Prim Attacks Zinke

A press release from Bill Prim, one of two candidates for the Republican nomination for McHenry County Sheriff:

PRIM: ZINKE STRATEGY IS DENY, DECEIVE AND DELAY

Two recent developments in the primary race for McHenry County Sheriff provide even further evidence of a pattern in the conduct of candidate Andy Zinke, that is, abuse of power followed by blame-shifting, withholding or delaying information, according to Bill Prim, Republican candidate for Sheriff.

“Whenever the truth might embarrass his campaign, Mr. Zinke either denies it, delays its release, or attempts to deceive voters as to its existence,” he said.

Prim said Sunday that the latest two incidents, if confirmed, are particularly troubling.

One involves the use of the state’s digital law enforcement database to obtain the personal information of a motorist by using a vehicle license plate.

The second allegedly involves paying a campaign consultant to insult and denigrate Zinke’s perceived political opponents on various Internet comment boards.

Both incidents have given rise to lawsuits, the first example being one filed Friday in U.S. District Court, alleging that Zinke, after being served at his home with a subpoena for a civil lawsuit that did not involve the Sheriff’s Office directly, became enraged, stood in front of the process server’s vehicle, thereby preventing it from moving, and noted the plate number.

The vehicle in question belongs to a 78-year-old Woodstock woman, who is the plaintiff.

The lawsuit further alleges that “Zinke thereafter ran Plaintiff’s license plate…through the Illinois State Police Law Enforcement Agencies Database System (“LEADS”).”

Bill Prim

Bill Prim

Prim, a 27-year law enforcement veteran, said that,

“Anyone in law enforcement knows that it is a violation to use LEADS for personal reasons. For someone of Mr. Zinke’s rank to abuse the system is, if the allegation is true, extremely troubling.

“He is supposed to be setting an example for the rest of the Sheriff’s Office.”

A second example also surfaced this week.

Legal efforts had begun in January by McHenry County State’s Attorney Louis Bianchi, acting in his private capacity, to identify the person using a Japanese “screen name” who had posted a series of accusatory comments against both Bianchi and Prim.

The scope narrowed to one Tamara DeModica, who

  • currently serves on the Committee to Elect Andrew Zinke;
  • was paid by his campaign at least $7,450 (total paid to her personally and to her firm TEC Communications Consulting) in 2013 for campaign communications; and
  • is listed multiple times on Mr. Zinke’s election website and in Mr. Zinke’s press releases as a contact person for the campaign.

Unique computer identifiers were traced to a property management business for which Ms. DeModica is listed as registrant and administrative contact.

The posted comments alleged personal and professional corruption, and went on for some time.

Yet as recently as February 25, during the Prim/Zinke debate at McHenry Community College, Mr. Zinke denied there was any personal animus between himself and State’s Attorney Bianchi and said he had “no issue with him.”

“And at that same debate, Mr. Zinke said he had no responsibility for a contract between McHenry County and the federal government regarding their use of beds at the County Jail,” Prim observed.

“But that’s his statement now that the contract is clearly costing the county millions of wasted dollars.”

Angry county board members at last week’s board meeting noted that Mr. Zinke had indeed been at the table, in front of the board, when critical cost per inmate figures were vouched for several years ago, and were considered indicative of the true costs.

“If you want another example, take the phone call to his campaign donor at RITA Corp. warning him of DEA surveillance of a two-ton marijuana shipment en route to that company’sheadquarters, also Mr. Zinke’s campaign headquarters.

“Once the incident was reported, all records of the internal investigation into Zinke that followed were buried, kept out of the public view, even when the Illinois Attorney General orders their release.”

Prim said that the Zinke campaign is above all focused on hiding, obscuring or distorting the candidate’s actual record.

“The truth will come out eventually,” Prim said, “but it would be better for voters if they knew that truth now.

“But despite all his efforts, I believe voters can see the smoke and are smart enough to conclude that there is a mighty big fire underneath.”


Comments

Prim Attacks Zinke — 33 Comments

  1. What an offensive Prims campaign has put on since the abysmal debate performance.

  2. This press release shows that Mr. Prim is really concerned about the people of McHenry County.

    Zinke is hiding. I would too.

