Keith Nygren
Lou Bianchi
In case you haven’t noticed the forces grouped behind McHenry County Sheriff are at war with the forces behind McHenry County State’s Attorney.
I have no clue when the war started, but it was manifested in Sheriff Keith Nygren‘s not emceeing State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi’s re-election kick-off.
DanRegna
The recruitment of Dan Regna, an assistant state’s attorney under the discredited regime of State’s Attorney Gary Pack intensified the battle.
The use of sheriff’s deputies and another former assistant state’s attorney to induce the now 25-year old college student Amy Dalby, who worked for Bianchi, to take and provide computerized internal documents, including ones which looked political, for what certainly appears to be political purposes added to the intensity.
Regna didn’t fade away, instead sought and received a special prosecutor from Associate Judge Gordon Graham to look into charges that Bianchi used his office for political forces.
Friday a Grand Jury was authorized with former Judge Skip Tonigan continuing as the special prosecutor named by Graham.
Zane Seipler
Supporters of Regna are also supporters of Graham. That they seek a negative outcome for Bianchi is a given.
Sally Wiggins
Nygren primary opponent Zane Seipler has asked for a similar special prosecutor to look into Nygren’s use of his office for political purposes.
Enter the wild card of attorney Sally Wiggins, who at this very moment is seeking petitions to run against Graham as an Independent.
Rest assured this has not gone unnoticed by Bianchi supporters.
Pete Gonigam’s First Electric Newspaper has reported and confirmed that Bianchi has hired defense attorney Terry Ekle to represent him in the investigation that Graham set in motion.
Mike Mahon
Gus Philpott
Meanwhile, Nygren has both a Democratic and Green Party candidates lined up in opposition in the November general election. Most observers think that having both Democrat Mike Mahon and Green Gus Philpott, who writes the Woodstock Advocate, will help Nygren emerge victorious.
The Northwest Herald continues to prop Nygren up, while the Woodstock Advocate, the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department Exposed, which supported Seipler in the primary election, and, once in a while (yesterday, but not today), former Democratic Party candidate for Coroner Dave Bachmann’s Dirty Keith vs. Dirty Harry weigh in on the pros and cons of the candidates.
New Democratic Party Central Committee Chair Mike Bissett helps teach campaign techniques before his recent election.
The Democratic Party, with new party Chair Mike Bissett (husband and campaign manager of McHenry County Board District 5 member Paula Yensen), has not played a visible role yet.
McHenry County Monopoly, a campaign piece local Democrats put out in 2008.
But, surely Republicans remember the devastating McHenry County Monopoly piece mailed out two years ago. Then, there wasn’t enough money to get it to everyone, but you can see below now good it was. See
There was no “GO” square on the game of McHenry County Monopoly.
McHenry Dems Attack Republican Monopoly
Democrats Go for Republican Vulnerabilities – 1
Democrats Go for Republican Vulnerabilities – 2
Democrats Go for Republican Vulnerabilities – 3
Democrats Go for Republican Vulnerabilities – 4
Democrats Go for Republican Vulnerabilities – 5
How’s Your Town Ranked by Local Democrats?
Local Republicans have never come up with something as creative as the Democrats’ monopoly piece. It didn’t do them any good in the countywide races, but the Dems did pick up two county board seats.
Can’t you think of new items that could be added this year?
I certainly can. There are
- two Metra Railroad Stations with political connections (think of variations on “Take a Ride on the Reading”)
- suits to fire Sheriff’s deputies that the deputies win costing hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees and wages for time denied work, plus interest on the late paid wages
- the shooting range incident
- the Grand Jury probe of Bianchi
- the 2030 plan
- the 75% sales tax increase in Crystal Lake imposed by an all-Republican city council
- the Grafton Township follies with different factions of the local Republican Party doing everything by facing off with paintball guns at 10 paces
- the reluctance of Republican Party township officials in Dorr Township to allow and up and down vote on whether to return $1 million to township taxpayers
- Valley Hi’s management problems
- McCullom Lake’s ground water pollution
- traffic congestion (always a good negative for non-incumbents)
- whatever sports complex/baseball stadium gets millions of dollars of Federally-subsidized money from the County Board
- property taxes staying high while property values have fallen
- and I’m sure those reading this will add to my quickly thought up list in the comment section.
This is definitely going to be a long, hot summer. I’ve always heard that the Democrats “eat their young” during election season, but it appears our ensconced Republicans are already sitting down to dine. It make come to pass that, with all the breaking scandals and infighting, a few of our incumbents will be handed their lunch.
Many of the lawsuits that went to outside counsel went that way because the State Attorney could not see them winnable and Sheriff Nygren did not like this so he goes outside counsel and we get stiffed with the bills when he loses. This sheriff has tooo many problems.
It is not that our State’s Attorney’s office is not capable of taking these cases, it is that they can see it will be a loss. Nygren’s large ego is in the way and Nygren has us pay.
This is another reason Nygren goes after Bianchi. Bianchi does not tell him what he wants to hear. Bianchi saves us money and Nygren spends.
He wants a States Attorney that will do his will.
“Mahon, Nygren Spar Over Safety Matters” – oh, my, look at the NW Herald today!
There are a couple of ill-informed mud-slingers among all the positive responses to the article, which actually appears to cast a favorable light on Mahon (!) I am as surprised as anyone. I have to agree with Mahon on this one. By the way, doesn’t it seem strange that Republicans are attacking Mahon in a manner usually associated with Democrats. I sure hope Mr. Mahon does not fall into the gutter and start mud wrestling with those who appear to be Keith’s ‘Posse’. Time will tell.
So the fight for county control by Republican leaders gets heavier. Who’s next to fall. I guess Sheriff Nygren has one up on Mr Bianchi. I guess maybe there is something behind Mr Pagono’s train accident that needs to be investigated! If the Republican party is going after Mr Bianchi, one of there own. Whats next? Mr Nygren has done the same to his office. So he needs to have the same done to him. He doesn’t even use the State logo on his equipment and letter head of the County sheriff. Lets not just stop at Mr Bianchi but everyone that has done this. Lets see what has been done at the County Board level. Lets investigate the departments as a whole. Make it fair or is that not in your vocabulary.
If Judge Graham wants my vote issue special investigators to investigate all of them!!!!!!! I will campaign for him if he appoints a special investigator to investigate all.