Chairman also seeks to re-organize, reduce membership of 9-1-1 Board

Iroquois County Board Chairman Rod Copas says results of a forensic audit will show evidence of official misconduct by former employees of the since-dissolved Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department.

Copas told the County Board's Policy & Procedure committee (Thursday) an audit finding will be presented soon. Copas has said in past meetings "that actions were improper" and in his opinion "were criminal."

Copas did not say if there's any kind of a federal investigation underway.

The Illinois Attorney General's Office was involved in an investigation some time ago. The A-G elected not to pursue the case, a spokesman said 'there was nothing criminal.'

The Paxton Record newspaper has published several accounts of Copas' accusations over the last several months. The allegations range from contracts being awarded to health department employees, removing prescription medicine from the office and distributing drugs to staff and family, and use of grant money from the 2008 record-flood without proper documentation.

What has not been reported however, is that recipients of grant money included current employees of the new Iroquois County Health Department. The information was published on an Edgar County Watchdog website.

94.1 WGFA