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In re James Dimas
Thursday, Jul 2, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller * After Jim Dimas was nominated to head DHS, he provided his resume to the Illinois Senate’s Executive Appointments Committee and answered “No” to this question…  * SEIU has been doing research on Rauner administration appointees. They pitched me one story a while ago, but I took a pass. Apparently, they ran Dimas’ name through Lexis Nexis and came up with this…  Oops. * The back story from the governor’s office is that Dimas was on medication for severe sciatic nerve problems. But his doctor told him that his pain medicine would seriously damage his kidneys. A friend told Dimas that marijuana could ease his pain, and he hooked Dimas up with a connect in California, who then sent Dimas some weed. Problem is, UPS figured out what was going on and Dimas was busted upon delivery. Stupid mistake for sure. I mean, why go all the way to Cali for marijuana? * Anyway, Dimas was up front with his judge, and received “probation before judgment,” according to the governor’s office. His record was eventually wiped clean and he never pled guilty and was never convicted. Before he filled out that resume, he talked with his attorney and was advised to answer “No.” But he didn’t inform the governor about his run-in with the law until SEIU started asking questions. Another oops. * Even so, I’m told the governor’s chief counsel agrees with Dimas’ attorney. And while Gov. Rauner believes Dimas “made a serious error in judgment,” Rauner also “believes in second chances and feels that Mr. Dimas is eminently qualified to lead the Department of Human Services and has chosen to retain him as secretary of the agency,” a Rauner official said today. * Why am I airing Dimas’ dirty laundry in public? Well, the governor’s people approached me, knowing that I’m also a firm believer in second chances on this sort of thing. I was also willing to do this because, frankly, I didn’t want to see the guy’s mug plastered all over the front page by a newspaper looking to score some cheap shots. He screwed up. Big. He didn’t lie on his app. The governor is willing to forgive and move forward. We should, too. …Adding… SEIU says it dropped the whole thing, too. Same reasons as listed above.
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- Ben Franklin - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:06 pm:
Sounds like he was truthful then. Never pled guilty, and has never been convicted. That’s pretty much the end of the matter.
Isn’t it??
- ??? - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:07 pm:
Besides, it was only possession of “marihuana,” not marijuana.
- Stacy - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:10 pm:
Thanks! Sounds like it was bad judgeement. Not a repeat offender.
- Honeybear - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:10 pm:
It’s alright, not a biggie. In the scheme of things it won’t be long before weed is legal and taxed like alcohol. We’ve got bigger problems to solve in this world. I hope he applies himself to it. That being said, if he so much as thinks about privatizing ANYTHING at DHS, we’ve got the “dope” on you Penny Lane visiting hippy!
- Juice - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:11 pm:
You can get probation without having to make a guilty plea? Thought the whole “coming clean” thing typically means entering into a guilty plea?
Anyways, what he did could very well be legal today (not sure if a bad sciatica is one of the ailments) so I’d agree that this should not be used against his nomination.
- Joe M - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:12 pm:
He is not the first. It seems like there is something about smoking marijuana that makes people want to get into politics and/or run for political office. But if that is the worst thing he has ever done, then its not much of a story. Many more important stories out there for the media to cover.
- Thoughts Matter - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:12 pm:
If the record was wiped clean, then that’s that. Sounds like its Lexus Nexus that needs to do some explaining, expungement means it disappears, so why are they reporting it? Did he have a lapse in judgement? Yes- but we are not supposed to take arrests into account in Illinois for employment, remember?
- A guy - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:13 pm:
This sure endears the SEIU folks even more, eh? He had a bigger pain in the a$$ after all than sciatica.
This was so understandable, there was no reason not to reveal it. Lesson for everyone.
- Centennial - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:15 pm:
Meh. I have much bigger issues with the BVR administration than this. This doesn’t even land on the radar, in my opinion.
- Robert the Bruce - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:15 pm:
Forgiven, moving forward.
- Name Withheld - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:20 pm:
I’m with Centennial. There are plenty of valid reasons to criticize how the Governor is handling things. This is not one of them.
- Wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:22 pm:
Probation before judgement is a sweet deal. Not easy to get, by a long shot.
I dont care. I just wouldn’t lay it on too thick with the back story so people look to punch holes in it.
What’s with the doc with the “kidney killer” meds? How’s about a second opinion?
