EDWARDSVILLE – Madison County treasurer Chris Slusser testified against county administrator Doug Hulme before a grand jury and wore a wire in conversation with Hulme in 2018, according to police affidavits previously under seal.
Slusser, as well as Hulme’s employer, county board chairman Kurt Prenzler, belong to the Republican Party.
The affidavits, unsealed on Monday, led to seizure of computers in county administration offices, but nothing in the computers led to filing of charges.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, acting as special prosecutor, closed the investigation last November.
His decision upset investigators, according to an affidavit Granite City detective Jeff Donahey signed this February.
He wrote that Raoul’s office met with investigators regarding their assessment of the case on Nov. 12, in Belleville.
“They indicated that the case did not meet their burden for charging but stated outside sources for another opinion could be evaluated,” Donahey wrote. “We asked them to elaborate or provide an explanation as to why charges were not sought for what appeared to be evident and the only explanation they provided was, it didn’t meet their burden.”
Local investigators didn’t just complain about it, but chose to persist in an investigation of information technology director Rob Dorman.
Donahey’s affidavit led to a seizure warrant for a computer that officers already possessed because they seized it from Dorman in 2018.
“It was the belief of all sworn law enforcement from six different agencies that evidence of tampering for political gain occurred,” Donahey wrote.
County voters elected Prenzler in 2016, and he hired Dorman.
On Jan. 11, 2017, State’s Attorney Tom Gibbons sent Dorman notice that email of his office was confidential and viewing it could constitute violation of law.
On Aug. 17, 2017, Gibbons sent Prenzler a letter stating information officer Cynthia Ellis might have improperly received attorney client communications, work product, law enforcement intelligence, and confidential information.
“I believe I am now duty bound to undertake an investigation of possible improper or unlawful distribution, possession and review of protected electronic communications and data resulting from these possible breaches," Gibbons wrote.
He also wrote that someone who possessed documents relevant to the inquiry might attempt to delete, destroy, or conceal them.
He asked Prenzler to take all reasonable means to preserve records and instruct those under his appointment or management to take all steps necessary.
“We want to be sure that someone does not make things worse,” Gibbons wrote.
On Dec. 21, 2017, Slusser testified to grand jurors.
Donahey summarized the testimony in an affidavit he signed for a seizure warrant on Jan. 5, 2018.
He wrote that Slusser said Hulme bragged about having evidence of a circuit judge using county resources for political fund raising.
“When Slusser confronted Hulme on how he obtained this evidence, he alluded that they have access to everyone’s emails and performed keyword searches and found them,” Donahey wrote.
“Slusser indicated that this activity made him feel uncomfortable. He subsequently reported this to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”
He wrote that in April 2017, Hulme told Slusser they would install new printers and copiers throughout the departments and Dorman would be able to monitor internal hard drives to see what everyone printed.
He wrote that Hulme made a comment about having global positioning devices on county vehicles so Dorman could monitor them.
He wrote that Slusser was told about an incident involving Deb Detmers, deputy chief of staff for Congressman John Shimkus, who wanted to meet with Prenzler for a position in his administration.
He wrote that Prenzler appointee Steve Adler and Hulme met her and offered a job on condition that Shimkus submit Don Weber for U.S. attorney.
Slusser provided a statement to the Record on Wednesday:
"In 2017, I learned of what I believed to be improper activity occurring in our county building and stepped forward to report what I knew to law enforcement. This was not a decision that I took lightly. Madison County has had a reputation involving corruption in the past, and there were instances in past scandals in which elected officials knew what was going on, but remained silent.
"I made a decision to come forward based on the type of example I want to set for my kids, and because I want to be the type of public servant the citizens who put their trust in me deserve. Corruption and unethical behavior at any level can not be tolerated, no matter the person or the party."
Slusser was among those in county government - including Prenzler and Adler - who called for an investigation into former treasurer Fred Bathon who in 2013 pleaded guilty to rigging the county’s delinquent property tax sales.
In the Jan. 5, 2018 affidavit, Donahey also summarized testimony of Republican county board member Lisa Ciampoli, who ran against Dorman’s father for precinct committee person.
He wrote that she said Dorman confronted her and interfered with the filing of her nominating petition.