    Hey Duncan am I ever going to meet you?

  3. FairPlay, what has been offensive is the behavior of the Nygren/Zinke Regime . . . their behavior says it all.

    Thank goodness many taxpayers are going to hold them accountable.

  4. Did anyone know that Tamara worked and lived in Moscow, Russia as a director for an international organization ?

    Just saying………..

  5. This on -going saga is better than reality t.v.

    Oh, that’s right–this is the reality of this political campaign and the characters are not actors.

    What a total disgrace for McHenry County and for this office!

    So, the identity is revealed behind the pen name. Actually, she was pretty clever as I read the first word of the pen name not as an actual Japanese name but as a play on a four letter word ending in “you” right from the start.

    Cal, your blog site is becoming more interesting by the moment.

    Imagine what else will be revealed by 3/18 and then by the actual election in the fall!

    Glad I live in Kane County which does not have soap operas going on at the moment unless I am totally naive.

  6. Tamara Demodica

    President
    TEC COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING
    January 2001 – Present (13 years 3 months)

    PUBLIC RELATIONS
    MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
    COPYWRITER
    GRAPHIC DESIGN
    POLITICAL CONSULTING
    Spokesperson
    Mercy Health System
    Nonprofit; 1001-5000 employees; Hospital & Health Care industry
    March 2010 – April 2013 (3 years 2 months) Illinois

    Director of Public Relations
    IPTA/DNS
    1994 – 2000 (6 years)

    Public Relations
    Chicago Blackhawks
    Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Sports industry
    February 1998 – March 1999 (1 year 2 months) Greater Chicago Area

    Sports Public Relations
    Production
    WGN-TV
    Public Company; 201-500 employees; Broadcast Media industry
    January 1997 – January 1998 (1 year 1 month) Greater Chicago Area

    News Production
    Director of Communications
    McDowell International Relations
    November 1992 – February 1993 (4 months) Moscow, Russian Federation; Riga, Latvia; St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

    Worked with Russian Military on communications projects to improve American and Russian Federation Relations.

  7. Only 9 more days and the Regime will crumble.

    ” Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
    Humpty Dumpty had a great fall ……………………………….

    oops

  8. NorWest Townships Republican Central Committee

    Public Relations/Marketing Communications/Graphic Design

    September 2012 to Present

    Greenwood Precinct 1 – McHenry County

    Committeeperson

    September 2012 to Present

    Greenwood Township Planning Commission

    March 2013 to Present

  9. This is truly dissapointing.

    Its truly dissapointing to see a candidate crash and burn so badly, but it’s not a surprise.

    It’s no secret that Mr. Prim is doing nothing to aid his own campaign.

    Many of his reformers are shrugging their collecttive shoulders after his dismal performace at the candidate’s forum.

    Alex Rogers/Tom Stark is still walking for him but the other PC candidates are all shrugging their shoulders.

    All that’s left is the politics of personal destruction, so why not go down that path and try to destroy a man with a long history in a department which is highly accreddited and well respected.

    Mr. Zinke was endorsed by so many public officials and local law enforcement leaders for one reason, he’s qulaifed and experienced.

    That’s it… It’s that simple.

    Now those who view him as an enemy because of fictional transgressions and meaingless lawsuits, one can understand your disdain, but take a minute and examine the hard facts:

    1) Rita/Drug Complaint: If this had actually happened as presented, Mr. Zinke would likely be in a federal jail right now. But it didn’t happen the way that you want to believe that it happened; these type of things happen in the movies and on tv shows like the X-Files. Is it bothersome that they internal Sheriff’s report hasn’t been released? Slightly, but even if it had been, the bunch of you that live in unicorn land would find some vague wording or misspelling to leat upon and concrete evidence that Andy Zinke wants to watch the world burn.

    2) The middle finger… did he do it, didn’t he do it? How dare he flip the bird in a place that children might see it. I only wish that I had been there with my children and that they had seen it, and I’d explain that sometimes people like Mr. Skinner deserve it. Given the ongoing unjustified way that Mr. Skinner has treated Zinke and many others on this site, I expect that there were many, inclding myself who told Andy if he did do it, then good show…

    3) The bad hip lawsuit… Political hit piece, plain and simple and about the only appropriate action for Mr. Prim would have been to take the high road and ignore an absurd lawsuit. But instead he decided to come forth with a vast amount of intellectual dishonesty.

