Actually Ex-Rep. Sandack Resigned Because Of A Sextortion Scam

By Jen Chung in News on Sep 16, 2016 9:39PM

Earlier this summer, state Rep. Ron Sandack said he was resigning because politics was getting "too ugly" as someone had been setting up fake social media accounts in his name. Now the truth has come out: Sandack, who is married with two children, had been involved in a sextortion scam—which included fake social media accounts—based in the Philippines.

The 52-year-old said today, "I'm human. I made a mistake for which I am remorseful and ashamed; especially because I have hurt my family, and there is no greater self-inflicted wound than that."

ABC 7 obtained police reports from Downers Grove (PDF) that describe a con as old as time, or at least as old as the Internet: He accepted a Facebook friend request of a woman he didn't know, and the woman started to message and Skype him. From ABC 7:

A short time later, the Downers Grove father of two connected via Skype video-where internet users see and speak to each other on their computer screens. Although the nature of the conversation between Sandack and the woman is blacked out in the Downers Grove police report, similar blackmail schemes have resulted in disrobing and sex talk between the participants.

In Sandack's case, the woman on the other end of the Skype hook-up told him that she had made a video of their encounter and would distribute it to all of his Facebook friends...unless he paid her a sum of money...which he did. This scheme is fairly widespread in the U.S. and well known to federal law enforcement officials. Authorities have screenshots of Mr. Sandack's communication with the woman.

Curious about some of these Sandack redactions... pic.twitter.com/zvypGD3xAi

— Casey Toner (@ctoner) September 16, 2016

In a statement, Sandack, who was an "attack dog" of Governor Rauner, said, "This past July, I was the target of an international crime ring focusing on high profile individuals luring them to engage in inappropriate online conversations with the intent of extortion. I took their bait and fell for it hook, line and sinker.. .Poor decisions on my part enabled me to be a victim and, as a responsible citizen, I reported it and have been working with the police throughout their investigation. I want it to be clear that no aspect of my involvement in this incident was related to my position as a state representative nor was the computer state property."

Sandack is now an attorney at a Chicago law firm.