideas said in its report.

“Here are some questions that should be asked and answered:

1. What did BLM Lake County do with the first $300,000?

2. When did BLM Lake County receive the $300,000? Their IRS 990 form shows an income of only $50,000 in 2021.

3. Who asked that this specific grant line be added to the budget?

4. What does BLM LC plan to do with the next $300,000?

5. What public good does this public money support?”

Breakthrough Ideas reported the chapter does not appear to be operational despite the state funding it is receiving.

“We did an internet search for Black Lives Matter Lake County, and we only got links to a few articles and the group's Facebook page, where there have only been two posts in the last 18 months. The website returns an error message under the "About" section for the Facebook group, and the phone number listed goes nowhere,” Breakthrough Ideas reported

“Additionally, as far as we can tell, they have no physical presence in the community even though they opened an office in 2020.”

Breakthrough Ideas conducted a physical inspection of the BLM Lake County chapter’s headquarters located at 11 N. County St. in Waukegan and found it was closed.

“According to Lake County Court records, building manager Mon Ami Realty filed a commercial eviction notice with the court against McLemore and Black Lives Matter of Lake County on Jan. 3, 2022,” Breakthrough Ideas reported.

“We did a physical inspection of the office location earlier last week, and the building was locked tight, windows were broken in what appears to be office space, and there was no visible activity in the building. We also drove around the block and noticed another storefront with BLM and other identity group signage. We stopped in to ask if BLM had moved offices. They hadn't. When we asked the shop owner if he knew where the BLM office was, he said no because Clyde keeps moving it. He also said Clyde is bad at establishing and maintaining a physical presence because he is super disorganized. The shop owner said he knows Clyde well and would tell that to his face, but he hasn't kept up with him. He attempted to call Clyde but got no answer.”

The Illinois Freedom Caucus pointed out the line item in a Facebook post.

“$300,000 of YOUR TAX DOLLARS to Black Lives Matter?!? The Illinois Budget is not lacking in ridiculous wasteful spending. We will continue to share our findings and keep you, the taxpayers, informed!" Illinois Freedom Caucus said on Facebook.

McLemore has a history of criminal charges, including felony battery, disorderly conduct and stalking, and he pled guilty to criminal felony battery and criminal misdemeanor battery multiple times, as well as faced orders of protection over stalking, most recently in 2020 and 2019.

Pritzker has previously allocated $300,000 from federal COVID-19 relief funds to McLemore’s organization, according to the Office of the Illinois Governor's report to the Legislative Budget Oversight Commission.

Black Lives Matter, based in New York, has expressed controversial views advocating for the disruption of the traditional nuclear family structure and the elimination of police departments. The group supports extended families and communities caring for each other instead. Their website emphasizes the goal of dismantling cisgender privilege and promoting acceptance of non-heteronormative identities.

Earlier this year, Wirepoints reported the murder rate in the city increased after BLM riots wracked Chicago.

In 2022, Chicago had the most murders of any other city with 697, the 11th year in a row the city has held that distinction.