Dave earned a BA from Bradley University in 1975, studied comparative legal systems at Trinity University, Dublin Ireland, and earned a Juris Doctor from The John Marshall Law School, cum laude in 1987 (serving on The John Marshall Law Review, and awarded The Order of John Marshall).
Born Chicago, Illinois
Early years in the Clearing neighborhood near Midway Airport, attended grammar school at Saint Symphorosa in Chicago and St. Cletus in LaGrange.
Attended Lyons Township High School, LaGrange
Currently Lives in Orland Park, Illinois
Lived in Lemont, Illinois for 30 years. Served nine years as Lemont Library Trustee, as Treasurer during construction of Lemont’s first stand-alone library, bringing the project in $150,000 under budget, then in his final term was chosen as President by his fellow board members.
Knows what it’s like to make payroll as he was President of family owned Beer Wholesale Company in Cook County for 10 years. (Delivered his first case of beer at 5 years old.)
Admitted to practice law before
Illinois Supreme Court
United States Northern District of Illinois
Florida Supreme Court
Middle District of Florida.
Legal Career
Arbitrator in Will and Cook Counties, conflicts counsel Cook County Juvenile Court, Child Protection Division
Former Assistant State’s Attorney at Cook County Government
Involved in over 10,000 criminal prosecutions. As a member of the Felony Review Unit, participated in police investigations and made charging decisions in over 400 felony cases. Oversight of Juvenile Foster Care Health & Well Being.
Private practice focus Election Law/Election Integrity –
Hearing Officer Chicago Board of Elections Commissioners
Republican National Lawyers Association, Florida 2016
National Republican Senatorial Committee, Georgia 2020
Testified before the Pennsylvania Senate on election matters 2020
Represented the President of the United States before electoral boards in Western PA 2020
IL GOP State Central Committee for Ballot Integrity 2021 to current
Subject Matter Expert – Constitution
First World Congress of Lithuanian Lawyers, worked with the Lithuanian President and Prime Minister, government officials, and attorneys of Lithuanian heritage from around the world to restore the rule of law and a constitutional government after four generations of Soviet occupation. (The Lithuanian country was occupied, but the people never conquered.)
National expert and traveled speaker/educator on America’s founding documents
Radio hose “Constitutionally Speaking” and podcast host, “Constitutional Sound Bites”
Author of three books:
Constitutional Sound Bites,
Cápsulas Informativas Constitucionales (The only properly translated Spanish information on the U.S. Constitution)
Creating the Declaration of Independence
Professional Orgs and Community
Policy Advisor @ Heartland Institute
Republican National Lawyers Association
Senior Fellow @ Illinois Conservative Union
Associate Member Polish American Congress, Illinois Division
Senior Advisor, United Southland Republican Women’s Network
Pro bono legal services through the Salvation Army and Amicus Polinae
Volunteered at the Quality Life Center educating at-risk youth about America’s Founding Values
Pro bono services to Standing in the Word Ministries, Morris IL. At the start of and during the pandemic – the church successfully, without incident, remained serving its parishioners, and others the entire duration.
Why David Decided To Run:
• As counsel for the Illinois Conservative Union (ICU), Dave filed suit against to Illinois State Board Of Elections (ISBE) to vindicate the rights of ICU leadership under the National Voter Registration Act. The lawsuit requested that ISBE follow federal law in providing ICU with voter data needed to determine the state board (ISBE) legal compliance with voter roll maintenance. ISBE said no to provide legally required data. The lawyer for ISBE is the current Illinois Attorney General who has basically said that the State of Illinois is above the law. The Illinois Attorney General is practicing “lawfare” against the citizens. This has to stop.
• Crime and safety is a huge concern for Illinois citizens due to the policies of “woke” prosecutors around the state (not only Kim Foxx in Cook County) who refuse to prosecute crimes endangering the lives, safety and property of Illinois citizens. The Illinois Attorney General has the authority to prosecute cases that local state’s attorneys refuse. As Attorney General David Shestokas will redirect assets currently being used against Illinois citizens (such as the Illinois Conservative Union case) to monitoring local prosecutors. Where necessary, his office will prosecute crimes being ignored by local state’s attorneys.
• While the Illinois Attorney General Act directs that the first duty of the AG is to represent the people, (not the governor or the government), the fourth duty in that list is to prosecute election offenses. David has been involved in election integrity issues for many years and understands that elections are the vehicle designed to obtain the “consent of the governed”. This duty of the AG will assume a principle priority of the office as it is critical to providing legitimacy to everything else that government does.
David's top 3 priorities as Attorney General that he would immediately carry out and goals he hopes to accomplish:
• Resolve lawsuits by citizens filed against the state alleging failure of the state to comply with existing law and establish policy of working with citizens rather than litigating against them. Prioritize for attorneys and staff in the office that their first duty is to represent the people, not the government.
• Reassign attorneys of the office to monitor local prosecutions and criminal investigations. At no additional taxpayer expense, where necessary take over those prosecutions needed to protect the citizens of Illinois.
• Regular involvement statewide with law enforcement monitoring the effects of proposed and existing legislation on their mission of protecting the citizens of Illinois.