McLean County sheriff investigating alleged election interference
[March 29, 2025]
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor
(The Center Square) – McLean County school districts asked voters to
approve a 1% sales tax on their taxpayer-funded websites, a move that
has one resident accusing officials of a criminal offense.
Dean Fletcher, an Illinois resident, lodged a complaint with the
Illinois State Policy Special Investigations Unit and the Attorney
General's Public Integrity Bureau. Both agencies declined to
investigate.
“They have a public integrity bureau and they specifically investigate
ethics complaints and illegal activity by elected officials, publicly
appointed officials and government entities.
"They're infamous for not investigating Mike Madigan,” said Fletcher.
“They basically said they, even though the verbiage is on the website
and it was very explicit there, they said they thought it was an
accident that they asked voters to approve [the referendum]. They didn't
do it intentionally even though they [the Attorney General] did no
investigation, and had no evidence to support intent at all whatsoever.
They basically just told me to shove it and that they weren't gonna do
anything about it.”
The McLean County Sheriff’s Office is now investigating Fletcher's
complaint of alleged election interference. Sheriff Matt Lane said the
main issue has to do with internet posts but there may be “more to it.”
Fletcher has accused area school districts of illegal intergovernmental
coordination with the “Yes for McLean County Schools” PAC established to
pass the referendum. He hopes the McLean County sheriff’s office looks
at that aspect.
“The detective I spoke with is in charge of it. He said they do have to
go and do all their subpoenas and right now they're focused on that
illegal election interference wording, asking voters to approve,” said
Fletcher.
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Fletcher explained that an email exchange between Regional Office Of
Education #17 and Bloomington District 87 officials is proof that the
government is coordinating with the “Yes for Schools” PAC.
“I think this is evidence that [an official] was operating with the
committee, with government officials to try to get this sales tax
passed, to try to work on media strategy, talking points and ideas for
the school boards to pass resolutions,” said Fletcher.
The McLean County Sheriff's Office’s election interference investigation
focuses on a website that was featured on several schools districts’
taxpayer funded websites, but Fletcher hopes law enforcement will look
into the alleged illegal intergovernmental coordination between
superintendents and the PAC.
“He [the detective] did say he would give all their evidence, everything
they collected to state's attorney Erica Reynolds, and she would be the
one to make the final call on whether or not to prosecute based on the
evidence they've gathered,” said Fletcher. “Whether or not it passes or
fails, hopefully we can hold some elected officials, some government
officials, and some political action committees accountable for their
immoral and unethical behavior.”
Lane confirmed the alleged crime being investigated is a Class B
misdemeanor.
Unit 5 and District 87 have pledged to use a portion of the tax revenue
to ease property tax burdens. In February, the school boards passed a
resolution committing one-third of the district's revenue from the sales
tax for property tax relief for the next five years.
According to Effingham Unit 40 school district, 57 of 102 Illinois
counties have a tax exactly like or similar to the proposed County
Schools Facility Tax. Voters decide in McLean County April 1. |
