County Ready to Settle Nygren Freedom of Information Suit re Zinke Report with First Electric Newspaper – $104,000 in Legal Fees

Pete Gonigam, Publisher of the First Electric Newspaper, sued McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nyrgen when the former top cop refused to release the report about an investigation of his Chief Deputy and chosen replacement Andy Zinke. Mary Gardner was Gonigam’s … Continue reading

$5,000 Fine for Nygren’s “Willful” Refusal to Comply with FOIA Request

According to Pete Gonigam’s article on Thursday’s Freedom of Information Act hearing on attorney’s fees, there was an additional $5,000 fine ordered by Judge Thomas Meyer. It was levied “against the Sheriff’s Office last month for ‘willfully’ withholding the report,” Gonigam … Continue reading

Sheriff Nygren’s Campaign Protection of Zinke Costs Taxpayers $78,000

$78,299.96 to be exact. That’s what it will cost taxpayers because former McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren refused to provide information that a decision of the Illinois Attorney General’s Public Access Division said he should make available under the Freedom … Continue reading

Payment for Zinke FOI Case Near

When former Sheriff Keith Nygren refused to release his report exonerating his Undersheriff Andy Zinke in his dealings with an executive of Rita Corporation, First Electric Newspaper Publisher Pete Gonigam took him to court. Gonigam had an Illinois Attorney General’s … Continue reading

First Electric Newspaper Awarded $5,000 for Sheriff Keith Nygren’s FOIA Violation

As I pointed out earlier, First Electric Newspaper’s Pete Gonigam’s article of Judge Thomas Meyer’s ruling in his Freedom of Information Suit against Keith Nygren’s Sheriff’s Office is a must read. Gonigam is in line for a $5,000 check from … Continue reading

Must Read: FEN’s “Judge Fines Sheriff’s Office For Withholding Zinke Report”

The Republican primary election for McHenry County Sheriff took place over a year ago, but a blatantly political act by former Sheriff Keith Nygren to protect his chosen successor, Undersheriff Andy Zinke, has resulted in Judge Thomas Meyer’s handing out … Continue reading

Special Prosecutor Approved for Zinke Case

Filed on May 1st were two documents concerning a search warrant for 3121 Shenandoah Lane in Woodstock. That happens to be the address of “ZINKE ANDREW FURST KIMBERLY,” according to the McHenry County Treasurer. In the first filing, Randi Freese, an … Continue reading

Probe of Kane County Deputy Sheriff Kim Zinke Confirmed

The Illinois State Police has confirmed that Kane County Deputy Sheriff Kim Zinke is under investigation. The First Electric Newspaper has addition information, which can be found here. Zinke is the wife of former McHenry County Undersheriff Andy Zinke. Kim Zinke … Continue reading

Sheriff Bill Prim Keeps Campaign Promise Not To Participate in County Pension Program

From the get-go in Bill Prim’s campaign for McHenry County Sheriff, he promised to set himself aside from most public officials by not participating in the pension program to which he would be entitled. Recently, State Rep. David McSweeney has … Continue reading

Zinke Exoneration Summary Reported by First Electric Newspaper

The First Electric Newspaper’s Editor, Pete Gonigam, got half a loaf in response to this Freedom of Information request and suit yesterday. Gonigam sought a report prepared by Donald Leist about an “investigation clearing former Undersheriff Andy Zinke of violating … Continue reading

The End of November Payroll for the Sheriff’s Department

OK, folks who want to do some research. Yesterday, McHenry County Blog published the pay for Sheriff’s Department employees for the pay period prior to the primary election. That’s the one in which Bill Prim narrowly defeated Undersheriff Andy Zinke. … Continue reading

Going Away Presents at the Sheriff’s Department

As I post this during the spring, I don’t know whether the title is appropriate or not. But my favorite course in grad school at the University of Michigan–Organizational Theory–suggests it probably is. What are people in charge likely to … Continue reading