Tillman says campaign mailers intentionally undelivered

April 6, 2007 (WLS) -- The postal service is investigating why a Chicago alderman's campaign flyers were not delivered before the February election. Third Ward Alderman Dorothy Tillman was forced into a runoff. She was a few hundred votes short of winning and says the flyers could have made the difference.

Alderman Tillman says she is convinced nearly $20,000 campaign brochures were left at South Side post office on purpose. Tillman says she does not blame her opponent, but does blame organizations that are backing Pat Dowell. Tillman is calling on the US attorney and the FBI to investigate.

Third Ward Alderman Dorothy Tillman is pointing to an entire section of her ward that never received campaign brochures before the February election. Tillman says she hand delivered thousands of multi-page mailings to the post office at 22nd and State, but they never made their way out of the building.

"They didn't give it to the carrier. They just left in one corner. It made its way to another corner. They made a very conscious decision not to deliver my mail. My question is, why?" said Ald. Dorothy Tillman, 3rd Ward.

The US Postal Service is investigating. Tillman suspects the mailings were left at the post office on purpose.

"I think it's dirty tricks," Tillman said.

Tillman believes it's dirty tricks by the unions who have strongly backed Tillmans' opponent Pat Dowell.

"Dorothy is desperate and I think the unions have nothing to do with it. Fifty-seven percent of the community voted against her," said Pat Dowell, 3rd Ward alderman candidate.

But it did just come down to a few hundred votes that forced Tillman into a run-off. Tillman is convinced, had voters from 14th Place down to 27th Street received her brochures, she may not have been in a run-off.

"It gave the appearance to my residents that we didn't care enough to send then something," Tillman said.

"Dorothy Tillman is a household name. People know who she is and what she has done. The mail has absolutely nothing to do with this," said Dowell.

Dowell says she also had some campaign mail returned to her from the post office. Before the February 27 election, the Chicago Board of Elections also had some mailings that were not delivered.

Recently, the postal service in Chicago was named the worst in the nation for overnight, in-town delivery.

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