Congressional candidate's residency under scrutiny

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Illinois congressional candidate Ann Callis' previous out-of-state residence has come under scrutiny, with a published report Sunday saying she signed mortgage documents while a judge in Illinois that listed her home as in Missouri.

Callis, a former Madison County judge, is trying to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis in the district that stretches from Champaign to the St. Louis suburbs. The election is Nov. 4.

The Lee Enterprises bureau in Springfield reported Callis signed multiple mortgage papers identifying her residence as a home in Kirkwood, Missouri, while a judge in Illinois. The newspaper cited copies of mortgage records it obtained.

Callis campaign spokesman David Miyashiro confirmed Callis signed the documents, but said they were limited in how much information they could show. The records show details of transactions by Callis and her husband, St. Louis businessman James Holloran. Miyashiro said Holloran listed the Missouri house because of limited space on documents.

He said Callis is a resident of Illinois and registered to vote in the state. She lived in a house she owns in Troy until moving to a rental house in Edwardsville for the campaign.

"It's not like they had a space for Ann to list her actual house in Troy," he told the newspaper. "If anything, it's an issue of the form."

However, Davis' campaign questioned the residency.

"Ann Callis is either being untruthful about her residence in Missouri or untruthful about her residence in Illinois," said Davis campaign manager Tim Butler. "These documents, attested to by a notary and signed by Callis, raise very legitimate questions as to whether she actually lived in Illinois while being an elected judge in our state. At the least, a judge and lawyer should know not to sign fraudulent documents."

Callis' campaign called the questions "attacks" on the family.

Callis stepped down from her Madison County judgeship in 2013. She was first sworn in as an associate judge in 1995, named a circuit judge in 1999 and became chief judge seven years later.

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Information from: The Pantagraph, http://www.pantagraph.com