County Commission to Meet Over Political E-mail
The Kendall County Ethics Commission is expected to discuss an e-mail County Board member Anne Vickery sent inviting fellow board members to a political fundraiser.
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The Kendall County Ethics Commission is expected to discuss allegations Thursday that a county board member inappropriately sent political invitations using her county e-mail.
The three-member commission is expected to discuss a complaint that retired judge James Wilson filed Dec. 17 against District 2 County Board member Anne Vickery. The meeting is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. in the county office building.
Vickery has acknowledged using her public e-mail address on Oct. 31 to invite three fellow county board members to a fundraiser she hosted. Vickery, a Minooka resident who is seeking re-election for the last time, apologized during a County Board meeting Nov. 28.
The e-mail invited County Board members Dan Koukol, John Shaw and Bob Davidson to a fundraiser Vickery hosted for Republican State Rep. Pam Roth of Morris, who is running for re-election in the 75th District. Koukol said Wednesday morning that he did not attend the fundraiser.
Vickery said Tuesday morning that she had not received formal notice of the meeting, but was "shocked and hurt" that Koukol, Shaw and Davidson would align themselves politically with Wilson.
“When I invited those three gentlemen to my home, I guess it was more a social gathering than anything," Vickery said.
In the past, she has characterized Wilson as a political foe and a bully.
Wilson has said he believes that elected officials should follow the law and that Vickery’s actions could violate Illinois Election Code and the Ethics Act.
Editor's note: This article was updated at 2:50 p.m. Tuesday with comments from Vickery and at 9 a.m. Wednesday with comments from Koukol.
George Jones
12:31 pm on Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Fat chance of seeing any real justice being handed out by the 3 person Kendall County Ethics Commission .... commission persons are appointed by the Kendall County Chairman.
John Purcell is the Kendall County Chairman and a hack for the Kendall County Machine.
There are provisions at http://www.co.kendall.il.us/statesattorney/pdf/Ethics_Ordiance0418.pdf for fines and jail time.
However, I seriously doubt anything is going to happen to Vickery other than maybe a token fine and slap on the wrist despite the fact SHE HAS ADMITTED HER GUILT!
The better thing is for Kendall County voters in District 2 to vote her out of office this March.
Vickery was doing a fundraiser for Pam Roth in the 75th IL House District. Roth is from Grundy County and a favorite of the good ole boy Kendall County / Illinois Republican Machine.
I know that a very qualified person (an attorney) from Kendall County wanted to run for this 75th IL House District seat and the Kendall County / Illinois Republican Machine with their substantial money and clout nixed that idea.
Maybe if Vickery ratted out the Kendall County Machine she could cop a plea deal.
Does anyone know if this hearing is going to be public?
George Jones
2:19 pm on Tuesday, January 31, 2012
I have posted the official PDF Agenda for the 5PM Thursday Ethics Comm Meeting.
This agenda came from the Kendall County Clerk (who will be doing the minutes for the Ethics meeting) and who is supposedly related to Vickery.
Oh, did I mention that others are also in the Kendall County "business / fiefdom" together such as John Purcell and his wife, an employee of Kendall County. There's a 10.5% unemployment rate in Kendall County ... but unemployment won't touch you if you are politically connected.
If there were a Kendall County Machine "non-official" memo on all this ... it might likely say this:
1. The Democratic Ethics Comm. Member (K Heiman) is also running in District 2 against Vickery. So Heiman "might" want to recuse herself when voting on another District 2 Candidate ... Vickery. However, the State's Attorney's Office says Heiman is not required to do so.
2. That leaves 2 Republican Ethics Comm Members who were appointed by a Republican Kendall County Chairman .... wasn't Anne Vickery THE Kendall County Chairman before Purcell? Might there be issues where they will say Vickery can do no wrong?
3. John Purcell would "love" to see his nearest competition ... Vickery hung out to dry.
How about getting some decent County Board members elected and making these Ethics Comm. Members be elected by the people instead of appointed?.
I wonder which way the State's Attorney is going to rule if they do receive a complaint from the Ethics Comm.?
Richard R
1:13 am on Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Funny thing Mr Jones, I see an add for Scott Gryder at the bottom of this comment I'm posting. Time to see who this guy is
YorkVillain
7:59 am on Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Vickery should just say it was an "Honest Mistake" like Petrella. That defense looks like it's going to work for her. It is such a simple statement that somehow allows these people to avoid accountability. The next time I get caught "red handed" I'm going to try the "honest mistake" defense. I'll keep you informed of how it works for me.
George Jones
8:25 am on Wednesday, February 1, 2012
OMA -Open Meetings Act
This Vickery statement shows intent to possibly violate the OMA while discussing Kendall County Business in her home: "When I invited those three gentlemen to my home, I guess it was more a social gathering than anything, Vickery said."
Vickery is clearly trying to spin the email invitation (from her county email address) as a "social one" versus a "fundraising one" / "county business one"
So, Vickery plus 3 additional Kendall County Board Members = 4 Board Members. That's a clear Majority of a Quorum and could be in clear violation of OMA laws.
This just goes to show Kendall County voters how people like Vickery wish to meet in closed door meetings and discuss "good ole boy" and "good ole girl" county business.
You can eliminate the "closed door" / "backroom" Kendall County sleaze and mentality by not voting in March for Vickery, Purcell, Petrella.
Jillian Duchnowski
9:13 am on Wednesday, February 1, 2012
George, I believe a majority of a quorum has to be discussing public business for a possibility of an OMA violation to exist. For example, the four of them could not sit around and discuss the budget at a political fundraiser, but the entire board could attend a fundraiser (or the county fair, a business ribbon-cutting, etc.) and discuss items that are not or would not come before the county board.
George Jones
11:33 am on Wednesday, February 1, 2012
JIllian, you make good points. I did say "possibly violate the OMA". The big issue, besides an Etghics Violation, is the APPEARANCE of a possible OMA violation. Vickery looks like she used poor judgement and common sense and appears to have violated the Ethics Act when she knowingly asked 3 other Kendall County Board members to attend this fundraising meeting ... she used her county email address to send out the email. I believe that additional reporting will show that these 3 Kendall County Board Members DID NOT attend the Vickery fundraising meeting. I believe the press has to report those facts. Vickery is now trying to spin this fundraising meeting as a "social event" .... hogwash! It's laughable, fishy and almost like some Ice Fishermen getting busted on a lake where Ice Fishing is banned and then pulling out a can of sardines and claiming before a judge they were only eating fish ... not fishing for fish. Vickery is saying "social event" and from what I am hearing and have seen is that she lacks customer friendly "social skills" when working with Kendall County residents and dogs ... how many dogs had to die before she got the right one .... the Kid Eating ... Moose got sent to doggie heaven. Vickery was in charge of that mess! http://oswego.patch.com/articles/county-animal-control-warden-didnt-tell-truth-about-euthanizing-dog
Daisy Doe
8:33 am on Wednesday, February 1, 2012
It' would be laughable if I didn't live here. @Yorkvillain it only works if you're a good ole boy.
Rachael B.
10:37 am on Wednesday, February 1, 2012
We can only hope that Vickery is voted out of office this year. Be sure to vote in the March 20th primary.