Anger grows over Bianchi legal bill, second case

A day after McHenry County State’s Attorney Louis Bianchi and his secretary Joyce Synek were cleared of a combined 26 charges of conspiracy, misconduct and perjury without even putting up a defense witness, some county board members already skittish about the prosecution’s cost are questioning whether Bianchi should even be tried on three newer misconduct charges.

“(Special Prosecutors Henry Tonigan and Thomas McQueen) didn’t do too good in the first 21 counts (against Bianchi). Why should we expect them to do any better (the next time)?” asked McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler.

Tonigan and McQueen billed the county about $312,000 — which the county paid — and more recently about $91,000, which the county’s law and justic committee will look at on April 4. But bills have only been submitted through November 2010.

Koehler said he doesn’t want the board to pay any more bills until it can review them line by line. He also said Thursday that he put a stop order on pending bills.

“I believe it was frivolous and nothing but a witch hunt and a waste of taxpayer money,” Koehler said, adding he is “very skeptical” of the work done by Oak Brook-based Quest Consultants, a forensic computer firm hired by special prosecutors.

Koehler said the investigation never should have expanded beyond initial claims by Bianchi’s former secretary, Amy Dalby, that she was required to do political campaign work while on county time.

Bianchi still faces three more misconduct charges that he altered criminal penalties for relatives and campaign donors — for which he was indicted last month.

He is due in court again on April 29 and could go on trial this summer.

Tonigan said this week’s not guilty verdict will not affect those charges; he declined to comment Thursday on any other matters, including when he would submit the latest batch of bills.

Bianchi and Synek also could ask the county board to pick up their legal bills for the case.

If that happens, county board member Donna Kurtz said, many of her colleagues are likely to be sympathetic and supportive.

“An innocent man has been cleared. Across the county, there are so many people who are happy that know Lou and the good work he’s done.” Kurtz said.

“We all believe in the legal process. We don’t want to be the county where politics and vindictiveness set the direction for justice.”