That is the question that Richard Rostron asks in his letter to the Northwest Herald, which is reprinted with his permission:
Letter: Allegations against Franks require county to institute safeguards
The investigation into McHenry County Board Chairman Jack Franks’ behavior are in relation to his time as Democrat State Representative for the 63rd District.
But this also brings up the question of whether Franks represents a risk to the welfare of County employees, as well as a financial concern for the County.
According to a Jan. 31 Chicago Sun-Times article, Franks is under investigation by the Illinois State Police for criminal sexual abuse, criminal sexual assault, official misconduct, stalking and aggravated battery.
The story indicates that, related to the investigation, the State Police have executed a search warrant of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s office and that they believe they have sufficient probable cause to do so.
These are alarming charges.
And, while Franks denies any wrongdoing, Speaker Madigan’s office has instituted a “prohibition against (Franks having) any contact with employees in his office.”
Considering the charges, this seems a reasonable safeguard.
But if it’s reasonable in Springfield aren’t these safeguards also reasonable in McHenry County since we don’t know if these allegations represent a pattern of behavior yet?
The threat Franks may represent could also put taxpayers on the hook for any incidents or misbehavior on a local level. In essence, Franks is a walking liability that the county can ill afford.
= = = = =
Does anyone but I see the irony of County Board members being protected with wand wielding security people at the door during meeting times?
= = = = =
From a NWH subscriber:
“When I checked the web version of the NWH last night the word Letter: was in the headline, just as you saw it in what I sent.
“When I went back just now. . . well, imagine that. . . . no longer there.
“It is available in the LTE section of the web version.”
If you listen to the live streaming of this morning’s committee-of-the-whole meeting you will see how the public comment was orchestrated just conveniently to fall in place with Frank’s denial of wrongdoing.
Interesting but predictable how these meetings routinely become the forum for Franks alone.
and no rebuttal or input from the county board members.
You Will also see that here is no provision in the agenda set aside for member comment.
I wonder why; Do you think he expected some courageous County Board member might ask him to step down.?
Be assured he will keep campaigning on County time until we vote him out of office in November.
If he agreed to step down or take a break, it would appear to be an admission of guilt.
Not going to happen.
However his strategy to have the lobbyist speak on all the fine things he has done was poorly thought out.
I don’t think he realizes that all the ‘name dropping’ of higher politicians is helping his case with the people of McHenry County.
Everyone from Durbin to the President.
Really?
We are just farm folks and mostly blue collar earners, who are not impressed, and certainly don’t want big city politics in our County.
With big names comes big corruption.
We are not millionaires.
We live paycheck to paycheck.
I just think he’s out of touch with the people he claims to represent.
We take the allegations of sexual abuse very seriously.
Again, big city cover-ups.
Is he innocent or guilty of the charges? Only time will tell.
Regardless, he is out of touch with our community, and therefore needs to move on.
Jack Franks has always been a nothing.
The fact that he has ridden roughshod over the McHenry County Republican Party and every single County Board member speaks more to the weakness of those members and less to any strength he has.
Jackie lives in paralytic fear of people standing up to him and does everything he can to hide.
Control an Agenda he’s not allowed to control?
Hiding.
Hire morons he’s not allowed to hire?
Skirts to hide behind.
It is tiresome to see that idiot in elected anything but McHenry County residents keep voting for him because the motormouths here do absolutely zero RW work to remove him.
Can you leverage his now outed sexual deviencies to get him out of politics?
This remains to be seen.
No one cares who you have sex with but the betrayal of his wife and his now rapist accusations should get people’s attention.
Integrity Fund….
Should’ve let sleeping dogs lie you sick little minion, Jack.
Lie about others and the truth may just be enough to ruin you.
Idiot.
That doesn’t sound much like Priest above, but I like it!
So the country was riveted even before the figure known only from a faded photograph finally arrived on Capitol Hill, faced a towering dais of Senators and began to talk. “I am here today not because I want to be,” Ford said. “I am terrified.” For the next four hours, she answered every question. She admitted the facts she could not remember and recited her memories of that summer night in excruciating detail. The floor plan of the house. The ambush on her way to the bathroom. The sound of the two boys laughing as Kavanaugh allegedly pinned her to the bed, fumbled to remove her clothes and covered her mouth when she tried to scream. When pressed on her recollections, Ford explained how norepinephrine and epinephrine encodes in the hippocampus, her word choice reminding listeners of her Ph.D. in psychology. And when asked how sure she was that it was Kavanaugh who attacked her, Ford did not hesitate. “One hundred percent,” she said.
As the DEMOCRATS are so fond of instructing us, “the accuser MUST be believed”.
So be it.
I wonder if Mr. Franks has an FOID card or a gun?
County Board is all losers.
Start with Yensen and Althoff and end with Wheeler-Dealer and Aavang.
Vujik needs a new rug for his pate.
To Franks, we’re just dumb goyim.
Priest is “SPOT ON!”