Local 150 Union Supporters Pack Algonquin Township Meeting

Members and supporters of Local 150 of the International Union of Operating Engineers filled the Algonquin Township Board meeting room Wednesday night. Those attending and driving past the township building on Route 14 could not help but notice that they … Continue reading

Judge Michael Caldwell Orders Current and Former Algonquin Township Road Commissions & Wife, Township Clerk and Supervisor Not to Destroy Records

This afternoon in Judge Michael Caldwell’s courtroom, five attorneys were on the clock in Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Andrew Gasser’s suit against predecessor Bob Miller, his wife Anna May and newly-elected Township Clerk Karen Lukasik. David McArdle, representing Clerk Lukasik, asked … Continue reading

NorWest Township Republicans Splinter Group Meets

There was a Woodstock meeting Wednesday night, the same night the Grafton Township Republican Central Committee organized. It consisted mainly of the little townships Republican Precinct Committeemen who did not attend the organization meeting called by Michael McCleary and enough … Continue reading

More Tryon Precinct Committeemen Endorsement Letters Surface

Two more instances in which incumbent Republican Precinct Committeemen are being challenged have drawn endorsement letters from State Rep. Mike Tryon, the retiring McHenry County Republican Central Committee Chairman. They are in Algonquin 46, a Cary precinct in which McHenry … Continue reading

Mark Gummerson Mails Letter in Three-Way Race for Seneca 1 GOP Committeeman

Seneca Township Precinct 1 Precinct Committeeman Mark Gummerson is running for re-election. Just as last time, there are three people running: Mark Gummereson Robert Schlenkert Ersel Schuster A friend of McHenry County Blog forwarded a copy of a letter Gummerson … Continue reading

Contested Precinct Committeeman Candidate Sends Out Postcard

Contests for Republican Precinct Committeeman are few and far between. This year there is a repeat of a three-way race in Seneca 1. R Mark Gummerson, who won the seat in 2012 from McHenry County Board member Ersel Schuster (also running for … Continue reading

Terry Ekl Attacks Tom McQueen’s Testimony about Withholding Evidence in Bianchi Trials

The afternoon of the second day of the indirect contempt of court trial of McHenry County Special Prosecutor Thomas “Tom” McQueen consisted mainly of Lou Bianchi defense attorney and prosecutor of the McQueen case Terry Ekl’s questioning McQueen about his … Continue reading

GOP Precinct Committeeman Challenges Set for Tuesday

The McHenry County Electoral Officers Board will meet Tuesday morning and afternoon to settle disputes in three precincts about who should be allowed on the ballot. In Dunham Township, one of the largest in Republican votes, incumbent Melissa Denker’s petition … Continue reading

Skinner Ethics Complaint about Zinke Political Email Found Insufficient

Meeting this afternoon at the Administrative Building, the McHenry County Ethics Commission voted 4-0 that Cal Skinner’s ethics complaint against Undersheriff Andy Zinke was not sufficient. The Commission gave no idea to the public or the parties why they reached … Continue reading

State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi Tells Judge He Fears Disbarment If He “Investigates, Indicts or Prosecutes” Sheriff Keith Nygren

Wednesday afternoon, Associate Judge Thomas Meyer heard testimony from McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi about the “conflict of interest” that Bianchi sees in representing Sheriff Keith Nygren in some seven suits and preparing 4-5 opinions and at the same … Continue reading

State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi May Be in Court Addressing “Availability” to Prosecute Sheriff Keith Nygren

Silly me. I thought that the over two-year journey to see whether Associate Judge Thomas Meyer would appoint a Special Prosecutor to look into allegations of wrong-doing by McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren would be over today. Instead Meyer dismissed … Continue reading

Neither Bianchi Nor Nygren Use Campaign Funds for Legal Expenses

Two local official holders in opposite factions of the McHenry County Republican Party have had legal expenses in the last half year, McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi and McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren. We know where Bianchi’s legal fees … Continue reading

Sheriff Nygren Out of Case Seeking Special Prosecutor to Investigate Allegations of “Felony Theft, Official Misconduct and Misappropriation of Funds”

Zane Seipler won a victory over former employer Sheriff Keith Nygren Thursday. Nygren is the man who fired Seipler and against whom Seipler ran unsuccessfully in the Republican primary election almost two years ago, plus filed a wrongful termination action … Continue reading

Zane Seipler Asks State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi Be Ordered to Answer Avoided Deposition Question

McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi could be ordered to tell the public whether he ever investigated Sheriff Keith Nygren for “criminal conduct,” if Blake Horwitz, Zane Seipler’s attorney in his effort to get Judge Thomas Meyer to name a … Continue reading

Bianchi Deposition in Zane Seipler Special Prosecutor Trial – Part 4

This is the final section of a long article about the deposition of McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi, primarily by former Deputy Sheriff Zane Seipler. Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here. Part 3 is here. Seipler has … Continue reading

Bianchi Deposition in Zane Seipler Special Prosecutor Trial – Part 3

Mark Gummerson, personal attorney for McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren took over the questioning in the deposition of McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi. This is the third part of a four-part article concerning that despoliation which Judge Thomas Meyer … Continue reading

Bianchi Deposition in Zane Seipler Special Prosecutor Trial – Part 2

Yesterday McHenry County Blog ran Part 1 of a long article on Zane Seipler’s lawyer Blake Horwitz’ questioning of McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi under oath. Also present were attorneys Donna Kelly, representing Bianchi, Mark Gummerson, representing Keith Nygren … Continue reading

Bianchi Deposition in Zane Seipler Special Prosecutor Trial – Part 1

In looking over a copy of the deposition of McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi in the case brought by former Deputy Sheriff Zane Seipler asking for a Special Prosecutor to be named to probe whether Sheriff Keith Nygren used … Continue reading

New Attorney Makes Appearance in Case Seeking Nygren Special Prosecutor

For the first time, former Deputy Sheriff Zane Seipler didn’t have attorney Blake Horwitz representing him. Local attorney Robert Hanlon entered his appearance on the motion by Horwitz to sanction Mark Gummerson, Nygren’s personal attorney, for Gummerson’s behavior during the … Continue reading