Lake County Gazette

Lake County Republican Party Chairman Keith Brin has responded to the announcement from Eric Rinehart that he's running in the Democratic primary to keep his seat as Lake County State's Attorney. 

"When his mentor, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx, announced she wouldn't run again, I was worried Rinehart would follow her lead and avoid having to answer to voters for his extreme pro-crime agenda," Brin said in a press release. "I've fielded calls from across the state from people who recognize our far-left progressive State's Attorney is out-of-touch with everyday Illinoisans. As a result, he's extremely vulnerable in this upcoming election.” 

Brin added public safety did not appear to be at the top of Rinehart’s list of goals.

"Less than 10% of Rinehart's announcement speech covered his actual job: prosecuting criminals and keeping Lake County families safe,” he said. “The rest was dedicated to how he's using the office to push his progressive agenda, talking about national social issues, and even stating he would refuse to work with other State's Attorneys who don't share his political beliefs. The people of Lake County don't want an activist as their top prosecutor, they want a strong leader who will hold criminals accountable, protect victims, and keep our communities safe. The Lake County Republican Party will put forward a clear choice, pro-public safety candidate in the upcoming election." 

Scott Kaspar, a 2022 congressional candidate, claims Rinehart is backed by George Soros.

“It’s by design. George Soros has funded prosecutors like Kim Foxx and Eric Rinehart to sow chaos throughout ou[r] country,” Kaspar told WTTW.

Rinehart and Foxx are the only two – out of 102 state’s attorneys – who supported the SAFE-T Act which would have eliminated cash bail in criminal cases, giving judges the option of releasing or holding suspects until their trial.

The SAFE-T Act was later partially overturned as unconstitutional. Chief Judge Thomas W. Cunnington of the 21st Judicial Circuit Court of Illinois ruled in favor of plaintiffs challenging the law, affirming that the abolishment of cash bail and suspect release policy outlined in the SAFE-T Act infringes on the court's inherent power and violates the constitution, according to Prairie State Wire.

Brin is a property tax attorney and is currently associated with Finkel Martwick & Colson P.C. He was formerly a State of Illinois Worker's Compensation Commission Chief of Staff, Clerk of the Circuit Court in Lake County, and Chief Deputy, Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court.