“A friend told Dimas that marijuana could ease the pain….”
LOL, enough already, now it sounds like a Lifetime movie.
Dimas was 56-years-old at the time. I suspect he knew a little something about weed.
UPS, really? Drive and stock up if you can’t live without that Cali sins…..
Keep it simple and move on.
- A Citizen - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:24 pm:
Oh, thank God, I thought they found out he had been a democrat!
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:25 pm:
The governor is vouching, it’s the governor’s choice and sticking by him.
Good enough for me.
- Macbeth - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:27 pm:
What’s the issue here?
This ranks as *tiny* on the issues we’ve got at the moment. If it doesn’t — if the gov’s office thinks otherwise (for whatever reason) — then AFSCME better jump in and do some cattle-trading on “what matters, and what doesn’t”.
- BUT - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:27 pm:
except… the problem is I know plenty of people who wouldn’t have gone through illegal channels for relief who would make a great PUBLIC SERVANT/leader for dhs or other top posts. just another day of entitlement and WM privilege in america. nothing to see here INDEED.
- zatoichi - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:27 pm:
Did it help his sciatic nerve problems?
- PolPal56 - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:29 pm:
Went through a time like that myself and damaged my kidneys slightly through overuse of Aleve. I was in such pain that at night I would wake up in tears. I also finally made the decision that nature had provided a perfectly good alternative pain reliever, and I made it through until I finally received effective treatment. I can only hope that Mr. Dimas’ experience will influence Rauner to sign the med mar bill.
- south side - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:31 pm:
It seems there is a screen, or two,missing. There should be a disposition noted. Even if he received probation for a first time drug offense.
- Arizona Bob - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:31 pm:
No big Deal.
It’s not like he did something like Mel Reynolds, Jesse Jackson Jr, or two of our last four governors, is it?
- Send an angel - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:33 pm:
GREAT. Rauner stalls Illinois Medical Marijuan and approves of trafficking Cali weed?
- Northern pike - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:35 pm:
Would be nice to know how much he possessed since one charge is possession with intent to distribute.
- The Muse - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:35 pm:
A completely qualified government agency director smoked weed for medically documented pain problems…. YAWN!!
- LarryMullhollan - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:35 pm:
The larger concern should be the fact that SEIU pushing weak stories that do not rise to the level of newsworthy, in an attempt to humiliate an appointed and approved director, while at same time, (likely) protecting their members in public employment that have far greater work related and unrelated work infractions as well as criminal infractions in process or previously adjudicated.
- AC - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:35 pm:
When we stop believing in redemption, in second chances, and focus on our own self righteousness while ignoring our own past, I believe it makes us less human. Too often, we rush to attack those associated with people we disagree with, and forget that they are people too. I understand SEIU is angry, I strongly believe they have reason to be, but attacking this individual isn’t the way to express that anger.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:40 pm:
If Bruce believes in second chances, why isn’t he making a dent in the clemency petition backlog?
- Wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:42 pm:
I wouldn’t worry about Dimas too much.
He got the gig, and the probation before judgement. He’s doing way better than most in the same situation.
There are people in IDOC doing time on the same charges Dimas got kicked so nicely.
The governor, through pardon and commutation, also has the power to give them second chances, if that’s really what this is all about, and not just a pre-holiday-weekend dump of bad
.r.
- Juvenal - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:42 pm:
The only reason to care is that back during the campaign the Governor tried to throw a total roadblock in front of medical marijuana, following the advice of the very same folks now pleaing to Rich and to us for leniency.
And of course, if this was a union worker who had been injured on the job, these same folks from the governor on down would put him through every hoop they could before he could get worker’s comp.
But hey, that isn’t Dimas’ fault, so I agree don’t punish him for their hypocrisy.
Shine a spot light on their hypocrisy and move on. We have bigger fish.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:43 pm:
===why isn’t he making a dent in the clemency petition backlog? ===
From a press release today…
Governor Bruce Rauner today granted five and denied 153 clemency petitions. Nearly 2,000 petitions remain from the previous administrations.
The 158 clemency petitions Governor Rauner acted upon today are part of dockets dating back to April 2006. Each person granted clemency has recently undergone a criminal background check through the Illinois State Police’s Law Enforcement Agencies Data System.
A granted clemency request for a pardon with expungement allows the petitioner to seek expungement of their conviction through the court system.
