-DuPage Co, IL. (ECWd) –
PART 13 OF COUNTYLEAKS SERIES ON DUPAGE COUNTY FOREST PRESERVE…
Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven, Part Twelve
Four years after the JRM’s “secret investigation”of the DuPage County Forest Preserve IT Department, three years after arrests, and nearly three years after 317+ indictments were collectively passed down, the “speedy” trial of the former Forest Preserve IT staffer David Tepper, and the former contracted Forest Preserve vendor Arif Mahmood, finished its first week at the Henry J. Hyde Judicial Office Facility in Wheaton before Judge Liam Brennan.
Former DuPage County Forest Preserve IT Director Mark McDonald is included in the charges and was originally scheduled to be tried with Tepper and Mahmood. McDonald’s trial was rescheduled to Oct. 22nd due to health issues.
DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin has not been seen at the county’s biggest criminal trial, according to CountyLeaks’ sources. Immediately after work, however, Berlin did attend the fundraiser of DuPage County Forest Preserve District 4 Commissioner Tim Whelan on Thursday, Sept. 17th, held at St. James Farm in Warrenville.
St. James Farm is the crown of what Former DuPage County Forest Preserve Executive Director Brent Manning referred to as the Forest Preserve’s “fabulous facilities” while on the witness stand last week.
A fundraiser location for congressional candidate and DuPage County Board District 5 Member Tonia Khouri was recently moved after concerns were raised by the Plainfield Township Park District that one of their facilities would be used for political soliciting.*
(*For readers outside DuPage County who may be confused: It is a common and accepted practice for Republicans, including the judiciary, to use public facilities in DuPage County for political fundraisers. Plainfield is located in Will County where different standards apply. CountyLeaks could not locate any such policy for the DuPage County Forest Preserve. There is no inference of any violation.)
Joining DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin at Thursday’s fundraiser for DuPage County Forest Preserve District 4 Commissioner Tim Whelan were: DuPage County Forest Preserve President, Former DuPage County Forest Preserve District 2 Commissioner, “special guest” and potential trial star witness Joe Cantore, DuPage County Forest Preserve District 1 Commissioner Marsha Murphy, DuPage County Forest Preserve District 2 Commissioner Jeff Redick, DuPage County Forest Preserve District 3 Commissioner and trial witness Linda Painter, DuPage County Forest Preserve District 6 Commissioner Al Murphy, and Retired DuPage County Chief Judge who appointed Judge Liam Brennan to the felony division and to preside over the DuPage Forest Preserve IT case just before he left office and the next day became the $150,000 DuPage County Forest Preserve Attorney — John Elsner.
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