Don Leist Plays in Peoria

Former McHenry County Assistant State’s Attorney and Affirmative Action/Legal Affairs Officer for McHnery County Sheriff Keith Nygren got a much better job in Peoria. He is due to start as City Counsel next week. And at a big raise. When … Continue reading

The First Electric Newspaper’s Case for Making Sheriff’s Department’s Report on Andy Zinke’s Rita Corp. Actions Public

Here’s something to chew on for the weekend. It’s attorney Mary Gardner’s memo on behalf of The First Electric Newspaper‘s attempt to enforce a Freedom of Information request filed for the investigative report by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department’s exonerating … Continue reading

Maybe There’s a Need for an Affirmative Action Officer in the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office

When non-Establishment candidate for the office of McHenry County Sheriff Bill Prim speaks, he usually talks about the excessive overhead at the Department being run by his opponent Andy Zinke. Often the Affirmative Action Officer is brought up as a … Continue reading

Another Leak from the Sheriff’s Department to the NWH

The First Electric Newspaper is suing Keith Nygren in his official capacity as McHenry County Sheriff over Nygren’s refusal to release an investigatory report exonerating Andy Zinke, Nygren’s choice for Sheriff in next March’s Republican Primary election, in actions Zinke took … Continue reading

Bianchi to Represent Nygren in Zinke Exoneration Freedom of Information Case

That was my takeaway from the hearing in Judge Thomas Meyer’s courtroom today. To put it in terms contained in the law book and an Illinois Supreme Court ruling, the lawyer for the Sheriff’s Department is the State’s Attorney. The … Continue reading

Judge Meyer Rules Nygren & Leist Get Attorney for Zinke DEA Investigation Report Case

Judge Thomas Meyer ruled Friday morning that McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren and his legal affairs officer Don Leist will have an appointed attorney to represent them in The First Electric Newspaper‘s suit to make public an over 100-page investigatory … Continue reading

Judge Seems to Threaten Keith Nygren (Defending Andy Zinke) and Don Leist with Decision in Freedom of Information Suit

According to Pete Gonigam in a First Electric Newspaper story, Judge Thomas Meyer seems to be getting perturbed by his inability to find an attorney on a public payroll to take Keith Nygren’s side in refusing to release an over … Continue reading

Nygren & Zinke Fear Release of Zinke Investigation on RITA Incident

On Tuesday, Pete Gonigam and his First Electric Newspaper were in court again in the question to gain access to the 100+ page investigation of Undersheriff Andy Zinke’s involvement in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s investigation concerning RTIA Corporation. Of most interest … Continue reading

First Electric Newspaper FOI Suit against Sheriff’s Department for Nygren Refusal to Relase Zinke Investigation Report Continues

I didn’t make it to the Courthouse Friday morning to listen to the hearing the Freedom of Information suit against McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren, et al, over his refusal to release the 100-page report on Undersheriff Andrew Zinke’s involvement … Continue reading

Zinke Special Procecutor Trial Delayed a Week

McHenry County Sheriff’s Sgt. John Koziol was in Judge Thomas Meyer’s courtroom as his attorney Jonathan Nye and Assistant State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally spoke softly about preliminaries in the case. Nye noted that the State’s Attorney had not make a … Continue reading

Zane Seipler’s Attorney Summarizes Case for Keith Nygren Special Prosecutor

It’s been a month over two years since former Deputy Sheriff and 2010 GOP primary election opponent Zane Seipler filed his case asking for a Special Prosecutor to probe whether Sheriff Keith Nygren used government resources in his campaign for … Continue reading

The Sheriff Gets His Own Attroney

Officially, McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi is Sheriff Keith Nygren’s attorney. But the Sheriff has just hired a lawyer to be his Equal Employment Opportunity Officer. That position was created after the Sheriff’s department ended up on the wrong … Continue reading

Sheriff Keith Nygren Hires Mark Gummerson to Defend Him in Zane Seipler’s Special Prosecutor Case

I guess the Thursday Northwest Herald editorial calling for the dismissal of former Republican primary candidate Zane Seipler’s request that a Special Prosecutor be named to investigate whether or not Keith Nygren used taxpayer resources to advance his political agenda … Continue reading

Will Nygren Pop for His Own Attorney in Zane Seipler’s Special Prosecutor Case?

You leave McHenry County for a day and a half and it takes an hour to get caught up on what happened politically. The Northwest Herald’s uber-Editor Chris Krug announces in his column that Lou Bianchi’s 2008 Republican primary opponent … Continue reading

Don Leist Replaced by Special Assistant State’s Attorney in Zane Seipler Suit Seeking Special Prosecutor to Probe Keith Nygren Using Tax Dollars for Campaign Purposes

Assistant McHenry County State’s Attorney Don Leist, who has been defending McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren against a suit to have a Special Prosecutor named to investigate Nygren’s alleged use of tax dollars to promote his campaign, has been replaced. … Continue reading

Zane Seipler’s Case for a Special Prosecutor re Sheriff Keith Nygren’s Using Public Funds for Campaign Purposes to Proceed

“It’s alive.  Very alive,” were the first words out of Zane Seipler’s attorney Blake Horwitz’ mouth as he left the courtroom Friday morning. McHenry County Associate Judge Thomas Meyer ruled that former Deputy Sheriff and GOP primary election candidate for Sheriff … Continue reading

State’s Attorney Fends Off Special Prosecutor to Probe whether Sheriff Nygren Used Public Resources for Campaign

Sheriff Keith Nygren won the day in McHenry County Court today as Associate Judge Thomas Meyer pretty much dismissed Zane Seipler’s case seeking the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate whether the Sheriff used public resources to advance his … Continue reading

State’s Attorney’s Office Replies to Zane Seipler’s Motion re Sheriff Keith Nygren

Thursday at 10 before Associate Judge Thomas Meyer Zane Seipler’s attorney Blake Horwitz will face off against Assistant State’s Attorney Donald Leist in a fight about whether Sheriff Keith Nygren will have the same type of scrutiny from a Special … Continue reading

Arguments State’s Attorney’s Office Making to Ward Off Special Prosecutor for Sheriff

Thought you might be in for some heavy reading this morning. Yesterday, Judge Thomas Meyer put off until January Zane Seipler’s case against McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren which charges he used his office for political purposes. You will remember … Continue reading