Candidate for tax appeal board says ‘nothing personal’ in legal help for Jason Van Dyke

Lawyer Tammy Wendt, Cook Board of Review Democratic primary candidate. | Rich Hein/Sun-Times

Lawyer Tammy Wendt says whether she wins a seat on the Cook County Board of Review should focus on her qualifications to handle appeals of property assessments and other real estate matters — not on her role representing former Police Officer Jason Van Dyke.

“As an attorney, when I was sworn in, I promised to uphold the Constitution and I promised to zealously represent all my clients. And that’s what I did with Jason’s case,” Wendt said. “I was his lawyer, one of four lawyers, and there was nothing personal about it.”

Wendt said helping defend Van Dyke — who was convicted last year for shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in 2014 — was just one case in a long legal career.

“We can talk about the thousands of other cases that I’ve had too, if you want to, but what does that have to do with property taxes?” Wendt asked a Sun-Times reporter questioning her about the case. “This is about who is the qualified candidate, and I think everyone can agree it’s the person who’s got the 27 years [of] experience.”

Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke talks with his attorney Tammy Wendt during the fifth day of his murder trial for the shooting death of Laquan McDonald in 2018. File Photo.

Wendt and her opponent Abdelnasser Rashid appeared before the Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board Wednesday to explain why they should be elected to the Board of Review, which reviews and potentially modifies assessments on properties within Cook County.

Rashid touts his efforts to improve how property is assessed while working in the county assessor’s office.

“We need to modernize the property tax system in general, including the board of review,” Rashid said.

Wendt says she’s practiced real estate law, which involves property taxes, for almost 30 years and mostly did residential appeals.

“I’m the qualified candidate for this position — what I’m not is a politician. What I’m not is a political insider,” Wendt said in a dig at Rashid who she says is “buddies” with current Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi.

Rashid worked on Kaegi’s campaign and later in the assessor’s office after Kaegi ousted Assessor Joe Berrios. Rashid also worked for former Cook County Clerk David Orr.

Cook Board of Review Democratic primary candidates Tammy Wendt, left, and Abdelnasser Rashid meet with the Sun-Times Editorial Board.

Wendt said the reason why there is a ”broken property tax system” stems from the assessor’s office, which Wendt said “needs a major overhaul,” and Kaegi had “no tax analysis experience when he was elected, and he ran on the premise that he was going to make the office more transparent and get corrupt Berrios out.”

The county’s current way of doing business is scaring off commercial property owners and the state’s mass exodus is “going to get worse,” Wendt said.

Rashid disagreed with Wendt’s assessment of what plagues the county’s property tax assessment apparatus.

Rashid helped create a data modernization bill that would provide Kaegi’s office more detail for evaluating commercial properties. It stalled in the Illinois House earlier this year after passing the Senate. Rashid also worked on an update that would automate the senior homestead exemption. He said the city is already a great place to do business, but it could be stronger. He argues the Board of Review needs to do more, too.

“I applaud some of their efforts to start accepting appeals online,” Rashid said. “But on the backend, how are we determining deals? What is the data that we’re using? What are the market assumptions that we’re using? What vacancy rate are we using? Those are the type of decisions that affect the accuracy and the fairness of assessments and I think there is work to be done on that.”

While Wendt criticizes Rashid for his political relationships, she makes no apologies for her own support for Van Dyke’s family. Wendt has appeared at news conferences with the former cop’s wife, Tiffany Van Dyke.

Tiffany Van Dyke, wife of former Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke, speaks during a press conference at attorney Daniel Herbert’s office last year. File Photo.

And shortly after Van Dyke was found guilty of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm — one for each time Van Dyke shot Laquan McDonald on Oct. 20, 2014 — Wendt set up a fundraiser page for the convicted officer’s family.

“Officer Van Dyke’s wife and children — no matter whether you think he’s guilty or innocent — his wife and children did nothing wrong, and he was put in prison and he was the main breadwinner,” Wendt said. “Mrs. Van Dyke was left with two teenagers and no way to feed them, or keep a roof over their head. I was asked to assist with this, and I did, and I had no choice but to put my name on the page because that’s what GoFundMe requires, and I’m not going to apologize for it. I’m happy I did it.

“And since when did helping needy people become a bad thing? And especially with this case. … ‘Jason Van Dyke’s lawyer is running for Commissioner of the Cook County Board of Review.’ What does that have to do with [the election] but incite hatred?”