EDWARDSVILLE – Former Madison County administrator Doug Hulme and former information technology director Rob Dorman claim the county and 20 individuals conspired to remove them from their positions.
Their counsel Ed Moorman of Alton filed suit for them on Aug. 6, seeking damages for their termination by the county board last year.
The lawsuit claims it was tantamount to whistleblower discharge or retaliation.
Defendants include Chief Judge William Mudge, Sheriff John Lakin, Treasurer Chris Slusser, Circuit Clerk Tom McRae, and former state’s attorney Tom Gibbons.
Mudge provided the following statement:
"Canon 3(A)(7) of the Judicial Code of Conduct prohibits me from commenting about the complaint filed August 6, 2021, Robert Dorman and Douglas Hulme vs. Madison County, et al, 2021-L-955. The rule reads as follows: ‘A judge should abstain from public comment about a pending or impending proceeding in any court, and should require similar abstention on the part of court personnel subject to the judge's direction and control. This paragraph does not prohibit judges from making public statements in the course of their official duties or from explaining for public information the procedures of the court.’
"I will request the Illinois Supreme Court to assign an out of circuit judge to the case. An out of circuit judge was assigned to a complaint that Mr. Dorman filed against State’s Attorney Tom Haine, and his complaint was recently dismissed by the assigned judge.”
According to Hulme and Dorman's new lawsuit, the conspiracy allegedly resulted in the use by law enforcement of a court ordered overhear which was read aloud to other defendants contrary to law.
Defendants allegedly denied Hulme and Dorman their rights to be informed of the charges, confront their accusers, and examine witnesses.
They’re accused of engaging in efforts to this day to destroy or make unavailable to plaintiffs certain electronic mail and other evidence.
Defendants also allegedly induced breaches of employment contracts, “by making false and unsupported accusations of improper conduct and in some cases alleged criminal misconduct.”
The Madison County board based its action on information, “much of it false, which was obtained by improper and illegal conduct on the part of county officials,” the suit claims.
It further claims that false and defamatory statements made by defendants and acted upon by other defendants constituted a tort of false light giving rise to a cause of action.
Multiple due process violations are claimed.
The list of defendants includes county board members Mike Walters, Jamie Goggin, and Erica Harriss.
Hulme and Dorman sued the county after their termination last year, not for damages but for reinstatement.
That action remains pending.
Hulme and Dorman released a statement that they blew the whistle on officials campaigning on county time and county equipment.
They stated that ordinances allowed the administrator to look at county email.
In an interview on Aug. 9, Hulme said, “We went looking for our jobs, but now we have no other route but to sue the county.”
Other defendants include Rick Faccin, Ray Wesley, Chris Bethel, Patrick McRae, Jeff Connor, Erick Decker, Mike Parkinson, Bob Daiber, Jack Daugherty, Jennifer Zoelzer, Jennifer Mudge and JF Electric.
“It’s probably not going to be limited to those 20,” Hulme said.
“The attorney general exonerated us.”
Attorney general Kwame Raoul investigated allegations against Hulme and Dorman by special appointment, and decided not to press charges.