McHenry County Blog

The Soar to Higher Heights Foundation is being contacted by the Charitable Trusts Division of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, according to press officer Robyn Ziegler.

McHenry County Blog checked last week as to whether the foundation had registered with the Secretary of State’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office.

The "Frequently Asked Questions" page on the Illinois Attorney General's Charitable Trusts Division page says, "All charities that solicit in Illinois should be registered with the Office of the Attorney General." The Soar to Higher Heights Foundation has not yet done so.

When I called both offices said it had not, but the Attorney General’s Office told me that its Charitable Trusts Division would check further.

I got my reply yesterday.

“You’re right. The organization doesn’t exist yet, so obviously they are not registered with our office” Zeigler told me.

“The Attorney General’s Office is reaching out to those individuals identified as affiliated with this group.

“Our goal is make sure they understand the Charitable Trust laws of the state, including the requirement to be registered with our office, if they are soliciting for charitable purposes.

“Those efforts help to protect the charitable assets that have been collected for this or any charitable purpose.”

But, when I checked again with the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office I was told,
“It was incorporated 8-13,2010.”

That’s last Friday.

The only name attached to the foundation is its agent, David Joseph Ruelle

“They don’t list officers until their first annual report,”

the Secretary of State’s employee told me.

The weekly Pioneer Press is reporting on its web site today that the Illinois Attorney General’s office, to put it in the words of the headline,

McHenry County Republican Central Committee Chairman and County Treasurer Bill LeFew made a big deal about not being able to separate his office duties from his political duties.

In mid-October, he announced that he was going to resign in order to avoid the potential conflict.

More recently, LeFew admitted mailing anonymous hit pieces about the basis of the complaint, spending office funds on meals for overtime employees, a couple of hundred dollars for parade candy during non-election years, etc. He has come under heavy fire, even having the Northwest Herald call for his immediate resignation.

Enterprising reporter Pete Gonigam elicited the information from the Attorney General’s office.

He writes that a spokeswoman,

” announced Thursday evening that the office found no basis for opening a criminal investigation against McHenry County State’s Attorney Louis Bianchi.”

But, when asked who filed the complaint, Robyn Ziegler would not reveal who sent the letter or its specifics.

Gonigam has been able to scoop the daily newspapers several times on McHenry County’s baseball stadium.

Perhaps with this on-the-spot news approach, he is pointing the way for papers like his Algonquin Countryside to compete better.

The weekly Pioneer Press is reporting on its web site today that the Illinois Attorney General’s office, to put it in the words of the headline,

McHenry County Republican Central Committee Chairman and County Treasurer Bill LeFew made a big deal about not being able to separate his office duties from his political duties.

In mid-October, he announced that he was going to resign in order to avoid the potential conflict.

More recently, LeFew admitted mailing anonymous hit pieces about the basis of the complaint, spending office funds on meals for overtime employees, a couple of hundred dollars for parade candy during non-election years, etc. He has come under heavy fire, even having the Northwest Herald call for his immediate resignation.

Enterprising reporter Pete Gonigam elicited the information from the Attorney General’s office.

He writes that a spokeswoman,

” announced Thursday evening that the office found no basis for opening a criminal investigation against McHenry County State’s Attorney Louis Bianchi.”

But, when asked who filed the complaint, Robyn Ziegler would not reveal who sent the letter or its specifics.

Gonigam has been able to scoop the daily newspapers several times on McHenry County’s baseball stadium.

Perhaps with this on-the-spot news approach, he is pointing the way for papers like his Algonquin Countryside to compete better.