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'How I run my office is absolutely none of your business': Lauzen, McMahon spar at Kane meeting

On the precipice of the biggest stage of his legal career, Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon faced another slew of questions at a committee meeting Thursday about management of his office.

Kane County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen issued at least two written memos in recent weeks questioning the effectiveness and ethical integrity of McMahon's defense, and ultimate settlement, of a multimillion lawsuit with the purveyors of a drug and alcohol treatment center. Lauzen came up on the losing side of that argument despite months of urging county board members to reject plans for the treatment facility.

Lauzen took the line of questioning public with a verbal grilling of McMahon that took relations between the two elected officials to a new low.

McMahon will oversee the prosecution in the murder trial of ex-Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke starting Sept. 5. The charges stem from the 2014 death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.

Lauzen asked, for the third time, what the cost of McMahon's involvement in that trial will be for county taxpayers. The questions focused on money and the use of county staff members and resources for a Cook County case.

“This is no increase in costs,” McMahon said. “The salaries and benefits of my staff are fixed costs. Out-of-pocket expenses are reimbursed 100 percent by the county of Cook. There is nothing being borne at all by the taxpayers of Kane County.”

Lauzen disagreed. He sees an inherent cost to Kane County taxpayers in local staff being diverted from local needs. He asked McMahon for a full accounting of which Kane County lawyers will work on the Van Dyke case and for how long. McMahon refused to provide the information. He doesn't track cases by hours worked.

“We never have. We aren't doing that on this case. And we don't intend to,” McMahon said. “How I run my office is absolutely none of your business.”

Lauzen responded such information is the business of Kane County taxpayers. Not providing an answer would be “a personification of arrogance,” Lauzen said.

McMahon said he didn't want to play politics with the justice system. However, he said his office is involved with the Van Dyke case because of a law Lauzen supported as a state senator. The law established the mechanism for other state's attorneys to take over cases in other counties when the circumstances dictate that may be appropriate for a fair trial.

“This is pursuant to a state law that you supported, you voted for and you advanced,” McMahon told Lauzen. “If you had a concern with the law, you had an opportunity to add language to that bill. You sat silently.”

Lauzen then changed his questions to focus on a new, two-page memo McMahon issued about the current county budget process.

In response to questions by board members about the legality of Lauzen imposing guidelines on the budget debate, McMahon's memo said guidelines are not laws. The board can accept Lauzen's guidelines or ignore them. Lauzen asked McMahon is if he favors “an orderly process” for putting together the budget.

“How this board runs its business in regards to the budget is this board's decision,” McMahon said. “I was asked to issue an opinion. I understand you don't care for that opinion. That's not my concern.”

Lauzen closed with a final question making clear his displeasure with McMahon.

“Who checks the state's attorney's work and balances your exercise of power when people are dissatisfied?” Lauzen asked. “Where do we go when we are displeased with the state's attorney?”

McMahon said the people of Kane County can express their support or displeasure for him any time his name is on an election ballot.

McMahon promptly left the room at the close of the meeting. Lauzen followed at McMahon's heels saying something inaudible up to the point McMahon left the building.

“There is no one who is above accountability,” Lauzen said when he stopped his pursuit. “No one.”

Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon
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