And the new undersheriff is ...

... not named yet.

What kind of game is being played at the McHenry County Sheriff's Department that Keith Nygren will not name the successor to Gene Lowery, who is due to start at the Crystal Lake Police Department on Monday, March 29?

Could it be that no one is willing to step up and take a job that might last only until December 1? An MCSD employee would have to wonder whether he'd be able to slide back into his old slot, when Nygren leaves office on November 30. An outside applicant might logically wonder whether he would be able to hang onto his chair, when a new sheriff hits town on December 1.

Of course, the way things go in Illinois, maybe an existing employee could sit in a new chair for eight months at a big pay jump and then scarf up a big increase in his retirement check for the highest-paid last year in the retirement plan (if that's how it works).

Nygren has been spending a lot more time in his office in the past few months. So far as I know, no one has FOIA'ed records for his electronic swipe at entrances into MCSD premises for the past couple of years or his vehicle maintenance records, which would show mileage on the Tahoe or other vehicles he might drive. A sharp difference in miles/month might be a strong indication of how long he was on vacation in Florida and Wisconsin.

Maybe that's what Mike Mahon's FOIA request was last week; you know the one - when his volunteer encountered orders to "Sit Down!" (and be quiet) and "Tell Mike that if he continues to file FOIA requests here, then I'll file 1-for-1 with Cook County S/O (Mike's employer)."

Just what kind of threat or political retaliation is that? Even without that threat, refusing to comply with the Illinois Freedom of Information Act is enough to get the attention of the McHenry County State's Attorney and the Public Access Counselor in the office of the Illinois Attorney General.

Since the McHenry County State's Attorney is supposed to be the sheriff's legal advisor, will that office tell the sheriff to get busy and comply with all FOIA Requests?

Can't you just imagine that Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is having a good laugh over that one?