Bianchi ends silence on probe

McHenry County State's Attorney Louis Bianchi on Saturday ended more than two weeks of silence about a special prosecutor's investigation into his former personal secretary, defending the probe and rejecting claims it was politically motivated.

The special prosecutor who led the probe said in a separate statement Saturday that former secretary Amy Dalby, now facing a seven-count indictment, illegally removed computer files from the office and turned them over to unnamed members of the public for political purposes.

"Although many people-including attorneys-have made public statements and provided their opinions about this case, they all have substantially done so without the benefit of knowing any of the evidence," Special Prosecutor David O'Connor states. "Like all cases, this case will be brought to court based upon the evidence, which is clear, overwhelming, and will speak for itself at trial."

The investigation, Bianchi said in his written statement, was launched when his office learned that one of its computers may have been compromised. When that was confirmed, his statement reads, the office asked a judge to appoint a special prosecutor to pursue it.

"In the wrong hands, such information could impede important law enforcement investigations, degrade public safety, and jeopardize pending civil litigation involving the County," Bianchi states.

Accusations the probe was influenced more by politics than public safety are not true, Bianchi says.

"We do, however, reject the notion that this investigation was politically motivated," the statement reads. "The investigation was initiated upon learning of a potential crime and acting upon that knowledge."

Dalby, turned herself into authorities Friday to face the indictment that includes charges of theft, official misconduct, computer tampering and computer fraud. Six of the seven counts are felonies, the most serious punishable by two to five years in prison or probation.

The 24-year-old college student from Malta, Ill., is accused unlawfully removing computer files and data from the state's attorney's office in June or July 2006. It was about that time she left the office to attend classes full time at Northern Illinois University.

The grand jury, O'Connor states, investigated the removal of hundreds of computer files from the state's attorney's office.

"Many of the files that were taken possessed the need for extraordinary confidentiality, and that confidentiality has now been significantly breached due to the defendant's actions," O'Connor says.

"She later transferred those files, not to law enforcement for any legitimate purpose, but rather to members of the public who then attempted to utilize some of the data for political purposes during the course of a local election," he adds.

O'Connor says he will not release the names of those individuals unless they are charged in the ongoing investigation or it is required by court order.

Dalby's attorney, Wesley Pribla, has said she will plead not guilty and fight the charges. He had harsh words Saturday for Bianchi, O'Connor and former state's attorney candidate Daniel Regna, who named Dalby last month in a petition seeking another special prosecutor to investigate the current state's attorney administration.

"Bianchi and his crew and Regna and his crew ought to get into a wrestling cage, have at it, and leave this poor girl alone," Pribla said. "Everybody involved in this thing should be embarrassed of themselves. This isn't the America I know."

Dalby is at the center of not only the O'Connor investigation, but another one being sought by former state's attorney candidate Daniel Regna, who Bianchi defeated last year in a hard-fought Republican primary.

In a sworn affidavit filed last month, Regna claims Dalby came forward in the fall of 2007 with allegations she was required to perform campaign-related duties for Bianchi while working in the state's attorney's office and on county time. Those duties included keeping campaign records on an office computer, typing letters to political supporters and preparing for fundraising events.

Regna says he has never possessed or seen any files Dalby is alleged to have taken from the office and that no one affiliated with his campaign encouraged her to remove them.

Bianchi has denied ever campaigning out of his office. Regna's petition to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate his allegations is scheduled to be in court March 24.

Dalby, who is free on a recognizance bond, is scheduled to arraigned March 18.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Word Documents</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/pdf/bianchirelease0307.doc">Dalby indictment release</a></li> <li><a href="/pdf/bianchistatement.doc">Bianchi statement</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>