McHenry County Blog

It’s hard to get dumped on more than Special Prosecutors Henry Tonigan and Thomas McQueen was by Winnebago County Judge Joseph McGraw.

Three days before McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi’s lawyer Terry Ekl’s was scheduled to go before Judge Gordon Graham, acting on behalf of six Bianchi supporters, to ask for Tonigan’s and McQueen’s dismissal, basically for incompetence, Tonigan asked permission to withdraw due to his father’s health problems.

The high-billing Thomas McQueen, apparently taking it for granted that Judge Gordon Graham will let Tonigan out of the case Thursday morning, filed a motion on April 26th asking for McGraw to recuse himself based on, at minimum, an appearance of impropriety.

What Special Prosecutor Thomas McQueen desires.

The source of the information behind this motion?

Would you believe a blog?

A new one called McHenry Leaks, whose first post was Saturday, April 16th.

The information on the blog represents significant research into nooks and crannies of the legal infrastructure which it is hard to believe were not found by an attorney.

There is no name attached to the blog.

McHenry County State's Attorney is seen posing as an Appellate Prosecutor's award is presneted to State Rep. Frank Mautino (D-LaSalle County). The photo was published on the McHenry Leaks blog and included as an exhibit in Thomas McQueen's motion to get rid of Judge Joseph McGraw, who delivered a directed verdict dismissing McQueen's charges against Lou Bianchi and his assistant Joyce Synek. Bianchi is on the right hand side of the photo.

So, with someone else doing the research, McQueen is trying to intimidate Judge McGraw to withdraw from the case.

The blog cites McGraw’s income disclosure form from 2010 which shows he must also file with the “States Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor.”

It appears that McGraw was paid $3,125 for being an instructor at a seminar in October, 2010. He spoke the first day, October 25th, at the end of the day on the subject of “Pre-Trial Motions” and was paid $625 a day for the five-day seminar.

The records posted show he had been a paid instructor going back to 2007.

Thomas McQueen. Photo credit: First Electric Newspaper.

McQueen notes that McHenry County Assistant State’s Attorney Michael “Mich” Combs was also a panel member at the October conference. Combs was in the Winnebago County Public Defender’s and State’s Attorney’s Offices before coming to McHenry County.

McQueen admits he does not know what relationship the two had.

Bianchi, however, has recently names Combs as a witness in his criminal case, McQueen reveals.

Chicago Sun-Times coverage of this story from Thursday.

McQueen next notes that the Special Prosecutor for the Amy Dalby case, was David O’Connor and O’Connor was on the faculty and was “Training Director” for the Appellate Prosecutor’s Office.

Publicist Dan Curry, McQueen notes, is also on contract with the same agency. Curry has provided public relations services to Bianchi and Ekl.

Not stating the amount of money that McHenry County pays the Appellate Proseccutor’s Office to do what McQueen and Tonigan have billed over $300,000 for, McQueen characterizes it as “a significant amount.”

I’ve heard the figure McHenry County pays the Appellate Prosecutor’s Office is $30,000 a year.

Thanks to Dan Curry’s Reverse Spin for finding these comments from Salon.com liberal commentator Camille Paglia:

Liberal Democrats are going to wake up from their sadomasochistic, anti-Palin orgy with a very big hangover.

The evil genie released during this sorry episode will not so easily go back into its bottle.

A shocking level of irrational emotionalism and at times infantile rage was exposed at the heart of current Democratic ideology — contradicting Democratic core principles of compassion, tolerance and independent thought.

One would have to look back to the Eisenhower 1950s for parallels to this grotesque lock-step parade of bourgeois provincialism, shallow groupthink and blind prejudice.
I like Sarah Palin, and I’ve heartily enjoyed her arrival on the national stage. As a career classroom teacher, I can see how smart she is — and quite frankly, I think the people who don’t see it are the stupid ones, wrapped in the fuzzy mummy-gauze of their own worn-out partisan dogma.

So she doesn’t speak the King’s English — big whoop!

There is a powerful clarity of consciousness in her eyes. She uses language with the jumps, breaks and rippling momentum of a be-bop saxophonist.

I stand on what I said (as a staunch pro-choice advocate) in my last two columns —

that Palin as a pro-life wife, mother and ambitious professional represents the next big shift in feminism.

Pro-life women will save feminism by expanding it, particularly into the more traditional Third World.

As for the Democrats who sneered and howled that Palin was unprepared to be a vice-presidential nominee — what navel-gazing hypocrisy!

What protests were raised in the party or mainstream media when John Edwards, with vastly less political experience than Palin, got John Kerry’s nod for veep four years ago?

And Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, for whom I lobbied to be Obama’s pick and who as on everyone’s short list for months, has a record indistinguishable from Palin’s.

Whatever knowledge deficit Palin has about the federal bureaucracy or international affairs (outside the normal purview of governors) will hopefully be remedied during the next eight years of the Obama presidencies.

= = = = =
The Sarah Palin rally in Laconia, New Hampshire, above was caught by a former McHenry County resident, who forward the photos to McHenry County Blog.

Thanks to Dan Curry’s Reverse Spin for finding these comments from Salon.com liberal commentator Camille Paglia:

Liberal Democrats are going to wake up from their sadomasochistic, anti-Palin orgy with a very big hangover.

The evil genie released during this sorry episode will not so easily go back into its bottle.

A shocking level of irrational emotionalism and at times infantile rage was exposed at the heart of current Democratic ideology — contradicting Democratic core principles of compassion, tolerance and independent thought.

