* This looks like big trouble…
Federal officials searched state Rep. Keith Farnham’s Elgin legislative office and home Thursday, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorneys office in Chicago said.
Spokesman Randall Samborn said a search warrant was executed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations officials as part of an “ongoing investigation.”
A spokesman for Secretary of State Jesse White said federal officials asked for help with Farnham’s Springfield office, but Samborn said no search warrant was being executed there.
*** UPDATE *** The DH has updated…
Secretary of State Police officers Friday were sitting outside Farnham’s Springfield office on the second floor of the Stratton Building, an office building next door to the Illinois Capitol.
A spokesman for Secretary of State Jesse White said federal officials asked for help securing Farnham’s Springfield office.
- Meanderthal - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 1:02 pm:
Speaker Madigan may have to start an Indicted Caucus within his ranks.
- The Bill Collector - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 1:04 pm:
ICE?
What did he do? Download a movie from the Pirate Bay?
- Under Influenced - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 1:18 pm:
Only amateurs BitTorrent without using a VPN. #noob
Apparently Farnham couldn’t wait for the release of American Hustle.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 1:19 pm:
I don’t think it’ll be a joking matter.
- Carl Nyberg - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 1:23 pm:
ICE & DHS?
What type of investigations fall under their portfolio?
Terrorism?
Illegal immigration?
Human trafficking?
- Bigtwich - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 1:25 pm:
If they are not doing a search of the Springfield office Farnham may not be the target.
- an innocent observer - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 1:26 pm:
Has he been arrested?
- an innocent observer - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 1:26 pm:
or has anyone been arrested?
- Ron Burgundy - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 1:29 pm:
They searched his home. He’s most likely the target.
- Samurai - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 1:36 pm:
ICE = Entry of Terrorists, Immigration, security of Points of Entry. Chicago big on human trafficking and weapons with all the rail lines. In the end, they want to be the FBI.
- Where is Joe Kotlarz? - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 1:40 pm:
Any Republican running against him in November?
- Carl Nyberg - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 1:42 pm:
BTW, any insights into why feds seem to indict Illinois reps frequently but much less frequently senators?
There are twice as many reps, but still, it seems like the differential is much more than a factor of two.
Are reps more likely to do illegal stuff b/c of culture of the House?
Or are the feds looking for reps more often hoping to get one to roll on a bigger fish (MJM)?
- Anonymous - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 1:53 pm:
“BTW, any insights into why feds seem to indict Illinois reps frequently but much less frequently senators?”
I think you are overthinking it.
- Westward - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 1:58 pm:
Carl, the answer lies under the tin foil hat.
- Ron Burgundy - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 1:58 pm:
Carl, I don’t think there is any real correlation, but State Rep. is more of an entry-level office.
- John A Logan - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 2:09 pm:
Just another day in Illinois.
- Anon - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 2:11 pm:
It’s premature to jump to any conclusions. I wish him the best.
- Soccermom - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 2:17 pm:
ICE? This makes no sense…
- Rahm's Middle Finger - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 2:29 pm:
Didn’t he run a painting firm? Could it be related to his hiring practices?
- an innocent observer - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 2:46 pm:
Its cold day for Rep. Farnham, and it got colder when the ICE howed up.
- Walker - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 2:55 pm:
Silence is even more golden.
- Walker - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 3:07 pm:
ICE? Probably not government related.
We shall see.
- FormerParatrooper - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 3:28 pm:
Hopefully facts will come out before rumors.
- Bigtwich - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 3:48 pm:
–If they are not doing a search of the Springfield office Farnham may not be the target.–
As Rosanne Rosannadanna once said, “Never mind.”
- Precinct Captain - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 3:52 pm:
“HSI investigates immigration crime, human rights violations and human smuggling, smuggling of narcotics, weapons and other types of contraband, financial crimes, cybercrime and export enforcement issues.”
http://www.ice.gov/about/offices/homeland-security-investigations/
ICE does a lot with gangs, trafficking, sex crimes and sexual cybercrime and the like if you check out their news releases.
- Ghost of John Brown - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 4:04 pm:
At some point will the General Assembly just need to hold sessions in the State Pen? How many legislators have been indicted over the last decade?
- wordslinger - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 4:06 pm:
Somebody’s in big trouble.
- Ghost of John Brown - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 4:10 pm:
Someone earlier in this thread asked if he had a GOP opponent. I just checked the Kane County Clerk’s office website - no GOP candidate.
- 47th Ward - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 4:41 pm:
===no GOP candidate===
Yet. There will be one. Soon.
===Somebody’s in big trouble.===
Yep. Usually the feds choreograph the raid after they already have enough to get you. By the time they show up with the subpeona and search warrant, you’re already a goner. They typically don’t need anymore evidence and whatever they find in the raid is gravy.
- wordslinger - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 4:51 pm:
47, the federales shoot fish in a barrel. Their conviction rate is north of 90%.
They pick their targets, they take all the time in the world, and they have the unlimited, full weight of the federal government, including the IRS. Not many people can stand up to that for long.
You can lie to a cop all day long, but if you fib to a federales, even when you’re not under oath, it’s a felony.
Best advice I ever heard: if a federales asks you a question, assume they already know the answer.
Say nothing, call your lawyer, but definitely don’t lie, even on the most innocuous question.
- JoeInPeoria - Friday, Mar 14, 14 @ 5:15 pm:
There is no indication iin the intial news report whether Mr. Farnham is a Democrat or a Republican state representative in the Illinois General Assembly.
- ispittruth - Thursday, Mar 20, 14 @ 7:43 pm:
They took his computers; obviously the search warrant was targeting something in his hard drives. Whatever it was is embarassing and shameful enough to get him to resign for “health reasons”. He will be locked away for a long long time. I just wonder if it will get any attention from the liberal media once it comes out. If he were a republican, they wouldve made up their own truth a while ago…