Is Dupage County Sheriff Mendricks the Next Jussie Smollett?
FOIA Requests Poke holes in Republican Illinois Governor Candidate James Mendricks' sensational claims of being a victim of a threat involving ammo
Political violence is a growing concern in a polarized America. Being targeted for expressing one's First Amendment rights is troubling at best and, at worst, threatens the foundation of our freedom.
Facebook/ Sheriff James Mendrick shows off his nun chuck while running for Illinois Governor
On Sunday, DuPage County Sheriff and Republican governor candidate James Mendrick posted three unclear photos of the same bullet on three social media accounts, racking up over 900 likes, claiming he was "not a soft target" and suggesting political opponents had tossed the unspent bullet onto his lawn as a threat.
Facebook/ James Mendrick
Facebook / James Mendrick Dupage County Sheriff page
LinkedIn / James Mendrick
Mendricks is currently the only Republican candidate to have declared for the 2026 Governor's race. His claims sparked concern, and the media reported on the story.
But on face value, the claim seemed questionable at best, and upon open record requests to both the Sheriff's office and Woodridge Police Department, there are now cannonball-sized holes in the Sheriff's story.
The first? Mendrick stated, "I have no weapons of that caliber that could receive that ammunition." However, the consensus is that the bullet appeared to be a 9mm Luger range round—one of the most common types in the world and the standard-issue ammunition for DuPage County sheriff's deputies. Mendrick not owning or having a family member or friend with a gun that accepted 9mm bullets is hard to believe.
Google search “dupage illinois county sheriff duty weapon”
The most logical explanation—that he or a guest accidentally dropped a range bullet—was dismissed oby Mendrick.
When asked by a Facebook follower to dust the bullet for fingerprints, Sheriff Mendrick blamed his wife.
Mendrick claimed that his wife—who also acts as his campaign's treasurer —mishandled the bullet before he took three separate photos, including one that appears intentionally blurry. His explanations then became even shakier.
Google Maps and his wife confirm they have security cameras. Mendrick's wife texted a concerned supporter, “We have cameras, but we live on a well-traveled road, and it was a garbage day and raining… no pictures.”
However, weather reports show 0% precipitation in Woodridge on both March 21st and March 22nd, both days having an average “dew point”.
Source https://www.wunderground.com/history/daily/us/il/woodridge/KMDW/date/2025-3-22
Additionally, Google Maps shows the Mendricks street to be quieter than described and the apparent existence of direct neighbors with “Ring” cameras.
While suggesting a violent threat, Sheriff Mendricks nonetheless showed little urgency in identifying a suspect.
Most damning to Mendrick’s story was Illinois Records' open record (FOIA) requests to the Woodridge Police Department and the Dupage County Sheriffs' Office, showing no records of a report whatsoever.
Without knowledge of our FOIA request, Mendrick's wife texted a concerned constituent that there was “an open investigation,” so they could not answer further questions.
And Mendrick’s LT Gover Candidate, author Robert Renteria, said that he had heard from Mendrick that he had filed a report and that the police were investigating the case.
When asked to get a response from Mendrick, Renteria texted, “He (Kendrick) called; he’s in the middle of a multiple homicides; his wife actually found the bullet. She’s very disturbed over everything. He doesn’t want her interviewing”.
Facebook / Illinois Governor James Mendrick (left), Lt Gov candidate Robert Renteria (right)
Yet on Tuesday, March 25th, the Illinois Record received a FOIA request back from the DuPage County sheriff’s office, and on Thursday, March 27th, the Illinois Record received a FOIA request back from the Woodridge police department.
Both the Sheriff's office and local police denied any record of the incident whatsoever after a "thorough search."
FOIA Request to Dupage County Sheriff
FOIA Request to Woodridge Police Department
The Woodridge PD and DuPage County Sheriff's response of no records of any kind directly contradicts the Mendrick family’s story of the allegedly harrowing incident.
Sources tell the Illinois Record that some within the Sheriff's department are puzzled and questioning the incident.
Why wouldn't Mendrick document the incident properly if a real political threat occurred? If a violent political terrorist is on the loose, all Republican candidates and political voices, and you think someone with nearly three decades in law enforcement would want to document the incident for the future?
Sheriff Mendrick’s alleged XBOX Live Profile “Tyme2Die” shows a relatively high 393,361 gamer score.
The Sheriff's use of social media instead of law enforcement shows a contradictory position—he portrays the incident as both serious and not serious. However, had Mendrick filed a police report, he would have opened up to legal liability, raising the suspicion of a Jussie Smollet-style political stunt.
ABC News coverage of Jussie Smollett’s police body cam footage
After all, the threat of political violence would garner more positive attention and sympathy for Mendrick's political campaign than even Jussie Smollet's wildest expectation of a political threat affecting his acting career.
Yet if Mendricks fabricated or exaggerated the event, he is undermining actual instances of political violence. As the party's only declared candidate, down-ballot Republicans would face heightened scrutiny and lose credibility in condemning staged political crimes—such as the case of Jussie Smollett.
Sheriff James Mendricks has a pattern of making public accusations without providing supporting evidence. In July 2022, he alleged that County Board Chairman candidate Pete DiCianni sent "undesirable" individuals to intimidate the families of Sheriff's deputies. However, when pressed for details or documentation through FOIA requests, the Sheriff's office and Mendricks provided no evidence.
Additionally, DuPage County activist Terry Newsome has accused Mendricks of weaponizing his office to threaten activists and private businesses. When pressed for comment, Mendricks disparaged Newsome and cited the criminal code for harassment.
The Gateway Pundit article on James Mendrick
The unwillingness to provide evidence and inconsistencies make it difficult to trust anything Sheriff Mendricks says, from his political affiliations—he switched from Democrat to Republican—to personal boasts like his nun chuck mastery or running six miles “every single day” for the last 17 years. A lack of trust in a Dupage County Sheriff's office harms the county's safety—arguably worse than losing faith in a political candidate.
Facebook / James Mendrick
Facebook / James Mendrick
The Illinois Record contacted the Mendricks campaign regarding the Xbox account and the alleged investigation. While representatives have responded, Mendricks himself has not.
The Illinois Record is a conservative publication, but an unfit Republican candidate challenging Governor Pritzker should concern everyone. A functioning democracy requires multiple credible candidates; we hope more contenders enter the race or Mendrick reconciles his trust with DuPage County citizens or resigns. Faking a political attack would be an egregious offense.
