Think anything is happening with the complaint filed by Sgt. John Koziol about Undersheriff Andy Zinke? Where is it?
After Judge Meyer ruled that he was not going to appoint a Special Prosecutor to investigate why Zinke revealed a confidential DEA investigation to Brian Goode, president of Crystal Lake's RITA Corp., the cards fell to the Office of the McHenry County State's Attorney.
Lou Bianchi, the State's Attorney for McHenry County, already has a record of choosing not to investigate Sheriff Keith Nygren because of a perceived conflict-of-interest. He has said that he endangers his law license by risking an ethics complaint, should he embark on investigating and prosecuting a person (the sheriff) he represents.
As the State's Attorney, the Office is the legal representative of the Sheriff (and the sheriff's department). So this probably means he won't sink his teeth into Undersheriff Zinke for breaching confidentiality and telling Goode that a shipment of illegal drugs was headed for RITA Corp.
Zinke was not part of the DEA Task Force out of Rockford. Sgt. Koziol was. Koziol was required by Department policy to inform Zinke. He did so and wisely took a witness with him, his superior in the Investigations Division.
But Goode is a strong (Strong) financial supporter of Nygren. Goode has been on the Merit Commission of the Sheriff's Department since 2004. Goode's company, RITA Corp., is the address-of-record for Zinke's campaign for sheriff for an election that is two years away.
Zinke should have kept his mouth shut. He is first a cop. Somewhere down the list he might consider Goode a friend. But Zinke didn't keep his mouth shut. Within a day he revealed to Goode that drugs were headed to RITA Corp.
The DEA would have figured out the extent, if any, to which RITA Corp. and any of its employees were involved in the inbound shipment of illegal drugs. The drugs might even have been taken out of the shipment before the truck arrived at RITA.
But Zinke let the cat out of the bag and, for that, he deserves to be investigated. If the State's Attorney isn't going to do it, then Bianchi should get the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor involved. Or go back to Judge Meyer.
Zinke should want this cleaned up. It will haunt him all the way to the election.
Have you noticed there hasn't be a word from Sheriff Nygren about this? He was in the courtroom when Judge Meyer ruled. Where is he now? Why hasn't he addressed this?
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12 comments:
As we all know by now Zinke didn't try to sneak any info to anyone. If he was going to try to hinder the investigation he could have simply warned Goode privately and not told anyone.
Instead he made a valid judgement call and in the open brought the leader of RITA corp in as a cooperating witness with all available records to share with the DEA.
It would have been easy for him to quietly warn them off if he had something nefarious in mind...that is not what he did. He did what any good cop would do, he used a resource available to him to gather evidence and share with all agencies involved.
The real question is why did Koziol bring his tantrum over his senior officers judgement call so public? If he really thought the DEA was interfered with why not push to them to pursue?
Damn, that's funny. How did they lure you away from the Chicago/Obama camp?
Valid judgement call? To reveal a confidential DEA investigation? How can you even try to justify that?
Nothing has been said that Zinke was part of the Task Force. If he wasn't, then he had no authority to disclose anything. If he wanted to ask for that authority, he should have gone to the DEA controller.
The response from the DEA agent in the Petition clearly expressed his opinion of Zinke's error. You read that, didn't you?
Zinke "did what any good cop would do". Thanks for the laugh today. Does someone pay you to write that garbage?
There is no evidence of any "tantrum" by Koziol. Certainly, he couldn't go to Zinke and tell him that Zinke screwed up. And Popovits certainly wasn't going to criticize Zinke.
Where's Nygren? Oh, on vacation.
The only evidence we have is that RITA and Goode were cooperating as a witness and had voluntarily brought all available records in. Are you stating that they were other than a witness?
Zinke doesn't need to approve anything with Koziol, Koziol reports to Zinke. As far as the DEA, I think you are a bit confused,they do not outrank the Sheriff's Department in any way. The Sheriff's Department main obligation is to the safety of citizens of our county even if that person is someone you do not agree with politically. Of course he has authority to make that judgement call, what a silly statement.
What if someone at RITA had been harmed or threatened by the cartel thugs piggybacking shipments heading here via that 3rd party shipping company and we found out that our Sheriffs Department did nothing and just left county residents exposed as bait? It was a judgement call, all agree no one hid anything and Zinke arranged to have the witness and the evidence collected go to the external agency.
Curious1, here's where I am confused. You write, "The only evidence we have is that RITA and Goode were cooperating as a witness and had voluntarily brought all available records in."
The words that confused me are "evidence", "cooperating" and "witness".
I say, appoint a Special Prosecutor and let the investigation begin. If Zinke comes out clean, so be it. If not, he's out. Out of everything.
I don't have any "political" dog in this fight.
BTW, where is Sheriff Nygren? His Number 1 is in hot water, and he's off in the Cold North somewhere. Why doesn't he suspend Zinke until this is settled?
Gus asks, “Think anything is happening with the complaint filed by Sgt. John Koziol about Undersheriff Andy Zinke? Where is it?”
Do you really think that the local news rag, the NorthWORST Herald would report or actually inquire about this? Just follow the dots.
The GOP insiders are openly backing Zinke because they get their orders from NYGREN the kingmaker.
Which attorney has total access to Nygren and Zinke and represents them and BTW, parks in the Sheriff’s reserved parking area? Try Gummerson.
Who is GOP’s attorney? Ah Gummerson?
Who is the attorney for the NWH news rag, ding ding ding…step right up, right again, it’s Gummerson.
Do you think for a second that they haven’t had heated secret talks about this?
I wonder who Curious1 actually is? Someone with a vested interest?
Curious! proclaims "As we all know by now Zinke didn't try to sneak any info to anyone. If he was going to try to hinder the investigation he could have simply warned Goode privately and not told anyone.
Instead he made a valid judgement call and in the open brought the leader of RITA corp in as a cooperating witness with all available records to share with the DEA."
ACTUALLY NO, How would anyone know this? Maybe someone INSIDE? Someone that is trying to put up a defense. I sure didn't read this anywhere? In fact there has been little or no news about this except the NWH slanting and using the print media in an attempt to make the Sgt out to be a disgruntled employee.
Gus says he doesn't have any dog in the fight. Really, didn't you run for sheriff last time? Wouldn't making Nygren or Zinke look bad help you in your next campaign?
Also, you suggested that a special prosecutor be appointed ... wow, that worked so well last time (and now you want another one???) That's rich Gus, that's rich.
Oh, and the article just before this one is an advertisement for Primm's fundraiser ... I guess he doesn't count as a dog in the race either. Huh?
Ha-ha. That's a good one, Ray. What "next" campaign?
Surely, you have heard of the Illinois State's Attorneys Special Prosecutor. If you haven't, check it out at www.ilsaap.org
Ray, pull out your old dictionary and look up "advertisement". Gosh, Bill's check to me in payment for "advertising" must have gotten lost in the mail.
Mention of Bill Prim's fundraiser followed receipt of a press release.
Just as I shall mention Jim Harrison's race for sheriff, any time he issues a press release.
But thanks for reading and commenting so often, Ray.
Hillary...all you have to do is read Koziol's accusation...he said Zinke had brought in Goode with shipping records to meet with the DEA...not sure how you would think Koziol would be covering for Zinke? I think the confusing thing is even if you read Koziol's accusations and believe everything he says and his hearsay comments I'm not sure he actually even accuses Zinke of doing anything illegal. Zinke has absolutely no obligation to follow orders from a subordinate.
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