Conservative Bloggers Reax to TeaCon Organizer's Hooker Arrest

Chicago Tea Party activist Steve Stevlic’s arrest for soliciting a hooker over a year ago was the talk of TeaCon 2011 that is being held this weekend in Schaumburg, IL.

Gawker.com confronted Stevlic about his June 2010 arrest on opening day of the Midwest tea party’s confab. Stevlic is one of the top organizers of TeaCon 2011. Gawker chided Stevlic for his attacks against Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.’s revelations of his extra-marital affair just months after Stevlic’s own prostitution arrest.

Charges against Stevlic, who resides in Berwyn, IL, were ultimately dropped after he completed a rehab program “Unhooked Johns,” Gawker reports.

News of Stevlic’s past arrest also seemed to catch many of Chicago’s elite conservative bloggers live blogging from TeaCon 2011 unaware.

“The sex issue isn’t the bad part for Tea Party supporters, though, Warner Todd Huston wrote on his Publius' Forum blog. "The sad thing is that Steve knew of his troubles but all these revelations have hit his supporters and followers completely unawares. He did not reveal his troubles even to the higher members of the Chicago Tea Party.”

Huston also hinted at improprieties with the Chicago Tea Party organization’s funds on his Publius' Forum blog. According to Huston’s unnamed sources from the Chicago Tea Party’s upper echelon, party members don’t know where the funds have gone or who’s handling the accounts.

“It seems pretty clear that Mr. Stevlic should resign his position, hand over all the accounting to the lieutenants of the Chicago Tea Party and allow someone that regain the confidence of activists to the take the lead.

“Sex isn’t the issue here. Trust is,” Huston wrote.

Marathon Pundit blogger John Ruberry, who’s also blogging live from TeaCon called Stevlic “a good guy who made a big mistake.”

“Ours is a forgiving society—and Steve is remorseful,” Ruberry said.