Fellow Lawyers Think Jack Franks is “Civil”

Reprinted from McHenry Times with permission of the author:

McHenry County board chairman Franks receives ‘Civility’ award despite his dust-ups with watchdog groups

Despite a history of ugly clashes with government watchdog groups, Jack Franks, chairman of the McHenry County board, recently received an award from a local bar association for working with others to find common ground in a “respectful and civil manner.”

On June 19, the Northwest Herald published a “Submitted Report” announcing that Franks had received the President’s Award for Civility from the Northwest Suburban Bar Association. The report no longer appears on the Herald’s online site, but an announcement of the award does appear on the McHenry County government site under “County News.”

Kirk Allen

Kirk Allen

The editor of the Northwest Herald did not return an e-mail asking why the announcement was removed from the paper’s site.

Julie Barth, executive director of the Northwest Suburban Bar Association, said that Michael Rothmann, the incoming president of the bar association and a personal injury lawyer from Arlington Heights, is friends with Franks; and that any questions about the award should be directed toward him.

Rothmann did not return a call for comment.

Franks, a Democrat from Marengo who was elected chairman of the board in 2016, has battled with Cal Skinner Jr., a former Republican Illinois House member and county treasurer from Crystal Lake. Skinner, a self-described “Tax Fighter,” publishes the McHenry County Blog, an online site that encourages public participation in government. In 2012 when Franks was a member of the state House, he wrote to Skinner telling him that he was unwelcome at any of his personal or political events.

Jack Franks being “civil” to Kirk Allen.

“You are not a journalist and are not credentialed and have no right to any access,” Franks wrote.

On his blog Skinner responded: “Franks says I’m not welcome at any of his personal or political events. Pretty strange statement since I have never even been closer to his home than the video tour his real estate agent posted when he was trying to sell his Bull Valley home to move to Marengo.”

Then in August 2017, Kirk Allen of the Edgar County Watchdogs (ECW) published a report on Illinois Leaks about a tip he received about a “special meeting” in McHenry County.

Allen covered the meeting and wrote that when Franks entered the room, “He immediately instructed the County Administrator to remove a citizen from what was previously press seating. Cal Skinner with McHenry County Blog was sitting there and Franks wanted him removed. He instructed staff to get security and have him removed. Never mind the fact there was no shortage of seats in the room. He simply did not want that person sitting there because they had eliminated seating for the Press.”

Allen went on to write that Franks had to retreat when Skinner held his ground.

And in a series of reports published last fall, ECW wrote that Franks had filed “false and incomplete SEI (Statements of Economic Interests) statements.”

“McHenry County Board Chairman Jack Franks is one who likes to send letters to people for intimidation, to include making false allegations of crimes committed with threats of prosecution,” one of the ECW reports said. “May we suggest putting a mirror in front of Jack Franks?

Franks did not respond to a request for comment on receiving the “Civility” award in light of his clashes with Skinner and ECW.


Comments

Fellow Lawyers Think Jack Franks is “Civil” — 20 Comments

  1. Franks is our little overlord who masquerades as a Christian when it suits him for political purposes.

    He’s a person of very low standards. Although he does like to foreclose on people.

    Why did the Franks Family Bank in Wonder Lake go haywire?

    Franks ‘civil’? Hardly unless you mean he’ll be part of the coming civil war.

  2. I love this story; it fuels my fantasyland thoughts about our great sunshine blogger still being relevant in McHenry County. Stay tuned…tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock…

  3. Angel, I do believe you have “fantasyland thoughts”, I am glad you brought it up. Your Impulse Control button does malfunction, so please just remember, to keep your hands and words to yourself.

  4. Yes the clock is ticking little Angel — for thee!

    Here’s a little video of the week Angel and his LGBTQXYZ promoting faunce, Jackal Franks, don’t want to view at all.

    People might get ideas, bad ideas about the lice that have ruined Illinois.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGschgczpsM

  5. Here’s another video our Greal Leader aka ‘The Jackal’ and Evil Angel don’t want you to ever see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvuyP6CZOec

    Warning: not for IEA members, Section 8 parasites, the Mexican MS-13 machete-rapists gang, our lovely transgendered freaks, supporters of Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee (Rauner and Fat JB) and other assorted degenerates destroying Illinois and McHenry Co.

