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March 28, 2024

Another Conflict of Interest Brewing?

By Kirk Allen & John Kraft

On January 27, 2013

Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy!  Oh, the web we weave when no one is paying attention.

During the last Airport Meeting, which the paper did such a fine job covering, they failed to mention some issues raised that led to that great famous phrase we hear so often from public officials when it appears their hand is in the cookie jar:

NO COMMENT!

For those that were not able to make the meeting, I asked if he was familiar with the Multi Level Marketing business called Excel Communications, and of course he was.  In fact he acknowledged he not only was familiar with it but that he had been involved with it.  Now of course we already knew that before we asked but it’s always interesting to see the responses from these people.

Next question created a squirm in his seat to say the least.

Mr. Wells are you or have you profited financially from the county airport phone lines, that you are in charge of, through Excel Communications?

Head drops like the 5 year old who just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar and the response was just as classic! 

NO COMMENT!

Billed on Behalf of Excel

That is just one month of several we have found with hardly any effort of digging!

Now if you were NOT profiting wouldnt’ you let the world know that?

No one seems to know how the county phone line billing got turned over to being billed on behalf of a Multi Level Marketing business, yet Jimmy knows exactly what Excel is as he admitted involvement in that business.  Any bets that the paper trail will lead to Mr. Wells profiting off the county phone line while being the appointed Manager of the operation?

If that is the case, wouldn’t that be a conflict of interest? 

Another rather interesting turn of events is a ONE SHEET OF PAPER, Promissory Note-Business Loan document we came across in our search.

When Mr. Kraft asked Jimmy Wells about it, he was quite proud to claim he personally took out the loan to help the county airport.  Seriously, he claims he took out a loan from Illini Community Development Corporation out of Newman, Illinois.  A Delaware Corporation with 27,500 shares available.   Perry Albin is the name that shows up on the corporate records listed with the State of Illinois.

Interesting fact is the loan document doesn’t have Jimmy’s name any where on it at all?  Now how does that happen?

Better yet, how does county government take out a loan?  Outside of a tax anticipation loan, which cant exceed 12 months, they are not allowed to take out term notes, let alone sign a promissory note with a for profit corporation! Almost has the smelling of a Dee Burgin county backed loan!

More on the loan as it’s a story in itself but rest assured, Jimmy Wells did not take out this loan like he claimed, and when questioned on that fact during the airport meeting, those famous county government officials favorite phrase filled the room yet again.

NO COMMENT!

Jimmywalkingconflict

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2 Comments
  • Al Schneider
    Posted at 23:00h, 27 January

    It is astounding to me with all of Chris Patrick’s and Jimmie Well’s activities pointed out and proven that ANY board member of the county or airport board could possibly vote for ANYTHING Patrick wants. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON!!!! Has he got all you guys bought off. When I was on the school board and other boards I felt as if I was trying to help thousands of people, the whole county, not just ONE person. It is bad enough in our US government for so many to be thinking only of lining their own pockets with money but in our own county where everyone knows each other—I read over this fairly recent very long list of what the WATCHDOGS’s have uncovered and I am thunderstruck!!!! Has anyone else taken the time to read this list? I have been reading for a month and haven’t absorbed all of it. It makes me ill to read for any length of time. I just cannot think of words to describe my feelings about this fiasco.
    I think we finally decided that I have been a pilot longer than anyone in the county. Glenn and I decided that I have been a pilot two years longer than he. In all these years I have met thousands of pilots and not one had close to as many certificates as Rusty has. On top of all his flying certificates he has his A&P and his A&I. There may be others with this many qualifications but not many. All these were acquired with a college degree. What I am now pointing out is that there is NO college course that teaches anyone to operate a business the size of RSB. Rusty has to learn this as he goes along. He has made some mistakes——-most pointed out to him by people that did not know anymore about it than he does. As I understand, all mistakes pointed out were corrected as quickly as possible. He has ALL his bills paid to the airport. I would say that RSB is one of a kind. I would suspect there are not many businesses of this size that are in this kind of shape. EVEN THE AIRPORT ITSELF–The manager owes the airport a large amount of money to the airport and nothing is being done about that. Chris Patrick was the chairman of the airport board, now chairman of the county board and has been charged with an unbelievable number of conflicts of interest, continuing to this date, and NOTHING being done about this and this guy is trying to run one of the largest businesses in the county out of the county. My opinion is as far as Chris is concerned——–he should be thrown out of the county and any board member voting with him should also be thrown out of the county!!!!

  • Al Schneider
    Posted at 12:52h, 28 January

    Being so upset while compiling my last comment, I completely forgot to include Jimmy Wells in the group that in my opinion should be thrown out of the county.

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