These are the third set of petitions the governor has reviewed since taking office. The Governor’s Office has developed a process to review clemency petitions on a regular basis
- Joe Cannon - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:44 pm:
As juice pointed out, you can’t get this disposition without “pleading guilty”, so he technically violated the application process. That being said, this was expunged and raises the larger issues of reentry into the working world of those with far fewer gifts (intellectual, leadership etc) than the director.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:45 pm:
==
It seems there is a screen, or two,missing. There should be a disposition noted. Even if he received probation for a first time drug offense.==
If there was probation as part of a guilty plea (typical) there would be. If there was no conviction or guilty plea (case here) and he had it properly expunged, there would not and should not be. Someone at Lexis may have some explaining to do.
- Jimmy CrackCorn - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:45 pm:
Fine, but quit punting on Medical Marijuana pilot program here then. It is moving painfully slow and being used as a political football/bargaining chip. Meanwhile, people in (presumably) worse pain than Dimas continue to suffer.
- Ducky LaMoore - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:47 pm:
The more responsible adults experiencing grass the better.
- How Ironic - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:51 pm:
Hi Rich!
Bruce said he was willing to overlook this ‘episode’ because it turns out the weed was sourced from a non-union farm.
Thanks
ck!
- Anon - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:52 pm:
From his LinkedIn,
“Georgia Department of Human Services, the Alabama Department of Human Resources, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Florida Department of Children and Families, New York City Administration for Children’s Services, the New York Foundling, New York City’s Child Welfare Agencies of Color, the Coalition for Hispanic Family Services, and the Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago.”
Did he disclose to all of his employers his arrests?
He may not actually be out of hot water yet. In general, I believe it is appropriate for any committee to be made aware of one’s arrests for drug related charges when considering an appointment.
- Formerly Known As... - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:52 pm:
Lou and others used situations like this to support med mar in Illinois.
SEIU has been wasting their time pitching this. Should apologize to Mr Dimas.
- A Jack - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:53 pm:
The irony of SEIU bringing this up …..
- FIRED! up - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:54 pm:
Couldn’t care less who smokes weed (now or then). But anyone getting shipments from California is no amateur. That’s the good stuff…
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:56 pm:
==you can’t get this disposition without “pleading guilty”==
Not necessarily true. It depends where you’re at. Do we even know if this was in Illinois? There are a lot of “Carroll Counties” out there, and the statute reference looks odd.
- south side - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:56 pm:
And let’s face it. Arranging to have drugs sent via the US mail, shows that his decision making was already impaired. Even before use.
- Jimmy0 - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:57 pm:
on a lighter note maybe we can use his connect and start selling weed to fix this pension deficit
- Stu - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:58 pm:
Isn’t it properly called pre-trial diversion? No guilty plea or conviction, charges dropped in exchange for community service or similar.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 4:04 pm:
Worked with Dimas years ago. Good guy.
- Amalia - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 4:10 pm:
Dear Gov. Rauner: please contact Republicans in this state and tell them to support Medical Marijuana facilities! coming to a town near you will only happen for those in need if the locals allow it.
- Moby - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 4:11 pm:
I’m perfectly fine with all of this (seriously)……assuming, that is, that some day, when I purchase enough marijuana (to distribute) through the mail (UPS), get caught, get let off the hook, have my record expunged, lie about it on a job application for a high-level state job, get caught lying…..and
still get to keep my job with full support and understanding from everyone.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 4:11 pm:
Granted five and denied 153 doesn’t exactly demonstrate a strong belief in second chances.
- Wow - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 4:14 pm:
EVERYONE should get a 2nd chance. Admirable that the Gov stuck with his appointee.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 4:14 pm:
So is he the guy who came up with the little Ziploc filled with green stuff they call a “Dimas Bag?”
- walker - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 4:16 pm:
Too much splainin goin on. Move on.
- DPGumby - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 4:18 pm:
the issues this raises are not about Dimas. on him, Rich is absolutely correct. however, the issue of similar fair treatment for others in the system, availability of expunged or non-convictions, and hypocrisy of Brucie are all valid.
- south side - Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 4:19 pm:
And.. the medicines available to me for my nerve pain are inadequate, so I had to have a large shipment of marijuana mailed to me from the coast…seems to require a little more scrutiny.