County Republican fight gets personal

Jul. 16—EDWARDSVILLE — The ongoing fight over Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler's powers and his decisions has at times become very personal.

The latest issue is an email sent by Madison County Board Member Mick Madison, R-Bethalto, to a Prenzler supporter claiming board members "have tried to protect" Prenzler "because he's on the spectrum," referring to autism spectrum disorder.

The July 7 email, sent by Madison in response to an email from a Prenzler supporter, outlines Madison's take on the issues. In the first paragraph he states there is an "ongoing coup" by former Madison County administrator Doug Hulme and former county information technology director Rob Dorman.

"...We really have tried to protect Kurt for years because he's on the spectrum," Madison's email states. "My guess is that it's Aspergers Syndrome."

Copies of the email have circulated among Prenzler's supporters, with a copy made available to The Telegraph.

"Very disappointed, absolutely preposterous," Prenzler said Thursday in response.

On Friday, Madison said part of the reason he made the comment was to help people understand why there is so much contention.

"It was already mentioned in one of the videos from the sheriff's department, when (County Treasurer Chris) Slusser was wearing the wire," Madison said, referring to the "corruption" investigation that eventually resulted in the termination of Hulme and Dorman.

"People are struggling to figure out why we are doing this," Madison said. "It's been very hard to discuss this in public, but it's the biggest part of the problem, and I think people need to know that in order to get the whole part of the story.

"We've all tried to help him, everybody," Madison said. "But all he wants to do is fight. It's got to the point of absolute ridiculousness."

This is not the first time that battles within the Madison County Republican Party have become personal.

Madison County Board Member Denise Wiehardt, R-Granite City, won her June 28 primary challenge by a Prenzler-backed opponent. She criticized a letter Prenzler sent out stating her opponent was "what a woman should be; married to her husband ... for 20 years."

Wiehardt is a regional program manager for the St Louis Crisis Nursery, an agency that serves women and children in crisis.

"I've dedicated my life to serving 'real women' in very difficult situations," Wiehardt said last week. "This comment was personally offensive to many, and the last straw."

Prenzler has apologized for the letter, saying he took the language from a template letter he had written for John J. Janek of Greanite City, who defeated incumbent Eric Foster, R-Granite City, in the June 28 primary. Foster has complained about "misogynic and homophobic" actions by Prenzler, but not offered details.

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