  6. Poor, Poor Jacko.

    He leads a double life.

    Imagine all the covering up one has to do living a lie like he doe. For many, many years.

    Crying about a mistress who never was too ‘nice.” Crying about not being appreciated by spoiled brats. Crying about his wife and kin not getting patronage jobs from Blago. It’s all so very sad.

    It makes me wanna cry too, along with him.

    https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-portrait-young-male-mime-white-face-grey-close-up-hat-crying-shouting-wiping-his-tears-isolated-background-image44626112

  7. The Skinner Family has been engaged in political and McHenry County news for 5 decades beginning with Cal Skinner, Sr, Publisher of the Star Reporter until his death, followed by Cal, Jr and the 21st century version, McHenry County Blog.

    Thanks, Cal, keep up the great work, you should be seated with the Press, front and center, at any public gathering.

  8. It’s a typo. The NWSBA meant to give him an award for being evil.

    That’s very high praise coming from fellow lawyers.

  9. Hilarious that no one at this ‘organization’ will talk about this so-called, never heard of “award”. Maybe they don’t even know about it? Maybe Franks needed a favor? or perhaps he bought this “award”.

    CIVILITY? Can you get an actual ‘Civility award’ for threatening other members of local govt that don’t Do what he instructs them to?

    Does ‘Civility’ mean hovering over the meeting minute taker’s shoulder trying to control board members’ Votes?

    Does Civility mean publicly making fun of fellow members of the County Board because they cannot get the electronic voting devices to work (because they’re crap!)

    Does Civility mean using impressionable kids from a Catholic High School for his campaign?

    Does Civility mean stomping back and forth demanding that Board Members get arrested for calling a special meeting to let taxpayers Know about what Franks is doing behind their backs?

    Does Civility mean getting rid of the Press Box in the boardroom because he only wants ‘his-boy-Friday’ photographing his ‘good side’- And slanting coverage in his favor?

    Does ‘Civility’ mean threatening a senior citizen press member for reporting the truth?

    Does Civility include recruiting union goons to picket Board Members’ workplaces/businesses because they didn’t vote His Way?

    Does civility mean slandering people who don’t play his brand of ball?

    Does ‘Civility’ mean promoting getting rid of Board members pensions when he won’t get rid of his own?

    Does ‘Civility’ epitomize a hypocrite, bully, Fascist, LIAR?

    If it does, …this guys cup runneth over with ‘civility. ‘

  10. Corn? It’s kind of like the Nobel Peace Prize. Doesn’t mean a thing. It is all a sham.

  11. If you have any doubt about the BS involved in all levels of government, this “award” should prove it to you.
    It’s the same old “You’re great, no you’re great” garbage that they do on a regular basis.

  12. Great, now everybody do a 180 on what you we’re saying about civility, 30 secs ago.

  13. Franks is a phony.

    When he voted for same sex marriage, he lost me forever.

    He’s a double-dealing, pharisaical (pun intended), liar

  14. Pretty sure that voting for marriage equality would be the exact opposite of being “parisaical.” #JustSaying

  15. (and yes, I missed the “h” in pharisaical.) ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

  16. Jack Franks is a giant disgrace.

    That’s really the only thing one can say about the scam artist.

  17. John Creighton writing here, former AFSCME board member & former Democrat precinct comitteeman: I testify that Al Franks, in a personal encounter when I served on the board of AFSCME Local 26 at Elgin Mental Health Center, seemed to act civil toward me, but despite telling me that he would support our Union when we were in negotiations with the State under the leadership of Governor Bruce Rauner, & leading me to believe he would support legislation to bring the Republican administration back to the negotiations, Mr. Franks failed to keep his word to us, & was a “no-show” during the vote.

    The legislation did not pass, two votes shy of what was needed to pass.

    It is my own perception that Mr. Franks is in politics to serve his own agenda.

    He is loyal to no one, not even the Democratic Party.

    You might consider him a “Dino.”

    Perhaps Franks will find himself someday in a limbo between Republicans & Democrats.

    This is futher evidence of a very real rift among Liberals and/or Democrats.

    Sorry, folks. I call ’em as I see ’em.

    The truth shall set you free.

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