    4) Bianchi’s statement- Again a political hit piece. I’m gonna take a stab at this; Given Tamara whatsernames resume she’s got a lot of free time on her hands and let’s be honest, in campaigns sometimes supporters can become overzealous in their support (reference Mr. Hanolan’s lawsuit above.) so did she type some crazy things? Yes. Should she be liable? THat’s for the court to decide. Does it mean Zinke was in on it? Not at all; except for the world where everyone has control over everything.

    Listen my friends, Mr. Zinke is not perfect, but if this is the depth that Mr. Prim and the ‘reformer’ group has to stoop to to get him elected, then either they are losing and they know it or their winning and we are getting a preview of the dark cloud that is coming over McHenry County politics in the near term.

  10. Cal, why don’t you just openly publish the fact that you are a shill for Bill Prim.

    Nearly everything you said is based upon fiction and conjecture.

    There is no evidence that Zinke did any inquiry on the plate, in fact the complaint only raises the hypothesis this the he COULD HAVE.

    The near fact that you published the complaint within minutes of a few hours if filing shows you were informed ahead of time with the filing ready to launch when the clerk stamped the document.

    Lastly if you have evidence that Brian Goode or Rita Corporation was in fact a target of the DEA, then say it. If you think Brian Goode was involved in illegal activity, then say it.

    Your gutless innuendos are sickening.

  11. Notawannabe, there is nothing that is “fiction and conjecture” about the filing in Federal Court on Friday. It’s a fact!

    Cal isn’t a “shill” for Bill Prim.

    Not am I.

    Are you a “shill” for Zinke?

    You mention RITA Corporation.

    According to a Complaint in McHenry County Circuit Court, a truckload of illegal drugs was headed to RITA Corporation.

    It seems to me that the DEA would have been investigating RITA Corporation and its officers to determine WHETHER they were involved.

    Zinke spoiled that investigation by improperly disclosing it to Brian Goode.

  12. “Notawannabee” Hey, your bowl of overly buttered popcorn awaits you…lol….

    That explains why the Regime is on a slippery slope…

  13. The evidence is in the LEADS machine.

    It will have a record of who signed in to LEADS, who ran LEADS and the information that it revealed.

    There will be evidence Notawannabee and all someone has to do is check.

    Looks like someone already did.

    Also remember the filing is a public record.

    Doesn’t take long to get so I wouldn’t blame Cal for knowing anything ahead of time.

    The only one to blame is the one who illegally ran leads for personal gain and if Zinke didn’t act the way he did (allegedly)he wouldn’t be in this mess.

  14. Everything is documented…

    Prim is just commenting on the allegations that seem to ongoing with Zinke.

    As far I can tell, again, all of Prim’s comments are documented and supported by the truth.

    I’ve yet to see a press release from Zinke and his campaign regarding the allegations or anything that disproves these allegations.

    It’s hard to deny the truth.

  15. I have lived in McHenry County for many years.

    I have always quietly followed politics and found it fascinating how delinquent the Republican Party was.

    I would consider myself a conservative Democrat (we exist).

    Things now feel different in McHenry County.

    There is no certainty with this upcoming election.

    It just feels like things are changing for the better within the Republican party.

    The candidacy of Bill Prim is so refreshing in that we have a choice now.

    We do not have to go with the anointed candidate from a committee of a few old people in a back room if we do not want to.

    I have met both candidates.

    I will be voting for Bill Prim.

    I finally have a reason to pull a Republican ticket.

    I am excited.

    I am inspired.

    Becca Murphy

  16. This is a written statement by Bill Prim; I saw him at the MCC debate, he sounded as articulate as Gomer from the Andy Griffith show. Prim is alleged to have said, “The truth will come out eventually, but it would be better for voters if they knew that truth now.”

