College of DuPage – Records witheld….again!

DuPage Co. (ECWd) –

Former College of DuPage President Robert Breuder used the taxpayer to build a 5 star French Restaraunt known as the Waterleaf.  For over a year the malfeasance by Breuder, his Senior Administration, and members of the old board, have trickled out and we thought with the closing of the restaraunt, that chapter of COD had come to an end.

Not so fast.  As was recently reported by the Chicago Tribune, COD has some tax obligations pertaining to the self serving by these people.  Spending public funds on booze and food with no public purpose is illegal and now the taxpayers get to pay the tax for these actions taken in violation of our laws.

However that is not the story to be told!  For months, ourselves and other media attempted to get access to public records that later became known as “House Accounts”.  Freedom of Information requests reflected there were three house accounts, #10 -President Breuder’ s office, #20-Foundation, and 30- all other internal college departments.

Now, after yet another FOIA response, we have obtained IRS records that now expose a FOURTH House Account, #1234567 – Waterleaf department internal charges.

Why did it take another FOIA for IRS records to uncover the 4th house account?  At what point will COD start complying fully with the FOIA requests from the public?  A simple question with a simple answer?  They will continue to take steps to conceal records that bring a negative light to their actions until we have indictments from either the local State’s Attorney or the US Attorney’s office, which will send the message their actions will no longer be tolerated.  Nothing short of that works with these people.

Firing people for concealing public records, which is a crime in Illinois, is met with claims that the firings were political.  The Senior Administration at this institution, for the most part, is out of control and are in denial that they did anything wrong.  They have convinced themselves everything being exposed is simply political, which those who know us, know that is not the case!

Many, myself included, have demanded that the wrongdoers pay the tax penalties, not the taxpayer.  Documents below outlined why the tax payer has to pay and although we understand the law, the irony of this is beyond any sense of right and wrong.  (See Page 10 here or below)

Per IRM 4.23.10.14 the College ofDupage will not have to issue Forms W-2c or Form W-3c for the fringe
benefit because:
1) Not all employees can be identified with the documentation presented;
2) it reduces the taxpayer’s burden for multiple entries on Forms W-2c and reduces the burden on the individual
to prepare an amended return that will not affect any benefit as:
3) the individuals do not participate in social security and would not have any benefit increase or decrease by
filing an amended return (which would be an expense to the individual)
4) and Medicare benefits are unaffected.

So the fact Breuder and the Senior Management team, and the Board members failed to keep good records and don’t participate in social security, We The People have to once again pony up and pay again while they get away with no penalties for their actions nor are they ever held accountable. This alone should be grounds for a very strict policy change to ensure it never happens again.

However, the worst of all justifications is the IRS position that states: “there would be no benefit to the government nor benefit gained or lost to the employee to have the TP issue corrected Forms W-2c for each of these employees.”

OK, no benefit to the government nor benefit gained or lost to the employee.  What about the very people hurt by these actions, We The People!  What about the benefit to the people to hold these bad actors accountable?  By having the taxpayers once again carry the water for these illegal expenditures is a slap in the face. Another thing forgotten, is there stands a real possibility of a “loss to the employee”, since anything reportable as compensation to an elected trustee is in fact felonious as official misconduct.

If our legislature wants to take up serious reform, let this one issue be an example of how our tax laws are putting the screws to the taxpayers while those violating them walk away Scott free.

I am of the opinion that until State’s Attorneys and US Attorneys start prosecuting public officials in this state we are doomed.  We have a system of laws that are ignored and we have come to a point where public officials know the local authorities won’t take the time and energy to mess with them.  People of this state have been desensitized to what is criminal and hit a level of passiveness that I believe we may well be facing a state wide collapse of trust, which we may have already come to.

May God Help Us!  

 [gview file=”https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/IRS-Issue-1618-Waterleaf-DOCS.pdf”]

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