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September 26, 2018
Dear McLean County Ethics Commission,
We are requesting your investigation into unlawful use of public property in a political campaign, specifically the use of a laptop computer and a desktop computer, both owned by McLean County, in the campaign to reelect Kathy Michael as McLean County Clerk. Additionally, within 72 hours of a 7/12/18 FOIA request for Michael’s laptop browser history, the device sustained massive water damage. This raises the question of whether an attempt was made to destroy evidence of prohibited political activity on a county-owned laptop.
What in the actual heck? A buddy just said, “It’s like a Coen Brothers movie or something.”
* WGLT…
The laptop data was eventually recovered. The county paid an outside company $654 in August for data recovery on the computer, county records show. […]
Michael defended herself pre-emptively in a statement late Wednesday, before Lindenbaum’s ethics complaint became public. Michael didn’t address the specific allegations related to internet browsing and did not return requests for comment Thursday. She said local Republicans needed to “stand together to stop this radical, socialist agenda from taking over our county in their efforts to try to smear not only me, but others who have worked for McLean County for all the right reasons.”
McLean County Clerk Michael is a Republican running against Democrat Nikita Richards, an African-American.
* Among other things, the complainants say Michael’s government computer browser histories show this…
* Searching how and where to buy a car wrap—like a vehicular billboard—after viewing images of Richards’ vehicle wrap.
* Viewing Facebook pages for Richards, Democrats, and Republicans.
* Visiting political yard signs on VictoryStore.com.
* Communicating about political events and fundraisers in McLean County.
Yeah, but it’s the socialists’ fault. You can look at her browser history here and here.
* Update from WGLT…
McLean County’s Ethics Commission deliberated for two-and-a-half hours on Monday before deciding to send a complaint against County Clerk Kathy Michael to the county state’s attorney for review. […]
[McLean County Director of Elections Denise Cesario] explained Michael left her laptop outside on her deck while she was working. Michael went inside to do some laundry when a rainstorm hit, damaging the computer, Cesario said.
“There’s no way she tried to destroy her laptop,” Cesario told the commission. “It makes sense that she could have just buried it.”
…Adding… Somebody might want to amend the ethics complaint…
I don’t think anyone monitors her county Twitter acct because there are political tweets that have been up almost 2 months which I have tagged local reporters on more than once. pic.twitter.com/rA8agldhKM
— Rayne DeVivo (@devivo) October 2, 2018
* Related…
* Lawsuit alleging Tinley Park campaign defamation gets tossed by judge: In delivering a sharp rebuke to Stephen Eberhardt, a Tinley Park attorney who filed the lawsuit last November, Judge John Ehrlich referred to it as a “flimsy complaint” and reprimanded him, suggesting he was slipshod in investigating whether his claims were supported by law before filing the lawsuit.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Oct 2, 18 @ 12:53 pm
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–Yeah, but it’s the socialists’ fault. –
Why say “socialist” when you mean “communist?” Her opponent’s name is Nikita. What more proof do you need?
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Oct 2, 18 @ 12:59 pm
===Her opponent’s name is Nikita. What more proof do you need? ===
LOL
I haven’t laughed this hard while creating a post in a long time and that one made it even better. Thanks (exclamation point)
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Oct 2, 18 @ 1:07 pm
That is so petty and ridiculous. That is all.
Comment by Boone's is Back Tuesday, Oct 2, 18 @ 1:13 pm
Dumb and dumber.
I assume they have a smart phone in their pocket. Why not use it?
Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Oct 2, 18 @ 1:16 pm
As a person whose inquiry of the clerk is referenced in her internet search history linked to this post i can say that she and her office have some serious issues in working with others. I have requested information to only never hear back from them, i have asked the clerk for information only to be told the law I was wrong, even though i helped write the law we were discussing. McLean county will be seeing some changes in November for the first time in a long time.
Comment by The Real Captain Tuesday, Oct 2, 18 @ 1:17 pm
==Her opponent’s name is Nikita.
LOL–thank you.
I mean, while this is a violation, it’s not exactly the crime of the century. Why not just apologize, announce a new office policy, and save the socialist talking point for something else trivial, but not true.
Comment by Archpundit Tuesday, Oct 2, 18 @ 1:21 pm
Also in McLean County:
https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/mclean-county-judges-cited-in-misconduct-complaint/article_10748de5-3904-59fa-9bb9-aaf754e115a4.amp.html
Comment by The Real Captain Tuesday, Oct 2, 18 @ 1:22 pm
—Also in McLean County:
McLean is moving on up in the world. There was a time only the pastors at Second Press had sex scandals.
Comment by Archpundit Tuesday, Oct 2, 18 @ 1:27 pm
One other fun fact, a supplemental FOIA was sent requesting campaigning gmails she sent from the county-owned computer identified in her browsing history, but Kathy Michael deleted those emails, preventing their production.
Comment by McPundit Tuesday, Oct 2, 18 @ 1:30 pm
==Why say “socialist” when you mean “communist?” Her opponent’s name is Nikita. What more proof do you need?==
WWKD? - What Would Kruschev Do?
Comment by Duopoly Tuesday, Oct 2, 18 @ 1:31 pm
On another note, her campaign website is a nice mashup of campaign and government office.
Comment by Schuyler Tuesday, Oct 2, 18 @ 1:34 pm
“Among other things, the complainants say Michael’s government computer browser histories show this…
* Searching how and where to buy a car wrap—like a vehicular billboard—after viewing images of Richards’ vehicle wrap.
* Viewing Facebook pages for Richards, Democrats, and Republicans.
* Visiting political yard signs on VictoryStore.com.
* Communicating about political events and fundraisers in McLean County.”
She couldn’t have taken a few extra seconds to search ‘Hillary Clinton emails’ for the proper way to dispose of a hard drive?
Comment by Cubs in '16 Tuesday, Oct 2, 18 @ 2:13 pm
Where are Moose & Squirrel when you need them?
Comment by James Knell Tuesday, Oct 2, 18 @ 2:14 pm
Kathy Michaels has been an embarrassment for far too long. For the life of me, I don’t know why the Party did not back a primary challenger even four years ago. Everyone knew. Nobody acted. Do better, please.
Pundit is right in that it’s not the crime of the century, but this is just the tip of the iceberg for her tenure.
Comment by Dirty Red Tuesday, Oct 2, 18 @ 2:27 pm
So who wants to point out that there was one rain sprinkle that week on the 15th, with maybe half an inch of rain?
And we’re supposed to believe *that* would cause “massive water damage”?
Comment by squirrel Tuesday, Oct 2, 18 @ 2:32 pm
lol at the vehicle wrap search. a couple of times this fall I have seen kathy michael driving a vehicle around that had a campaign wrap on it but had no idea it was her copying nikita richards.
fun fact: this county clerk’s race is the only countywide office in mclean co. where dems are running a candidate at all… not for sheriff, not for treasurer, not for any of the judgeships, etc…
despite the fact that bloomington has a dem mayor and normal township elected a dem majority last election…
and despite this coming as the first general election since the former gop county board chair was sentenced to prison for defrauding state farm
this county is ripe for a “socialist” takeover if the state dems put any effort into it
Comment by hisgirlfriday Tuesday, Oct 2, 18 @ 3:04 pm
thank God they didn’t ask for my browser history
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Oct 2, 18 @ 5:34 pm