Who Is Being Recommended for the McHenry County Ethics Commission?

Cherie R. Rickert and Thomas B. Spencer.

Those are the two names being submitted to the McHenry County Board at its next meeting to serve on the McHenry County Ethics Commission.

I’ve never heard of the McHenry County Ethics Commission doing anything, so its existence is probably required by state law, but not given much of a mandate.

Today, something called the Executive Branch Ethics Commission actually did something.

If you've been hired by an elected official to do government work, but are also expected to help him or her get re-elected, it may be difficult to separate the roles.

It fined a woman who used to work for Pat Quinn $1,000.

What did she do?

She used her government email for a political purpose.

As regular readers know, McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi’s employees were accused of doing something similar. One employee testified that she emailed a potential campaign vendor to tell him not to use her government email.

Bianchi and his assistant Joyce Synek were acquitted on the charges by Rockford Judge Joseph McGraw.

Perhaps instead of a criminal indictment costing hundreds of thousands of dollars the alleged infraction could have been referred to the McHenry County Ethics Commission for resolution. Not that I know the authority of the Commission, but doing that would have made more sense that using the criminal justice system.

You can bet the $1,000 fine given Carolyn Brown Hodge will sent a message to political operatives embedded in state government.

But back to the two recommended for appointment.

Cherie R. Rickert works for the McHenry Grade School District as Director of Human Resources. She is a Registered Nurse who has previously served on the Centegra Ethics Committee. She has a Master’s Degree in Human Resources and has served on the McHenry Planning Commission and Human Relations Council. She is a past president of what evolved into the Family Health Partnership Clinic. She also writes a column for the Northwest Herald called “Ask Cherie.”

Thomas B. Spencer is an attorney in Woodstock with the firm of Botto, Gilbert, Schottland & Andrie. In a prior law firm he advised municipal employees on ethical questions.


Comments

Who Is Being Recommended for the McHenry County Ethics Commission? — 3 Comments

  1. Dear Mr. Skinner,
    Thank you for acknowledging my appointment, to be considered by the County Board, for the Ethics Commission. I need to clarify that I am not a columnist for the Northwest Herald but my affiliation: “Ask Cherie” was many years ago. Thank you. Cherie Rickert

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