One would have to look back to the Eisenhower 1950s for parallels to this grotesque lock-step parade of bourgeois provincialism, shallow groupthink and blind prejudice.
I like Sarah Palin, and I’ve heartily enjoyed her arrival on the national stage. As a career classroom teacher, I can see how smart she is — and quite frankly, I think the people who don’t see it are the stupid ones, wrapped in the fuzzy mummy-gauze of their own worn-out partisan dogma.

So she doesn’t speak the King’s English — big whoop!

There is a powerful clarity of consciousness in her eyes. She uses language with the jumps, breaks and rippling momentum of a be-bop saxophonist.

I stand on what I said (as a staunch pro-choice advocate) in my last two columns —

that Palin as a pro-life wife, mother and ambitious professional represents the next big shift in feminism.

Pro-life women will save feminism by expanding it, particularly into the more traditional Third World.

As for the Democrats who sneered and howled that Palin was unprepared to be a vice-presidential nominee — what navel-gazing hypocrisy!

What protests were raised in the party or mainstream media when John Edwards, with vastly less political experience than Palin, got John Kerry’s nod for veep four years ago?

And Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, for whom I lobbied to be Obama’s pick and who as on everyone’s short list for months, has a record indistinguishable from Palin’s.

Whatever knowledge deficit Palin has about the federal bureaucracy or international affairs (outside the normal purview of governors) will hopefully be remedied during the next eight years of the Obama presidencies.

= = = = =
The Sarah Palin rally in Laconia, New Hampshire, above was caught by a former McHenry County resident, who forward the photos to McHenry County Blog.

8th Congressional GOP Aspirant Steve Greenberg Announces Staff
The following press release has been received from the campaign of the best-financed Republican candidate running to oppose incumbent Melissa Bean. Ken Arnold is also an announced candidate.

The press release follows

Greenberg Announces Key Staff

MUNDELEIN—Entrepreneur and political outsider Steve Greenberg is assembling a winning campaign team that blends the youth, experience and talent necessary to defeat Melissa Bean in the 8th Congressional District in Illinois.
In recent weeks, Greenberg, a Republican, hired one of Illinois’ top fundraisers, top communications experts, as well as a respected political operative as his campaign manager.

The Greenberg campaign team includes:

Brad Goodman, Campaign Manager. A respected, aggressive veteran of a half-dozen House and Senate races, Goodman brings local knowledge to the race as a Lake County native. During the 2006 primary campaign, Goodman worked as Political Director for Kathy Salvi’s Congressional race and during the general election he served as a political aide to then-House Speaker Dennis Hastert. He also is a former intern in the White House Office of Political Affairs.

Lori Montana, Finance Director. Montana is recognized as one of the best fundraisers in the Midwest. She’s raised money for numerous top GOP candidates in Illinois including Governor Jim Edgar. She also is former director of the Illinois Lottery and was the longest serving director in agency history.

Dan Curry, Communications Director. Curry is one of the most experienced and respected communications strategists in Illinois. He served as Communications Director for U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald and Press Secretary for Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan and is a former political/investigative reporter with the Daily Herald.

“I understand it is going to take a strong team effort to defeat Washington insider Melissa Bean and all her special interest money,” Greenberg said. “I’m pleased to have Brad, Lori and Dan in place to build a campaign that will be up to the task ahead.”

Steve Greenberg is considered nationally one of the top newcomers to challenge for a House seat. The 36-year-old successful businessman, entrepreneur, and professional hockey player brings passion and energy to the race. He lives in Long Grove with his wife and three children. He is a forceful advocate of low taxes, making government more efficient and a strong national defense. He believes the people of the 8th District deserve representation that focuses on their needs, not those of the Washington political class.

8th Congressional GOP Aspirant Steve Greenberg Announces Staff
The following press release has been received from the campaign of the best-financed Republican candidate running to oppose incumbent Melissa Bean. Ken Arnold is also an announced candidate.

The press release follows

Greenberg Announces Key Staff

MUNDELEIN—Entrepreneur and political outsider Steve Greenberg is assembling a winning campaign team that blends the youth, experience and talent necessary to defeat Melissa Bean in the 8th Congressional District in Illinois.
In recent weeks, Greenberg, a Republican, hired one of Illinois’ top fundraisers, top communications experts, as well as a respected political operative as his campaign manager.

The Greenberg campaign team includes:

Brad Goodman, Campaign Manager. A respected, aggressive veteran of a half-dozen House and Senate races, Goodman brings local knowledge to the race as a Lake County native. During the 2006 primary campaign, Goodman worked as Political Director for Kathy Salvi’s Congressional race and during the general election he served as a political aide to then-House Speaker Dennis Hastert. He also is a former intern in the White House Office of Political Affairs.

Lori Montana, Finance Director. Montana is recognized as one of the best fundraisers in the Midwest. She’s raised money for numerous top GOP candidates in Illinois including Governor Jim Edgar. She also is former director of the Illinois Lottery and was the longest serving director in agency history.

Dan Curry, Communications Director. Curry is one of the most experienced and respected communications strategists in Illinois. He served as Communications Director for U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald and Press Secretary for Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan and is a former political/investigative reporter with the Daily Herald.

“I understand it is going to take a strong team effort to defeat Washington insider Melissa Bean and all her special interest money,” Greenberg said. “I’m pleased to have Brad, Lori and Dan in place to build a campaign that will be up to the task ahead.”

Steve Greenberg is considered nationally one of the top newcomers to challenge for a House seat. The 36-year-old successful businessman, entrepreneur, and professional hockey player brings passion and energy to the race. He lives in Long Grove with his wife and three children. He is a forceful advocate of low taxes, making government more efficient and a strong national defense. He believes the people of the 8th District deserve representation that focuses on their needs, not those of the Washington political class.