“Dorman tried to swipe the paperwork out of her hands,” Donahey wrote.
He summarized statements of other witnesses, noting that previous information technology employees were interviewed instead of current ones.
He wrote that previous system administrator Thomas Hall indicated he was told to give Adler and Hulme full access to all email accounts of county employees.
He wrote that Hall and former deputy director Jeff Kochan said Dorman gave him index cards to pull email accounts of current and former employees.
Associate Judge Neil Schroeder signed the warrant on Jan. 5, 2018.
Granite City detective Brian Koberna filed affidavits for 15 more searches and seizures in that month, keeping Schroeder up to date on events.
On Jan. 8, Koberna wrote, “Electronic storage devices have been seized and will continue to be searched at a later time in a controlled environment by a qualified computer forensic expert in accordance with time scheduled appointments. The sorting process may take weeks or months and it is impractical to attempt to complete this data search in a hastened manner.”
Koberna wrote that Gibbons was interviewed on Jan. 8, and advised he heard rumors of Dorman reading emails in January 2017.
Koberna described a dispute between Gibbons and the administration over authority to handle information requests.
He wrote that Gibbons advised that release of his office emails was beyond the administration’s authority, making those actions illegal.
On Jan. 9, Koberna wrote that Slusser met with Hulme “in accordance with a court issued overhear,” on audio and video.
“Portions of the audio were distorted due to the nature of the placement of the overhear device,” he wrote.
He wrote that they discussed how Hulme had full access to all county emails.
He wrote that Hulme mentioned that keyword searches populate several hits.
He wrote that Dorman’s name was mentioned.
“The overhear corroborated Slusser’s previous statements to investigators and the grand jury,” he wrote.
Koberna applied for a warrant to seize the computer of Dorman deputy Christopher Bethel on Jan. 10, and investigators interviewed Bethel on that date.
On Jan. 12, Koberna wrote that Bethel advised he received an unusual request from Dorman for access to the program of county auditor Rick Faccin.
He wrote that Bethel said he created an account to access the system, but Dorman informed him it didn’t work.
“Bethel advised that he did not believe Dorman successfully accessed the system, but he was not sure,” Koberna wrote.
Also on Jan. 12, Koberna wrote that investigators interviewed chief deputy auditor Jennifer Zoelzer about the record keeping system in the office.
He wrote that she referenced a meeting of the finance and government operations committee on July 12, 2017, with county Auditor Rick Faccin in attendance.
He wrote that she indicated Hulme requested access to the system and the auditor’s office denied the request.
Also on Jan. 12, Koberna applied to search records for cellular telephones of Dorman and Bethel from the previous July 12 to July 15.
On Jan. 24, he applied for a search warrant on Apple Inc., for information on Dorman and wife Kotomim Dorman from Dec. 1, 2016, to Jan. 18, 2018.
On March 19, he applied for a warrant to search a Sawmill server in the basement with regard to the Cyfin program.
He wrote that Bethel advised he had access to Cyfin but didn’t use it.
He wrote that Bethel advised Dorman had a large monitor and he saw Dorman looking at an internet log for Faccin.
“Bethel recalled that Faccin was looking at baseball websites,” Koberna wrote.
Last of all he applied for a warrant authorizing Dorman to unlock his phone.
This January, when visiting judge Jerry Crisel closed the case, Sheriff John Lakin returned everything investigators seized except Dorman’s Lenovo Think Pad.
Detective Donahey applied for a warrant to seize it on Feb. 6, stating it might have been used in commission of a crime or it might constitute evidence of offenses.
He specified perjury and official misconduct.
He wrote that activity occurred on Faccin’s program on July 31, 2017, on accounts associated to Bethel and Dorman.
He wrote that last March 20, the county board passed a resolution to ensure Prenzler’s access to Faccin’s system.
He wrote that the auditor’s office highly contested the event because the server contained private information.
“Our investigation revealed strong evidence that attempts to access it on or about July 14, 2017, from Robert Dorman and Doug Hulme were made without the auditor’s permission,” Koberna wrote.
Schroeder signed the order starting the second investigation on Feb. 6, and directed Circuit Clerk Mark Von Nida to unseal the record of the first one in 60 days.
Von Nida unsealed it on April 6.