Jim Harrison poses for a photo with GOP primary election opponent Andy Zinke in the background talking to Paul Lis.
Near the end of a well-attended Fish Boil for State Rep. Mike Tryon, someone told me a man named Jim Harrison at the end of the patio was running for Sheriff.
I was told he was the man standing behind Andy Zinke.
Back on March 11th, the second comment under an article about Zane Seipler’s going back to the work in the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department was posted by “Harrison For Sheriff Supporter.”
Now I had a chance to meet that Harrison.
He confirmed that he was running for Sheriff, but wouldn’t be forming a Political Action Committee until the new year after the election.
James Harrison
Harrison told me he spent eight years in the Sheriff’s Department before a squad car accident “changed my life.”
He then got his law degree from John Marshall Law School.
Next he spent twelve years in the State’s Attorney’s Office under Gary Pack.
He handed labor union, civil rights and other employment law matters.
Of his 600 trials, half involved the Sheriff’s Department.
Harrison now practices employment civil rights, labor union and employment discrimination law and teaches such subjects at John Marshall Law School.
I asked him about Zinke’s candidacy and the Johnsburg resident[Voters] said,
“More skills are required to do the job of Sheriff.
“[Voters] ought to elect a Sheriff who has the skills to do the entire job, rather than outsourcing it to a fleet of lawyers.”
The topic of the Equal Opportunity Officer position (recently filled with former Assistant State’s Attorney Don Leist.
“Quite frankly, I don’t think the EE Officer position is needed anymore.
“The consent decree went until its (the Sheriff’s) workforce was comparable to the labor market.
“Now it is.
“There’s a EEOC and the [Illinois] Department of Human Rights to do the job.
“It’s not necessary.
“The money should be re-directed.”
We discussed the on-going wrongful termination suit filed by Zane Seipler. Harrison indicated he favored settling the case would would do so once he took office.
Sheriff Keith Nygren, who has endorsed Zinke, did not attend the fundraiser.
this announcement will send shock waves through 2200 N.
Seminary Ave. and lines aleady buzzing tonight.
Would Harrison make his pal, Gary Pack, the Under Sheriff?
a little payback, maybe?
This guy is NO BETTER than Nygren or Zinke.
Nygren would not mind having Jim.
He was part of the Nygren, Gary Pack team.
Just another one to carry on the Nygren legacy.
God help us.
It took seven weeks to find out that Jesse Jackson, Jr. was being treated for depression (that’s called Mental Illness by a lot of people) and G.I. issues (and I don’t mean the Army).
How long will it take to find out where Nygren is?
How few days this year has he been in his office, doing a full day’s work?
This guy would surely try to bring Gary Pack back in.
He would find some spot for him.
In any case, he is of the same ilk as Pack and Nygren.
Harrison has done much to “bury the coffin of truth” for the Pack and Nygren crowd.
Those of you that were not around for Pack. He had to leave in disgrace.
Having helped his buddies get off when caught in drug raids.
Never did his job.
Had his chiefs of criminal and civil division resign because he hindered investigations and prevented them from doing their job when it was one of Pack’s friends.
There were a lot of these “friends”.
Harrison was a good cop when he was a deputy.
Yes he did handle the labor issues for Pack but are you going to blame him for accepting work?
Gary Pack had many talented attorneys and compare that to the scandals we have today and it pales in comparison.
I venture to say that if Glenn Gable was the SAO today, we would not have the huge outflow of money defendending the SAO and Sheriff in law suits.
Gable was conservative to a fault and if anything,
TOO CAUTIOUS.
Remember that Nygren back Bianchi and rallied his troops against Gable.
Why not ask the deputies about the current state of affairs with the SAO.
Publicly saying he would get rid of Leist and the EEO position is a great start.
Reduce the budget and pension responsibilities in one stroke, freeing up $90,000 a year and a company car. (According to sources Leist is driving a Mercedes that was seized in a drug raid.)
The fact that Harrison said he would essentially build the bridge with Seipler tells me he has common sense and realizes right from wrong.
I want to hear his positions and thoughts on Bianchi.
The SA office and the Sheriff’s office need to mend fences.
Will he do that?
I hope to see him at Bianchi’s fundraiser.
