During the 2020 Presidential campaign Joe Biden came up with the comment, “There’s no there there.”

Biden recycled the 2020 comment about his son Hunter’s laptop when asked about the classified documents found so far in five places outside the National Archives.

The investigative report by former Crystal Lake Police Chief David Linder on former Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Andrew Gasser runs 82 pages.

Interviews started on August 9, 2021.

The report is dated April 22, 2022.

So far, Linder has been paid $5,683.33.

Much is a regurgitation of court findings.

Table of Contents

• Algonquin Township Organizational Review
• Purpose and Background Page 3
• Bonnie Kurowski Interview, Owner, Illinois Reporter Page 4
• Colleen Schor Interview, ATRD Former Administrative Page 10
• Assistant Tenure 5/30/17-7/8/19, Assessors 7/9/19-2/29/20
• Rachael Lawrence, Algonquin Township Trustee
• 5/15/17-11/14/19 Page 13
• Keith Seda, Owner, I.T. Connections, Inc. Page 16
• Dina Frigo, Administrative Assistant, Clerk Lukasik Tenure 4/2018-11/2019 Page 16
• Robert & Anna Miller, ATRD Road Commissioner 1993-1997 Page 22
• Pamela Gavers, Manager, Algonquin Township Supervisor Tenure 5/2018- present Page 23
• Karen Lukasik, Algonquin Township Clerk Tenure AT Clerk 5/15/17-5/16/21 & ATRD 10/11/16-3/24/17 Page 26
• Dylan Stern, ATRD former employee Tenure 6/2008-3/2019 Page 35
• Danijela Sandberg, ATRD Highway Commissioner Tenure 11/6/18-present Page 42
• Carrie Price, ATRD Office Manager, Tenure 1/6/2020-present Page 50
• Timothy Sheppard, EE/Volunteer, Tenure 1974-2002 Page 50
• Richard Alexander, Algonquin Township Assessor Tenure 1/2/18-present Page 51
• Richard Fahey, Local 150 Business Representative & Brian Diemer, Local 150 Attorney Page 53
• James Kelly, former Algonquin Township Attorney Page 60
• Review Summary Page 70

I’ve read it and can’t figure out what the purpose was except to trash Gasser and his attorney Robert Hanlon.

Certainly, the most interesting part, a summary of legal expenses, could have been done at no additional expense by Pam Gavers, the top assistant in the Supervisor’s Office.

The version I am viewing is dated April 22, 2022, yet it has not been presented to the Board of Trustees by Township Supervisor Randy Funk, who commissioned it without Board approval.

Neither is it posted on the Township website, but it can be obtained by filing a Freedom of Information request.

Considering the battle conducted between the Northwest Herald and Gasser, one would think the paper would have run one or more stories on document had something significant been discovered.

But. the Northwest Herald, which seemed to assign a reporter full-time to covering Gasser, has written nothing on Linder’s work product.

Today, let’s look at the Summary found not at the top, but at the bottom of Linder’s report.

Summary

The nature of this inquiry was to present, as verbatim as possible, an objective review of information as provided by people who were in some way able to give pertinent information relative to the nature of this examination.

It is the opinion of those interviewed, not this interviewer, nor those that requested this review, as to the nature of their individual opinions about the time period in question.

There were some individuals that provided information that could be considered of concern with regard to the manner in which some decisions and actions were made, some with questionable intent.

For that reason, some of the principles (sic) were not questioned to allow for the Township to decide whether this matter should be investigated by other bodies for potential civil and or legal enforcement remedy.

It was not the intent of this action to replace legal intervention, but rather to produce a document that compiled most of the information in a manner that important decisions relative to the furtherance of any potential investigation could be made.

It also serves as a possible template, enabling the elected officials and others involved with this kind of governmental operation, the potential to utilize the information to avoid future pitfalls and hopefully, assist in enhanced performance for the citizens who pay for and rely on Township assistance.

From the beginning, interviewees described the tenure of Andrew Gasser problematic, to say the least.

