The following was gleaned from McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally’s report on his investigation of former Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Bob Miller by Illinois Leaks and is reprinted with permission:
Algonquin Township Road District – Former Road Commissioner Bob Miller invokes fifth amendment right.
Bob Miller
The former Algonquin Township Road District Commissioner plead the fifth amendment against self-incrimination in the criminal investigation into his actions during his term of public office according to the McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally.
“Further complicating this task is the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. This is especially true in cases where the one person responsible and presumably apprised of the thousands of expenses paid over the course of many years is under suspicion and asserts that right, as Miller did in this case.”
In a 52-page press release, Kenneally makes his case for his exercising his authority of prosecutorial discretion in choosing not to prosecute Robert Miller at this time.
There is a long of list matters that are bound to be part of future articles as other matters move through the court system and we suspect those matters will tie right back to things found in this 52-page report.
One item of interest in the report is there was no mention of any Grand Jury returning a no bill for indictment.
As a comparison of that process, you can review the former LaSalle County State’s Attorney felony charges for use of public funds, of which much of it we wrote about and linked to in this article.
Additional parallel information on what was found to be a chargeable crime in LaSalle County can be found at these links here and here.
And since we are not attorneys, we thought it would be of value to have two opinions from those who are attorneys as it relates to Township Officials duties and the law.
Keneally discussed the Township and Highway Department laws and made this statement:
“We are skeptical that anyone involved, whether a highway commissioner, trustees, or electors, can reasonably acquire a straightforward understanding of their duties and responsibilities under these disjointed and sprawling statutes.”
Keri-Lyn Krafthefer, taken many years ago.
Keri-Lyn J. Krafthefer and Stewart H. Diamond of Ancel, Glink, Diamond, Bush, DiCianni & Krafthefer, P.C. appear to have a much different perspective on those same duties and laws.
“If a township official does not easily despair, however, he or she can quickly command a manageable grasp of the concepts and laws relating to township business.”
I raise this point as a clear example that just because an attorney says something it does not mean it is right.
In this case, one attorney’s position (Kenneally) points to skepticism of Township Officials being able to understand their duties while two others clearly say those who do not despair can “quickly” command a manageable grasp of the concepts and laws relating to township business.
Regardless, ignorance of the law is no excuse!
Kenneally has confirmed that there are still ongoing criminal investigations pertaining to Alqonquin Township and Algonquin Road District but has not elaborated as to what those matters involve.
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Now we now find out that Miller took the fifth and Kennelly let him slide.
SO what do you Kennelly supporters think of him now ?
Living in downstate Edgar County (pop. 18,576) Mr. Allen is probably unfamiliar with the price to prosecute an “iffy” political case.
The memory should still be fresh in McHenry County minds, however, of the spectacularly pitiful Lou Bianchi trials seven years ago.
I never did a close accounting, but my guess is that, even after the clawbacks, that fiasco cost taxpayers between $750,000 and $1 million.
The Bianchi fiasco cost so much because of misconduct by the prosecution, and the fact that there was basically no case against him.
That’s not the situation here at all.
Yes. There’s a huge contrast with the Bianchi case.
There was basically one accusation against a sitting SA.
It was thoroughly investigated by an out-of-area investigator, taken to a jury and thrown out.
All over an unsubstantiated accusation.
Here you have hundreds of incidents, documented, and a SA saying he doesn’t have the staff or time to check it out.
Accusations STILL coming in, that should speak volumes.
When did Miller take the fifth?
He didn’t talk to anyone to do so?
Typical spin BS.
Fedup? Good question! There are even more lies coming out like in tody’s NWH puff piece that claims the “52-page report CLEARS Miller of charges. It absolutely does NOT. It doesn’t “clear” anyone of anything. It only says that the state’s attorney declined to do anything (but spew propaganda). The lying Victor has been quoted as saying ….”the truth has come out”. How is that a decisive statement? It is her slanted opinion yet printed as a fact. Do you see how they are spinning the truth and the stupid fools are eating it up? It is called brainwashing. Kenneally seems to be going for the “Are you going to believe me, or your lying eyes” as a defense for his inaction. The crooks are spinning like a lathe. Something very sinister is going on inside of all of this. They are too adamant that there is “nothing to see here” while neglecting the rotting pile of garbage having an acrid stench to anyone with a working sense of smell.
I agree Cindy.
SA Kenneally’s report doesn’t exonerate the Miller’s, or others involved at all.
It’s fun watching the old guard supporters spin it into a declaration of innocence though.
I think it’s a good report, but I suppose it depends on what one reads into it.
He didn’t finalize it with 7 points of change, because what they’ve done in the past was hunky dory.
SA Kenneally clearly states that Alg. Township actions were *unethical*.
