Kankakee Times

A Manteno Planning and Zoning commission meeting was attended by several vocal anti-Gotion protestors on Nov. 21, which highlighted the local residents' rising concerns over potential threats to national security and lack of transparency in government decision-making.

“Honestly great job last night. I’m very proud of the citizens of Manteno. This is our town not China’s town. We got a lot of good valid factual points on the record. We do this for our children because they need a future. All in all great job manteno and I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!!!” Ryan McHeffey said on Facebook.

McHeffey was one of many who attended the No Gotion Rally and Press Conference on Tuesday at Heritage Park and afterward the Manteno Planning Commission. The rally featured attorney Robby Dube, representing concerned Manteno residents, alongside special guests like Illinois Senate District 40 candidate Phil Nagel, Wirepoints founder Mark Glennon, and Breakthrough Ideas CEO Jeanne Ives. The heightened community interest and concerns over safety and Gotion’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party prompted the relocation of the Manteno Planning Commission meeting to Manteno Elementary School. The Planning Commission is set to hear evidence, recess, and resume the meeting on Nov. 27 for additional testimony before a vote, according to an earlier report from Kankakee Times.

The movement against Gotion has notably spurred local candidates, such as McHeffey, to run for office. McHeffey, who moved to the town with his family, is running for trustee and spearheading efforts to remove current officeholders in Manteno who support the proposed lithium ion car battery plant with connections to the Chinese Communist Party.

"We’ve been trying to ask our board questions and the mayor and they just sit back and they’re quiet," McHeffey told the Kankakee Times of the lack of transparency over the project from Nugent and the Village Board.

"They don’t say a word. And it’s like a joke to them. They were smirking during the meeting yesterday and it’s just sad because it’s happening everywhere, not just here."

McHeffey and other residents are rallying against the plant, citing concerns about economic incentives, national security, and a lack of transparency in local government, calling for bipartisan action to address the situation, according to an October report from Kankakee Times.

Successful recalls of pro-Gotion township officials in Green Township, Michigan, highlighted resistance to the Chinese company’s influence, and similar efforts gained momentum in Manteno.

Gotion previously faced rejection for a proposed factory in Muscle Shoals, Ala. due to national security concerns before proceeding with projects in Michigan and Illinois.

A review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States was called for due to concerns over Gotion’s ties to the CCP, and the controversy escalated when the company sought $8 billion in taxpayer subsidies for a $2 billion battery manufacturing facility in Manteno, according to a recent Kankakee Times report.