From his first official act that included the firing of three employees without cause (as determined through the courts) to his final act of removing Township documents by copying Township computer drives containing the personal information of Township people and employees. His methods were questionable and his intent therefore becomes less about potential professional naivety and more about actions that could suggest a more dubious resolve.

There were several people who indicate that Gasser seemed remarkably intent on finding some kind of actionable information that would result in criminal or civil litigation against the past Highway Commissioner Robert Miller and his wife Anna Mae Miller. Gasser, in fact, sued them, through his Attorney Robert Hanlon.

Since the Millers had been employees of the Township at the time of the alleged infractions, the Township shouldered all legal defense fees for both Robert and Anna Mae Miller and prosecution fees prompted by Gasser, with the Millers both prevailing as innocent.

Additionally, Gasser, on his first day in Office, came to the Township building and proceeded to fire three employees that were covered by a collective bargaining agreement through Local Union 150. A matter that was vigorously disputed by Gasser due to his belief that there was no validity to the workers’ contract. Again, this led to a protracted legal battle that ultimately, again, cost the taxpayers thousand of dollars in Attorney fees and back pay and benefits when Gasser lost.

As noted in this report there were several more legal claims and counter claims involved with Gasser’s judicial experiences during his tenure. All of these issues required a substantial amount of taxpayer money for Attorneys fees.

Equally as concerning, were the allegations by some of those interviewed about Gasser’s suggestions that he did not agree with the Township type of government implying that he would act to abolish Algonquin Township.

According to Danijela Sandberg “Gasser would constantly tell employees, including Sandberg, that the County was going to take over the Township and that they should prepare for that inevitability”, (referenced on page 43).

Attorney Jim Kelly asserted he felt that Gasser was “going after Bob Miller” and that Gasser “wanted to destroy the Township” (referenced on page 62).

Karen Lukasik mentioned in her interview that it was her opinion that this was all “part of a co-mingling of people; Gasser, et al” to undermine the Township process and destroy this government entity (referenced on page 31).

Actions on the part of Andrew Gasser, especially with the involvement of the legal system, were either missteps, part of a systematic approach to bankrupt the Township, and/or the product of what many people interviewed felt was a misplaced need to destroy the former Township Administration, at any cost.

As noted in figure 1 and 2, the legal costs that were incurred during his tenure were decidedly more than that of any previous administrations. Much of this is associated with legal action that was brought by Gasser and /or used in the defense of same.

Additionally, there were several people interviewed that questioned Gasser’s relationship with the ECW [Edgar County Watchdogs].

Although motive can be abstract and unless otherwise substantiated, of no fundamental bearing on a report of this nature, the information, when looked at in the entirety, certainly suggests an ambiguous relationship between Gasser and the ECW, et al. (see figure 3).

= = = = =

The following is under the Summary:

This inquiry has been created at the request of the current management at the Township [that is, Supervisor Randy Funk].

The goal of this action was ultimately to collect information supplied by people who were directly and/or indirectly involved with, or had information about this tumultuous time in Township history.

It stands as a testament to those currently holding township office, who, while concerned with the amount of unsubstantiated information relative to certain township actions and activities, were equally concerned that these matters should be reviewed so that this informationcan be used for bettering the township and, quelling doubts about the township operation.

Some of the outstanding issues still unanswered include:

• The location of the files cloned from the township computers by Gasser and any potential for the return of said township information some of which is reportedly personal taxpayer information.
• Were township records removed by personnel who, without authority, then provided said information to private entities.
• Any violations of the Illinois Record Act, (Il. 50 ILCS 205/4).
• If information in the form of documents and or files were removed, what were they utilized for?
• The Townships inundation of FOIA requests, at or about the time that reports were suspected of being removed.
• A full forensic audit is conducted to determine billing issues relative to the need for such an increase in financial demands on the district during this time.
• Investigate the allegations of Bonnie Kurowski relative to allegations of potentially questionable activities surrounding and including those affecting Algonquin Township and possibly other entities.