Police probe follows Lake County bar association leader's resignation
The sudden resignation of the Lake County Bar Association's executive director last week led to an internal investigation by the group and now a police investigation.
No criminal charges have been filed against Christopher Boadt as of Wednesday, court records show. Boadt stepped down from his post Jan. 31.
A bar association email sent to members, obtained by the Daily Herald, said the group's executive board began investigating the circumstances surrounding Boadt's resignation. The board "discovered that Chris may have been acting in a manner inconsistent with the financial interests of the Lake County Bar Association," according to the email sent Tuesday.
The email said the executive board "contacted local law enforcement and filed a claim with the LCBA's insurers."
"I can confirm an open investigation is taking place at the Lake County Bar Association," Waukegan police Cmdr. Joe Florip said. He would not provide details.
Lake County Bar Association President Jennifer Howe said she is unable to comment on the situation.
Waukegan attorney Richard S. Kopsick confirmed he is serving as Boadt's attorney but would not comment on the bar association email.
According to his Linked In page, Boadt has served as the bar association's director since September 2008. Boadt also oversaw the bar association's fundraising arm called the Foundation of the Lake County Bar Association.
The foundation sent an email to members Wednesday morning saying it was "not aware of any information showing that its operations, accounts or recently completed projects (including the building renovation) have been negatively impacted or compromised."
The foundation said in the same email it is conducting an independent investigation and will send its findings to the bar association.
The original bar association email said the foundation and its donors do not appear to be affected by the problems and that all investigations are preliminary. The bar association and the foundation are made up of members of Lake County's legal community.
The bar association's email to its members said Boadt resigned via email to the group's full board of directors at 10:30 a.m. Jan 31, saying he was stepping down "effective immediately." He thanked the board in the email and wished "everyone at the LCBA all the very best and great success in the future."
In the past week, the bar association "continued our efforts to manage this difficult situation, and both the association and foundation boards have been brought up to speed," the group's email reads.
The search for a new executive director will begin in the near future, the association said in the email.