While the SA refuses to prosecute the former township officials, if they continue in the same practices?
I believe he won’t hesitate taking them all down.
This current board being so divided is what makes Jack Franks consolidation push so very scary.
Consolidation will have no impact on this type of problem.
It just means that you have one township instead of two.
It can also throw a township which currently has non partisan elections with 15% voter turnout into partisan primaries with 5% turnout.
The GOP primary winners are only at risk when there is serious in party conflict.
Also, the voters in Grafton or Nunda, as the case may be, will never vote to consolidate with Algonquin because they will lose power to the higher population township. No one from outside of the former Algonquin township will ever be elected.
It only works if you are trying to put together two townships with roughly equal population. Maybe Nunda and McHenry.
Even then, tribalism takes over.
People in one township will not want to be “ruled” by people from another township (even thought townships don’t really do much).
Abolition is the only thing that makes sense.
If you can abolish Algonquin, and if the transition can be effectuated properly (which means the McSweeney bill needs to be cleaned up), then the example is set for others to follow.
Either that or have automatic dissolution once a township reaches a certain population size or is down to a certain percentage of population or land that remains outside of municipalities.
Known? You explain it nicely. I’m with you all the way until the last three paragraphs of your post. You lay out the right arguments for keeping local local. Then you go haywire by coming to the absolutely wrong complete opposite for your conclusion.
Thank you Satan; your input is appreciated and your opinions are very sound and respected. Stay tuned…tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock, meeeeeoooooowwwwwwwww…
Cindy:
Townships do not “Keep local local”.
There is no need in the 21st century for being able to have a local government, and one that performs only very limited functions at that, a horse and buggy ride away.
Most things can be done now online and that will only increase. Failing that you can get into your car and be in Woodstock in a few minutes.
Roads can be better taken care of if you don’t have to stop at the township line and turn around.
You can drive from one end of the township to the other in ten minutes when it used to take five hours.
Road district garages can be better situated than having two of them just a few blocks apart like you have in Harvard just because there is a line on a map in between.
Assessments can be done using aerial surveys and computers to equalize assessments throughout the county instead of hitching up the buckboard and keeping the records in the assessor’s hatband.
You don’t have to rely on part timers in the rural areas who may each have different methods not to mention day jobs.
The poor can be buried in the seriously underutilized county cemetery or in private ones where people can afford that.
Interim public assistance can be doled out to people by IDPA when they go in to apply for welfare from the state without sending them back to a township where someone then duplicates all of the paperwork.
The idea that government is somehow more “local” when you have 17 townships is an illusion.
“Small government” does not mean a lot of governments that are small.
Known? Performing only very limited functions is precisely what you want in local governance. You are defeating your argument for the NWO agenda by bringing up such great points.
Someone else using my name, get your own.
Cindy? Do you enjoy having your pocket picked by township crooks? I don’t.
Why don’t you fund their gold-plated pension rackets with your own, personal donations.
You live in a world of dreams.
Typical township meeting (Nunda Township c. 2016): http://media.gettyimages.com/videos/monkeys-eating-cash-video-id167362532?s=640×640
Thanks to our wonderboy Pat ‘the Rat’ Kenneally, here is the new County Logo:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jFmMT1zJsoc/TSNj1oeiqaI/AAAAAAAAAs0/d1ygGpkpF30/s1600/corruption.gif
I thought Kenneally was good.
Now I know he ain’t!
He betrayed every honest person in the county!
Shame on him. You can’t sugarcoat corruption because some judge told you “This sort of thing could wind up engulfing many more more people than Bobby.”
Ignorance of the law is no defense, just make Jim Kelly a co-defendant.
He would sing like a mynah.
Good one Pinto! And NundaWatcher, too!
Here’s my contribution:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMyh7ko9L2g
Nunda? What a stupid question! I have probably been THE MOST vocal on the grifters being arrested for outright theft! Your disparaging remarks are unappreciated. You have no idea what you are talking about or what “world” I live in.
Cindy: You can’t deplore the Millers and the corrupt Township system that created them.
It’s like saying the mass-murderer Mao Tse Tung was bad, but the Chinese Communist Party is really OK, after all.
MEANT TO SAY
Cindy: You can’t deplore the Millers and the corrupt Township system that created them is beautiful.
It’s like saying the mass-murderer Mao Tse Tung was bad, but the Chinese Communist Party is really OK, after all.
LadyJne? You are still not being clear. Are you asking how I can defend township governance while condemning the crooks that have infiltrated it? Otherwise, I have no clue what you are trying to say. (BTW I didn’t deplore anything. I castigate the grifters and the incompetents.)
Cindy quit distracting people. Township Government is Out-of-control government.
We need it like Angel needs extra facial warts and fistulas.