Aldermanic candidate says he can back-up drunken emails with data

CHICAGO (WLS) -- West Side aldermanic candidate Gabe Beukinga sent a series of accusatory and threatening emails to a major developer in his ward Friday. Monday, Beukinga, a Chicago businessman, says that while he regrets the emails he sent while he was drunk, he has decided to quit his day job to concentrate on his drinking relapse problem and to run for 27th Ward alderman.

In the wee hours of Friday morning, Beukinga, 31, sent the now-infamous emails to Andy Gloor, a top executive at Sterling Bay, but says he was drunk at the time.

"Remember when you guys were too scared to support me and gave money to Burnett?" Beukinga wrote. "Before i crush you guys for...disrespecting me, I'll let you review my marketing program."

"I don't like what you guys have done so far and won't put up with it when I'm in," the emails continued, "So, I'll give you guys a chance to fix the 'pay to play' you guys have done so far. I have zero tolerance for it when I'm in."

Gloor, a managing principal partner, told the I-Team, "I was shocked to receive those emails. We're making positive changes to the neighborhood and those changes speak for themselves."

Beukinga apologized to Gloor, saying, "Sorry, drunken breakdown last night. Very immature of me and I apologize."

"I blacked out and do not recall any of it," he wrote later. "It's tremendously embarrassing and frustrating for me. I have a problem with drinking in which I had handled via AA meetings up until the past month or so in which I've stopped going to my meetings and have relapsed. There's zero excuse for my misbehavior, however, it is a very stressful time."

Today, Beukinga returned the I-Team's request for comment with an email, saying, "I apologize for the delay but needed a few days to spend praying and doing some soul searching with my wife."

Buekinga said in a press release he has collected pay-to-play data about the 27th ward, backing up his emailed claims.

"My research team is 75 percent done with drawing our analysis of the pay to play in the 27th," the press release said.

Beukinga says he is soon leaving his regular job at Somercor 504 Inc., a small business lender.

Beukinga's opponent, current 27th ward alderman Walter Burnett, has said he does not want beat up his opponent over the incident because he needs help.

"As someone who has already admitted he needs help, Mr. Beukinga's comments are baseless and without merit. Alderman Burnett has always conducted himself with the highest regard for ethics and transparency and will continue to do so," Thomas Bowen, a spokesperson for Ald. Burnett, told the I-Team.

Lawyers for Sterling Bay said they are sending a letter to Beukinga Wednesday night threatening legal action if he doesn't issue a written retraction that acknowledges he had no basis for the accusations in the emails.