State's Attorney: poor management doesn't mean it's criminal

Iroquois County Board Chairman Rod Copas has been calling for legal action against former public health department employees for quite some time. And at Wednesday's County Board meeting, the Chairman urged State's Attorney Jim Devine to prosecute the employees that he says,"robbed taxpayers using public assets for private gain."

Copas used findings in a forensic audit of three former health department computers alleging management-level employees spent less than 30% of their work time on county business.

The audit findings show company computers were used for personal business, including paying personal bills, online shopping, and even looking at pornography.

Copas made his directed comments before the board prior to introducing Andrew Garrett of Garrett Discovery, a company that conducted a forensic audit of three former Ford-Iroquois Health Department employees computers. Garrett said it was Copas who directed the company to conduct the forensic audit.

Copas is still insisting S-A Devine needs to pursue official misconduct charges against the former employees. Copas expressed his disgust at the lack of prosecution for what he calls 'blatant criminal acts that have cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.'

Devine says, and the Illinois Attorney General affirms, 'poorly run business doesn't mean it's criminal.' Questions also arise as to why all health department or all county competers aren't part of this 'Copas witch-hunt ?'

The accusations against the chosen-few is now opening doors, by non-Copas supporters, asking why the agenda is limited to those Copas wants to select ?  Copas' county board supporters have offered no answers either.

The now-dissolved F-I Health Department left former health department employees and board members wearing a lot of mud from the accusations. There's current health department employees, observers point out, that should be part of the forensic audit as well.

A 2008 flood grant not only benefited several community flood victims, health department employees (past and present) also walked off with monetary gains that have never been disclosed. (The findings were posted on a watchdog website, but were never part of the Copas agenda, according to observers).

94.1 WGFA