BELLEVILLE – Attorney Barry Julian’s appointment as an associate judge in Madison County shocked many in Illinois due to his perceived wealth from having built one of the nation’s largest asbestos firms, but St. Clair County voters choose circuit judges from the same high class.
Andrew Gleeson, chief of the 20th Judicial Circuit, reported 60 investments on a statement of economic interests he filed at the Supreme Court last April.
Judges must file statements but don’t have to divulge the value of their interests.
Gleeson held shares of Procter & Gamble, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Nokia, IBM, McDonald’s, Motorola, Anheuser-Busch, Pepsi, Sprint, Regions Bank, Charter Communications, Dell, and Gleeson Asphalt.
He held 13 portfolios of DFA investment fund; life policies, a personal annuity, and an individual retirement account with Northwestern Mutual. He held accounts with John Hancock, Schwab, Putnam, Lord Abbett, TD Ameritrade, Goldman Sachs, and Washington Mutual.
He also owned real estate at three Belleville addresses.
On the surface, Gleeson’s portfolio outshines the one Julian filed on March 11.
Julian, appointed judge in January, held shares in three real estate investment companies at 156 N. Main St. in Edwardsville, his former office with partner Randy Gori. He owned two residential rental properties in Edwardsville and two in Alton.
He owned commercial rental property on Miller Drive in Edwardsville; owned farms with rental residences in Bethalto, Dow, and Greenfield; and held mutual funds and bonds with Schwab and three Allianz annuities.
Three former St. Clair County associate judges who won election as circuit judges last year filed statements about as impressive as Gleeson’s or Julian’s.
Circuit Judge Heinz Rudolf held Apple, AT&T, Boeing, Chevron, Cisco, Clorox, Conoco Phillips, CVS, Emerson Electric, Exxon Mobil, General Mills, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly Clark, Kraft Heinz, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, Qualcomm, Starbuck’s, Target, UPS, US Bancorp, Verizon, and Wells Fargo.
He held five accounts with IShares, three with Vanguard, and six with other firms; held life policies and a non-retirement policy with Northwestern Mutual; and held two accounts for minor children.
He identified himself as Heinz M. Rudolf, successor trustee for trusts of Heinz P. Rudolf and Christina M. Rudolf.
Circuit Judge John O’Gara held Cisco, Medtronic, Microsoft, Oracle, Pfizer, Starbuck’s, Stryker Corporation, and Walgreens.
He held two accounts each with Invesco, T. Rowe Price, and John Hancock; held single accounts with J. P. Morgan, Victory Sycamore, Lord Abbett, Oakmark, Principal Midcap, and American Funds.
He reported the sale of his former office at 6 East Washington in 2017; he identified Gregory Shevlin and his former partner, state’s attorney James Gomric, as lawyers who are co-owners of some of his economic interests. He wrote that he referred a Wayne County lawsuit to Shevlin.
Circuit Judge Chris Kolker held Apple, General Electric, Novartis, Provectus Pharamaceuticals, Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, and Waste Management.
He held two accounts each with Fidelity and Vanguard; he held single accounts with Alliance, American Funds, Brightstar, Cohen and Steers, IShares, Plan administrators Inc., and Principal Funds.
He sold his law office to Jason Caraway in 2013, and wrote that, “As part of that agreement, I am owed funds and am paid in payments for those owed funds.”
He identified himself as beneficiary of a land trust for a residence and four acres, and as owner of residential property in Springfield.
Circuit Judge Ron Duebbert, a winner in 2016, held Ford, Olin, Chesapeake Energy, Ferrell Gas, and Exxon Mobil.
He held accounts with Sentinel Investments, Massachusetts Investors, Bank of America, and Merrill Lynch; he held an interest in a St. Clair County lawsuit from 2011, and a suit of sister Maria Duebbert from 2015 in McLean County.
Circuit Judge Robert Haida, a winner in 2016, held accounts with Commerce Bank, US Bank, Metropolitan Life, Brighthouse, Vanguard, and Clark Capital Management.
He identified himself as trustee of the Robert B. Haida Revocable Trust.
Circuit Judge Stephen McGlynn, a winner in 2014, held two accounts at Commerce Bank and a land trust.
He shared an interest with brother Michael McGlynn in a retirement plan from their former firm.
Circuit Judge Zina Cruse, who won retention last year, held stock in Chicos FAS and Guggenheim Canadian Energy.
She listed deposits at Bank of Edwardsville, First Bank, Capital One, Vantage Credit Union, Regions Bank, Scott Credit Union, and Federal Navy Credit Union.