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Freshman Illinois Democrat Rep. Marie Newman is facing legal troubles for allegedly breaching a contract in which she promised employment in exchange for an easier race.
Iymen Chehade, a Palestinian-American adjunct professor at Columbia College Chicago, sued Newman in January, alleging the congresswoman asked him to stay out of the race for her seat so that she could win more easily, reported CBS Chicago.
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In exchange for not being a candidate, the congresswoman allegedly promised him a $135,000 to $140,000 salary and title of both "foreign policy advisor" and "legislative or district director," if she won.
According to court filings, the employment contract was allegedly entered into in December 2018, and Chehade agreed to help Newman as an "informal advisor" to draft her campaign stance on Israeli-Palestinian relations.
"Newman was conscious of the fact that there was a large Palestinian-American community in her district and that her chances of success in the Democratic primary would improve if she had significant support within that community," the suit reads.
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After winning the primary in March 2020, Newman allegedly fell short on her end of the bargain.
Fox News could not reach Newman for comment on the suit, which alleges she informed Chehade in a June 2020 meeting that she did not intend to staff him as previously agreed, eventually telling him he was "unsuited" for the role.
A spokesperson for Newman told the Chicago outlet:
"Mr. Chehade was never and has never been a candidate in a congressional race for Illinois’ 3rd District. Mr. Chehade was not hired in part because he not only misrepresented his qualifications but was ill-suited for a senior role in a congressional office, as demonstrated by his interactions with Ms. Newman and her campaign volunteers.
"In fact, in the summer of 2019, Mr. Chehade explicitly conveyed to Ms. Newman over the phone that he could not work with her. It was only after several months of no direct communication between the two that Mr. Chehade contacted Ms. Newman pleading to her to hire him in her official office.
"While these reasons have been communicated multiple times to Mr. Chehade over the past year, he has spent over a month making false statements to the press.
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Her alleged breach of contract prompted Chehade to sue the congresswoman, claiming he suffered "damages in the form of lost pay and opportunity."
Chehade pushed back on the comments made by Newman's spokesman, calling them an "utter lie."
"Newman covers herself in the cloak of a progressive, but is in fact a regressive on many issues, including the Palestinian one," Chehade said in a statement to Fox News.
The professor told Fox News that in addition to the suit he has filed, he has also submitted a "national origin discrimination claim with the Office of Congressional Worker’s Rights (OCWR)."
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