    The truth is: Put Bill behind a mic at MCC and he becomes a bumbling, stammering idiot making fallacious attacks he did not conceive. Prim’s mouthpiece, whoever that may be behind the strokes on a keyboard that created this press release, is not equal to Bill Prim the candidate. Prim is astroturf. He is working on his second pension. He has no endorsement of ANY surrounding poultice chief. He has not tried to reach out to current police chiefs. Bill Prim, no matter how well intentioned, is NOT the man for the job in this county. Maybe Cook, where he worked, and Lake, where he works as a security guard, but not here.

  17. HERE IS MY HONEST DEBATE COVERAGE.

    To begin, Mr Prim came out attacking Zinke immediately. Bill came off as rather cold and his initial indictments about Rita as well allegations concerning petitions being circulated were never responded to by Zinke. Zinke took the high road and decided to focus his opening statement on what made him qualified.
    When asked by he was qualified later in the debate, Mr. Prim didn’t point to any qualifications, rather he decided to say he was qualified because he would be able to ask within the department from other officers what needs to be done and then went on a ramble about cost savings saying that there was a 5,000% increase in budgetting at the Sherriff office, which Zinke later pointed out was primarily related to if an officer wants time to take off for his family (i.e. if an officer had a baby and needed time off.)

    There were moments in the debate where the two candidates actually agreed on issues. For example: Both candidates believed that there should not be additional juvenile detention at the sheriff office. As well, they both agreed that social media was a great opportunity to enhance the sheriff’s ability to serve the community. Finally, both candidates agreed that THEY would be better as Sheriff in McHenry County!

    All joking aside, Zinke coldly pointed out that Prim overexaggerated how much money he personally brought into his former department by stating that the 9 million dollars was a multi-department operation and to say Prim brought 9 million all in was an insult to other offices. Prim never responded to this point.
    Mr. Prim attacked Andy for the ICE contract. Zinke responded that it was the responsibility of the County Board to negotiate this contract – which is true as Kevin Craver pointed out on Twitter. Prim asked for additional time and moved the goal posts saying that the Sheriff would still have input in to the decision, effectively backing off of many allegations on this blog that it is the sheriff’s office is fault for the contract.

    Zinke also pointed out that there is a lot of misinformation surrounding the ICE contract stating that the statistic sources Mr. Prim was using are entirely false. Prim never responded to this claim.
    Prim had a great argument when he said that Keith Nygren was not originally from McHenry County. But this was largely a misnomer as Zinke pointed out he had spent time in the community and forged relationships with many of the other departments. Prim, and I quote said, “I have worked with all… well most of the agencies in government [in my career.]” Short on the details, Prim resulted to general brush strokes of “cut spending, eliminate waste, boost morale” as his goals for the department. Andy got into specifics, but to the casual observer, may have come off as a bit confusing because he did say so much.

    Zinke had a great point about the importance of social media in the Sheriff office and being more technologically oriented. During the same question, Prim began on a ramble about how it was important for Volunteers to be part of the sheriff office when he was asked the same question of technology. Zinke asked for more time and said that he would keep to the technology question, rebuttling some of Prims points on the technology question.
    Lasting thoughts:

    Andy Zinke came off a bit robotic at times and spoke a bit too fast for some of the old folks at home. Prim came of rather monotone and was actually chewing gum as the debate began, which came off as rather unprofessional – especially for someone who would be looking over a 36 million county agency. Zinke was very detailed in his responses and proved a very great understanding of the department as it is today. Prim tried to point faults in Zinke even in his closing argument instead of propping himself up, yet, to the casual observer, Prim’s examples may have proved a bit confusing because he never really went on to explain WHAT the Rita Corp situation was or what the deal was with petitioners having complaints filed against them in the Sheriff office.

    Prim’s body language was rather dismissive, condescending and his voice monotone. Zinke, though quick with the tongue was a bit too defensive at times, yet proved an immense understanding of the department compared to Prim. And Prim, despite a large stack of paper next to him that he only referenced the first sheet a total of four times, wrote few notes, and seemed a bit out of place. I would agree with Gary Rabine’s previous analysis that “Prim is no politician.” That said, after this debate, Zinke proved not only his mastery of the McHenry County Sheriff’s office, but also that of public life with his mastery of the stage and having keenly pointed out that Bill Prim has not contacted ANY of the local police chief’s in the area. Overall, it definitely seemed like Zinke won with Prim finishing yards behind.

