Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved.

March 28, 2024

Carlinville’s attorney Dan Schuering’s public display of frustration –

By John Kraft & Kirk Allen

On August 24, 2018

CARLINVILLE, IL. (ECWd) – 

The City of Carlinville assistant attorney, Daniel P. Schuering, had a bad day at the last city council meeting. Instead of commenting on the still-pending Freedom of Information Act lawsuits against the city of Carlinville, Schuering elected to shift blame to the council. He accused Alderwoman Beth Toon of “knowing why” the lawsuits were filed and claimed she was the only person worried about the unfulfilled FOIA requests filed by the ECWds.  

Schuering continued by attacking Toon’s credibility claiming she did not know what she was talking about pertaining to FOIA requests or the standard operating process for fulfilling FOIA requests. He stated the ECWd had 3 FOIA cases. (Our records only show 2 FOIA cases we have against Carlinville.) He also lambasted Toon doing the Watchdogs’ bidding and curiously stated he did not represent the city, rather he represented the FOIA officer.

Oh – and Scheuring also said that “any suggestion that [the ECWds] are anything other than political terrorists is just absurd.”  He claimed without evidence that what the Watchdogs do is a “waste of money.”

We agree there is a tremendous waste of money, but the waste is on the part of the City of Carlinville for failing to provide public records when presented with FOIA requests. The city wasted taxpayer funds by having to answer inquiries by the Attorney General, then voted to provide all the records, then elected to reverse their decision and not provide the records, and then continued to “kick the can down the road” on the lawsuits that followed. If I had been provided the records requested, there would be no lawsuits.  Any attempt a blame-shifting expense is wrong because the city brought these upon themselves as a result of their own actions.

We aren’t alone in seeing the waste – some of the aldermen have apparently discussed settlement proposals for five FOIA cases. Schuering stated he would discuss nothing about settlements during an executive session while Toon was present. Obviously, Scheuring is upset with being questioned in public while he continues to bill hours.

We call upon Carlinville taxpayers calculate legal and other indirect expenses tallying up from the city’s multiple attempts to defend their refusal to provide public records. Citizens, ask your city councilman and mayor why they did not simply provide the records in the first place?

Finally, we suggest Carlinville give this attorney his walking papers ASAP because the city is paying Scheuring more taxpayer funds to go to a meeting, tell them what he is not going to do, and end up claiming we are political terrorists.

Enjoy this video:

.
Our work is funded entirely thru donations and we
ask that you consider donating at the below link.

SHARE THIS

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on print

RELATED

6 Comments
  • jannie
    Posted at 13:59h, 24 August

    I seem to be missing something – why don’t they just fill the FOIA requests and be done with it. The lawyer just seems to want to bump up his billable hours.

    • jmkraft
      Posted at 14:08h, 24 August

      those are my thoughts too…

      • Kim
        Posted at 16:25h, 24 August

        Mr. Kraft… I am confused…Our council voted. How can this go on?

  • Christine Trzos
    Posted at 15:14h, 24 August

    Who is running the City of Carlinville? The Elected officials of Carlinville or Schuering? Since when is it acceptable for out side council to speak to a duly elected city council person, who in fact is representing her constituents, with total disrespect and decorum? Am I missing something? Who does Schuering think he is to make such outrageous accusations of some one with whom he may not agree ? Disrespect is disrespect! Councilwoman Toon has been impugned, and if for no other reason Attorney Schuering should have been terminated for his behavior. But his billable hours for lack of common sense seems to a better reason. Wake up Carliville, time to re-evaluate what is really going on. This attorney does not have the best intentions of the tax payers at heart. Something more serious and deviant is going on here….

  • Blake
    Posted at 13:13h, 25 August

    The arrogance on display is amazing. How is this guy not fired?

  • btowntruth from forgottonia
    Posted at 16:07h, 25 August

    That attorney is a bully isn’t he?
    And why is it so hard for them to provide the information requested through the FOIA?

$