Police investigate mailer depicting Illinois lawmaker naked

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Authorities are investigating who’s responsible for a mailer showing an altered picture of a female Illinois state lawmaker that depicts her in the nude.

The image of Republican state Rep. Avery Bourne was sent to people in central Illinois, The State Journal-Register and WTAX radio in Springfield reported. It has a picture of her face added onto an image of a naked woman.

Bourne’s Democratic opponent in her re-election bid, Mike Mathis, denounced the mailer, calling it offensive and saying it “goes beyond a late campaign dirty trick.”

“It degrades and insults all women and is an insult to Rep. Bourne, our families and our values,” he said.

Christian County Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp said Thursday he received a couple of calls from people who had received the mailer. Authorities did not say how many mailers were sent out. Illinois State Police opened a criminal investigation.

Kettelkamp says Bourne’s campaign suspects whoever sent the mailer used a list of her political contributors.

Avery represents a district south of the state capitol. The 24-year-old lawmaker is the youngest in the Illinois Legislature.

Bourne’s campaign mentioned the mailer on Facebook.

“Our campaign has recently become aware of a lewd, fake photo of Rep. Bourne being mailed to voters in the area,” the post said. “We take this disgusting threat and act of intimidation very seriously and are working with state and local law enforcement to investigate.”