State Senate candidate to explain racist opinions on talk radio show

Daily Herald/March 1, 2002
By David R. Kazak

Arlington Heights, IL -- Scott Sutterlin, the state Senate candidate who this week was blasted by critics for advocating the separation of white and black people, will appear on an AM talk-radio show in Aurora to answer those critics.

Sutterlin, along with Ken Toftoy of Yorkville, is campaigning against state Sen. Chris Lauzen to become the Republican candidate for the District 25 Senate seat, which covers Kane County west of the Fox River, Kendall County and some of LaSalle County.

This week, a Daily Herald story revealed that Sutterlin, using his adopted name Scott Alm, told a national TV audience on the "Geraldo" show in 1994 that black people are from the jungle and should have been sent back to Africa "a long time ago." Sutterlin, 45, of Geneva, said this week that he still holds the views he expressed eight years ago. News of his past comments and current views caused the Kane County Republican establishment to denounce Sutterlin as a racist not welcome in their party.

Sutterlin since has stopped talking to the news media but said Wednesday that he'll address his comments and views Monday on Ron Newman's radio show, "Person-to-Person." The show, which airs every day on WBIG-AM 1280 out of Aurora, runs from 8:15 to 9 a.m.

"He wants to clear up this question," Newman said Thursday, recounting a previous Sutterlin appearance on his show earlier this month.

During the show, a caller asked him about his past comments and whether he was a white supremacist.

Sutterlin didn't answer the question. Sutterlin said earlier this week that he felt bad about that, so he'll answer that question and others about his past on Monday's show.

His appearance on Newman's show will be the first time Sutterlin will address the public since news of his racist comments and views broke.