So, how about that Zinke news?

More news than a bunch of numbers.

Hmmm… I missed that. (Goes to read article)

Interesting statement: “While some may consider the dissemination of what would appear to be highly confidential and sensitive information an alarming and problematic matter, such conduct does not violate the Official Misconduct Statute.” (Your quote)

I’m also reminded of a headline you posted a while back: “Andy Zinke said to have spilled beans to Local DEA suspect, a Big Contributor to Zinke…”

To which I would then direct you to John Koziol’s Affidavit which states a few things: First, Brian Goode is a Merit Commissioner for the Sheriff’s office. Second, the DEA investigation was ongoing and hardly convinced that Rita Corp was involved in drug smuggling. In fact, the DEA was still putting pieces together and did not have a case or shred of evidence other than a destination that was given by the driver who was not employed by Rita Corp.

That said, lets summarize the alleged conspiracy: Brian Goode – Republican, local businessman, Commissioner for the Merit Commission of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and friend of Undersheriff Andy Zinke – was allegedly involved in the trafficking of cannabis to McHenry County because a truck that said it’s destination was Rita Corporation in McHenry County was found in Texas with cannabis and Goode could possibly have dies to the murky underworld of drug smuggling, which Zinke compromised the discovery of because he told Brian about the investigation.

So, with all of that said, what seems more likely? A legitimate businessman with connections to the Sheriff’s office is involved in narco-trafficking to McHenry County OR drug smugglers used a legitimate business as a front and a legitimate destination in order to try and trick police/DEA if they were pulled over and used a legitimate business’s name on the destination of the cargo?

And still, you and Gus P go on some conspiracy parade. Here’s what Gus had to say?
“If some doper on the truck dock is going to hide 4,000 pounds of marijuana in the back of his Honda Civic after work, Goode wouldn’t know about that, would he?”

OF COURSE HE WOULDN’T BECAUSE GOODE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE COMPANY THAT WAS TRANSPORTING THE CARGO, BECAUSE IT WAS A MEXICAN COMPANY THAT DID THE TRANSPORTING – A COMPANY THAT IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH RITA!

But still, Gus goes along with his alleged conspiracy
“7/13/12 Zinke tells Brian Goode about confidential DEA investigation.

9/18/12 $1,000 political donation to Zinke from Reliance Tool & Mfg, Elgin.
9/18/12 $1,000 political donation to Zinke from Home State Bank, Crystal Lake
9/18/12 $5,000 political donation to Zinke from R.I.T.A. Corp., Crystal Lake

What coincidence would there be in the same reporting date for three donations to Zinke’s political fund? Was that date chosen for convenience, or was it the actual date on which the donations were received by the Citizens to Elect Zinke campaign, which uses RITA Corporation for its mailing address?

THER IS NO COINCIDENCE, GUS, YOU FLIPPING IDIOT.

This has been blown out of proportion. Don’t get me wrong Cal, the NW Herald bit and swallowed the story as well pointing a finger at Zinke instead of looking into the details of the “crime” involving Rita that the DEA was investigating. But as there were no laws broken by Zinke, and Goode is hardly liable for the drugs seeing as he stated, “the truck in question belonged to a common carrier who was transporting a load of cosmetic raw materials purchased by RITA Corporation from a supplier in Mexico. The truck did NOT belong to RITA Corporation and the driver was not an employee of RITA Corporation” – the only story here is Gus and Cal going after Zinke and misconstruing details as well leaving open ended questions that, at the end of the day, are crack pot arguments.