  18. Gus Philpott says the complaint is real… it is but it is nothing but conjecture.

    Can we believe a man who tries to have someone (Nygren) arrested for glaring at him? LOL!

    Philpott acts the fool because that’s what he is. If his head wasn’t so inflated due to his ego, he’d be wearing a court jesters cap with the bells on it.

  19. Fair play……….

    Please don’t waste print on going over the whole debate again…..

    We all know what was said.

    There should be a word limit on this blog…

    What is a poultice chief ?

    You are crossing poultry with police……

    Sorry, you are right, the chiefs are too chicken to endorse Bill……

    The RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB.

    There are three things you can’t hide…..the moon, the sun, and the TRUTH !

    VOTE FOR BILL PRIM !!!!!!!!!!!

  20. The rants and raves are hilarious.

    Standard Zinke and Regime tactics of “Walling Off” good posts.

    Its ok.

    The truth is getting out there.

    Its blatantly evident.

  21. The Zinke Rita Corp activity was not illegal but it sure was immoral.

    Now, as posted previously on this blog, there is legislation underway in Springfield to make what Zinke did illegal.

    The same guy who warned Rita Corp about a pending DEA raid says he will work to stop the flood of heroin?

    Zinke is not believable!

  22. Just think folks 8 more days and no one will have to kiss the “Zinke Ring”
    again.

    Vote for Bill Prim

  23. Sad to see the debate about these two candidates boil down to ad-homonym and straw man fallacies.

    I asked before and I’ll say it again.

    Put these two mens’ resumes next to each other, as any CEO would, and you can see who the better candidate for office is.

    But if your measure for a successful sheriff is how many fallacious lawsuits his supporters can file in two weeks….

  24. I think that is exactly what people are doing—-putting the two resumes next to each other and you can clearly see that Bill Prim is far more qualified and has far more experience.

    Vote for Bill Prim

  25. Education qualifications = Zinke

    Prim has no Masters.

    Interdepartmental coordination
    = Zinke

    Prim failed to reach out to local law enforcement.

    Knowledge of Department = Zinke

    You can’t argue Bill has a better understanding of the MCSO.

  26. It is kind of interesting anyone thinks this is news.

    Anyone watching the Prim campaign and his supporters could have predicted a bunch of last minute (too late to prove or disprove) allegations.

    It is a common gutter political tactic so how can one be surprised that the probably deepest gutter campaign in McHenry County history would not pull it?

    So a gutter campaign based mostly on vague accusations and innuendo makes a flurry on last minute accusations? It really can’t catch anyone by surprise, can it?

  27. Team Prim is also coming off more “cultish” by the day, it is hard to have a serious debate with a group of people who think the fact that they make a accusation is proof of it being true until proven otherwise.

    At the end of the day you have a bunch of wild conspiracy theory accusations that no one as ever been actually been able to prove.

    Dirty political insinuation attacks reminiscent of those that have been aimed at Bush, Palin, Romney, Cruz, etc… that would make the farthest left liberal get a tingle up their leg.

    All about insinuation aimed at demonizing the individual and nothing about actually keeping our community safe.

  28. Bill Prim has more experience in his little finger than Zinke has in both hands.

  29. Oops, Mr. Prim, the truth IS coming out a bit sooner than planned.

    Mrs. Matterness doesn’t know anything about serving Zinke?

    And… she was promised that this wouldn’t be in the newspapers?

    Promised by who?

    Hopefully, not you.

    This seems to be more the work of folks like that disgraced former deputy, twice shown to be a liar (once by his own admission), some of the other nutjobs posting here.

    I have to admit, it’s rather ironic…

    Zane is accused of throwing his wife under the bus to avoid the consequences of his actions, now we have a “78 yr old woman with a bad hip” apparently saying somebody threw her under the bus while she wasn’t looking and after promising her they wouldn’t.

    The more things change, the more they stay the same. Welcome to Cook County politics!

    Read all about it…

    http://www.nwherald.com/2014/03/12/woman-named-in-lawsuit-never-served-zinke-with-subpoena/alk0s8c/

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