If he shows up there that will answer the question.
If Seipler doesn’t run and openly supporters this guy, I’ll be working to get him elected.
Until he is seen being chummy with Nygren I will give him the benefit of the doubt.
The current state is a royal mess.
Getting another Nygren guy in is not the answer.
Nygren will only want “his people” to run, even against each other to hedge his bets.
They may even talk Andy into stepping down because Harrison is “Smoother and smarter”, not necessarily better.
Gable is Pack’s bathtub ring. Did not have the cases because they let everyone off.
How many nolle prosse for the “good ole boys” and honest people victimized. friends during Pack and Gable. Stop trying to sell us the bums.
Maybe Prosnitz should run. He had the guts to stand up. to the bums.
Jim is enough of insider to know what needs changing and enough of an outsider to do it.
Jim resolved 400 county cases handled at an average cost of about $2500 each.
What do you think we’re spending now?
MM if you were a man, not a Mouse you’d be making these false charges to law enforcement not sliming around under your Internet rock. Put up or shut up.
Andy Nygren and Keith Zinke like Jim Harrison about as much as Packers Fans like Ditka.
Nobody – you not of what you speak.
IF ALL OF YOU ARE SO INSIGHTFUL ABOUT WHAT SHOULD BE DONE, THEN WHY AREN’T YOU ALL SHERIFF?
Talk, Talk, Talk, that’s all this blog is about…nothing but people who think they know everything, but really know nothing.
Don’t quit your day jobs.
I have read and paid attention to FYI and Mighty Mouse for some time.
Based on statements, use of capital letters and catch phrases I am very confident they are one and the same person.
Who ever you are FYI, consider this; if Mr. Harrison is already talking about challenging Zinke then how can he be a Nygren guy. Mr Harrison told Cal that he would change two very specific things that Nygren and Zinke would never allow to happen.
Mr. Harrison is already talking about fiscal conservatism and accountability. FYI, not everyone is in Nygren’s pocket. Mr. Harrison has put himself in harms way the very moment he told Cal of his intentions and made it public.
Since 1997 only 4 men have attempt to cross Nygren, politically.
I say give Mr. Harrison kudos for courage, like you did with the others and save the criticism and innuendos for a time when you are prepared to reveal your identity.
Mr. Harrison has done nothing to this point that calls for your immediate rejection and bias. Please stop with the smear campaigns unless you are willing to provide facts and proof.
Hold off on your hypocrisy.
I know by your post that you are a Bianchi supporter yet Bianchi is allowing Nygren and the boys to avoid justice even though Seipler provided more than enough evidence to warrant an inquiry.
I recall reading some supporting comments regarding Tryon. If ever this county needed true Republican leadership it is now and where is your friend Tryon?
Keep an open mind like you do with your tainted friends.
Save the attacks for those that truly deserve it. Until I see Mr. Harrison hobnobbing with porn stars and using county property for campaign purposes I will continue to give him the benefit of the doubt.
I hope to meet “mighty” some day, if I have not.
Seem to come from the same era and perhaps know each other.
Most do not share their pen names.
Harrison has a long and profitable history with sheriff Nygren and the “good ole boys”.
THAT IS A FACT.
Working in Gary Packs office that long, if he were on the Up and Up would have left or gotten pushed out.
Anyone around long enough and have some dealings with that office knows that.
Tigers do not change their stripes!!
Boy how the Nygren/Zinke supporters rally around the status quo.
Dig all you can and all you will find about Harrison is a list of competent legal victories.
As I said earlier, he was a labor attorney hired to handle labor issues for the county.
Does that put him in Pack’s pocket?
A resounding no.
An attorney is hired to defend or represent clients and that is what he did.
He is a LABOR ATTORNEY.
Did Pack go out and encourage misconduct so he could hire Harrison?
Put this in perspective.
How many hundreds of thousand$ have been spent defending the volumes of law suits and issues printed daily in the local news rags since the new regime has been in office?
I guess these people think things are just hunky dory.
Just watch and the U-boat Captains will be out trying to torpedo the reputation of Harrison by smear and innuendo.
Just think; a level headed legal mind running the Sheriff’s Office, wow what a marvel idea.