Feds seize nearly $300K from northern Illinois ex-official

ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) - Federal authorities have seized nearly $300,000 from bank accounts belonging to a former Winnebago County purchasing director in northern Illinois and her husband as part of an ongoing investigation.

The seizures, from one account belonging to Sally Claassen and from two others she controlled jointly with her husband, occurred in mid-December, though agents posted public notices about the action this month, the Rockford Register Star reported Saturday (http://bit.ly/1PX3kH5 ).

Claassen, who hasn't been charged with a crime, resigned in September from the Winnebago County post amid an internal investigation; she had held the position since 1997.

A draft of a county insurance claim obtained this month by the newspaper alleged she spent more than $60,000 of taxpayer money on personal items, including vacations and furniture.

Her attorney, Chuck Prorok, declined any comment Monday, including about the implications of the feds seizing $272,490 from her account and $20,033 from the joint accounts. The notices on a U.S. Department of Justice website refer to federal forfeiture statutes but provide no other details.

County officials say they have taken steps to ensure tighter scrutiny and accounting controls, including by lowering the threshold of spending that requires the board's approval from $30,000 to $12,000, the newspaper reported.

Federal prosecutors and the FBI have declined comment on the investigation.

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Information from: Rockford Register Star, http://www.rrstar.com