EDWARDSVILLE - State Senator Jason Plummer (R - Edwardsville) is asking Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler to address accusations made against members of his administration during a corruption investigation that came to light in January 2018 when county administrative offices were raided.
No charges have been filed in the two-year investigation.
Earlier this week, affidavits for search warrants pertaining to the case were unsealed, revealing the investigation involved, among other things, improper surveillance of electronic communications and data breaches.
County administrator Doug Hulme and IT director Rob Dorman were central figures in the investigation.
"The information that was made public this week contains extremely concerning accusations," Plummer said in a press release issued Friday afternoon. "I urge county board chairman Kurt Prenzler to publicly address the accusations made against members of his administration. The public deserves full transparency, and corruption - on any level - cannot and will not be tolerated."
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, acting as special prosecutor, closed the investigation last November as the case did not meet his burden for charging, according to an affidavit of Granite City detective Jeff Donahey.
However, Plummer has indicated that he has sent a letter to the AG Raoul asking for further information regarding his review of the case.
"Regardless of any further legal action pursued on this matter, elected officials and public servants should be held to a higher standard," Plummer said. "If Chairman Prenzler is not willing to transparently and publicly address these issues with immediacy, I call on the members of the Madison County board to take swift action to provide accountability and restore the public trust in their local government. Corruption and unethical behavior at any level can not be tolerated, no matter the person or the party."
The previously sealed documents related to the investigation also showed that 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.
"No elected official should, in good conscious, be willing to stand by while questions of these allegations remain unanswered," Plummer stated. "Former Madison County board member Lisa Ciampoli (who also testified before grand jurors) and Madison County treasurer Chris Slusser are true public servants, and I commend them for putting the public first in this matter."
Prenzler provided the following statement:
"This week it was unveiled that Jason Plummer's political ally County Treasurer Chris Slusser actively participated in the investigation of county administrative offices.
"The investigation has been officially over with no charges for months and Slusser has had more than two years to go public with his concerns. He’s speaking publicly now, only after his participation is known.
"The so-called 'public corruption task force,' organized by State’s Attorney Tom Gibbons, conducted a highly publicized police raid on the offices of the Madison County administration in January of 2018.
"Then-Chief Judge Dave Hylla decided that no Madison County judge should hear this case, and the Illinois Supreme Court appointed visiting Visiting Judge Jerry Crisel of the Second Judicial Circuit in Mount Vernon over the case.
"Crisel said Gibbons was conflicted and ordered the Illinois Attorney General’s office to investigate the case.
"After two years, Judge Crisel was informed that the Democratic Illinois Attorney General’s office decided not to file charges, and he entered an order on Feb. 5 to close the case.
"I know something about public corruption. Public corruption is a scheme, over a period of time, involving large sums of money.
"In 2006, I ran against then-County Treasurer Fred Bathon and I complained that Bathon was running corrupt tax sales.
"During that campaign Jason Plummer was Chairman of the Madison County Republican party, and he actively supported Fred Bathon.
"During that campaign, Steve Adler, my campaign chairman, called the FBI regarding Bathon’s tax sales.
"I ran again for treasurer in 2010, won, and the FBI commenced an investigation. Bathon pleaded guilty to criminal bid-rigging and went to jail. These criminal tax sales cost Madison County taxpayers more than $4 million.
"The public elected me to cleanup Madison County government, to be a voice for taxpayers, and to be an independent voice that will fight for what is right, which is what I will continue to do."