Monday, January 10, 2011

New bill in McHenry Co States Attorney Bianchi investigation doubles total amount

 

The indictment came a year after Graham appointed former Lake County judge Henry Tonigan and former federal prosecutor Thomas McQueen to investigate former Bianchi secretary Amy Dalby's claims that Bianchi ordered her to conduct campaign business on taxpayer time. Bianchi was elected to his second term in 2008.
County Board members set up the special fund last March, allocating $100,000 from its $500,000 contingency fund. Board members and staff at the time expressed optimism that the amount would cover the costs when all was done.
This latest bill will come out of the budget for the previous fiscal year, which ended Nov. 30, Associate Administrator for Finance Ralph Sarbaugh said.
Tonigan told the Northwest Herald last week after a Friday hearing that the probe still was ongoing, but he would not reveal further details.
Bianchi and Synek are scheduled to go to trial March 21 in Winnebago County Court.

latest court-submitted bill of $112,938 brings the cost of the investigation to $221,476. The bill passed through the board's Law and Justice Committee on a 5-0 vote Monday – a largely procedural matter given that county government is under court order to pay.

Click on the following for more details:  Northwest Herald | New bill in Bianchi investigation doubles total amount

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