A Chicago alderman facing unsealed divorce records that include his ex-wife’s allegations of extravagant spending on escorts and phone sex is now blaming the “pro-Israel lobby” for the documents’ release, according to a recent Chicago Tribune report.
Byron Sigcho-López, a Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member and Chicago alderman, has denied the claims made by his former wife in divorce proceedings that were unsealed last month, just ahead of his reelection campaign launch. The Tribune reported that Sigcho-López alleged the Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, the group that successfully petitioned a DuPage County judge to unseal the 2012 divorce records, is part of the “pro-Israel lobby.”
The divorce records, as described by the Tribune, include his ex-wife’s claims that Sigcho-López spent “incredible” sums of money on prostitutes, pornography, searches for female escorts, and phone-sex calls. A judge previously found that Sigcho-López’s wife had “proven the material allegations of her petition,” according to the source.
Sigcho-López has moved to impound the documents, arguing they are exaggerated or false and would harm his career aspirations as a teacher’s assistant at the University of Illinois. In his public statements, he linked the unsealing to broader political grievances, saying, “More and more Americans have become horrified by the genocide in Gaza, the coverup of the Epstein class and the pedophiles who run our government, and the unethical spending of our tax dollars on a foreign war in Iran.”
Critics decry scapegoating
The American Thinker piece, written by Eric Utter, sharply criticizes Sigcho-López’s deflection, arguing that blaming Jews for personal troubles is a dangerous and all-too-common tactic. Utter writes that in today’s America, “you can evade responsibility for anything and everything by just blaming the Jews,” sarcastically listing examples from job rejections to natural disasters.
The opinion piece draws a parallel between the DSA and the Nazi party, stating, “The DSA is the new Nazi party, no matter how much they deflect any criticism and project fascistic ambitions onto Republicans.” Utter also notes that there are fewer than 16 million Jewish people worldwide, compared to at least 2 billion Muslims, and that Muslim-majority nations occupy far more land than Israel, invoking a David-and-Goliath metaphor.
Utter further asserts that it is not a coincidence that “Muslim and anti-Semitic candidates are winning elections” and that they are “almost all Democrat-Socialists” who are “openly calling for violence against their political (or religious) opponents.”
Context and response
The Tribune report itself does not include a direct response from the Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy or from Sigcho-López beyond his denial and allegations. The alderman’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from this outlet.
Sigcho-López’s situation highlights a growing trend of public figures invoking antisemitic tropes to deflect personal or political controversies, a charge that the American Thinker article amplifies. The piece concludes with a stark warning: “America awake! The Jews are our misfortune!” — a paraphrase of a Nazi-era slogan — and urges vigilance against what it sees as a rising tide of socialist and antisemitic politics.
The divorce records’ unsealing comes at a politically sensitive time for Sigcho-López, who is preparing for reelection. The judge’s earlier finding that his ex-wife had proven her material allegations adds weight to the claims, though the alderman maintains they are false.
Source: www.americanthinker.com — https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/blame-it-on-the-jews/