SPRINGFIELD, IL. (ECWd) –
While we await IDOT’s letter to the Springfield Airport Authority in reference to Frank Vala’s alleged disqualification from the office as Airport Authority Commissioner, I decided to check his Statement of Economic Interest.
Sure enough, he filed a false statement by not answering question #7 truthfully (or the county clerk didn’t transcribe what he actually reported).
This is a simple question:
List the name of any unit of government that employed the person making the statement during the preceding calendar year other than the unit or units of government in relation to which the person is required to file.”
We know it is simple, and that he knows how to correctly disclose because he disclosed it correctly in 2016 and 2017 when filing his SEI with the Secretary of State for his position on the Illinois Procurement Policy Board.
In 2018, he failed to disclose his position as Woodside Township Trustee, and as Illinois Procurement Policy Board member. He disclosed it correctly in 2017 for the SEI’s filed for Woodside Township and Airport Authority.
2018 Frank Vala Sangamon County Airport Authority Economic Interests Statement.
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5 Comments
Robert O. Bogue
Posted at 10:53h, 10 MayMr. Vala, I commented on my understanding of your situation based on an article dated 4-23-2018 and other. In return you also made a number of statements that appeared contradictory to my understanding.
It would be helpful if you, as a Public Official would articulate an explanation on some of these statements to a private citizen; after you provide a response to Mr. Kraft.
“I take no payment”, “I donate”. Well, it’s really good that you do things like this and for that, I commend you.
However, it would seem impossible to donate a single thing that one does not have possession of (while sitting in conflict with airport law). Are you saying that you did take possession of payment in which to make a donation or that you did not take possession of payment because; you’ve said both.
This begs for more clarification. How much did you actually donate to Woodside Township in US dollars and where’s the proof?
In addition to this discussion, there is a Township law, 60 ILCS 1/65-5; which provides for and specifies compensation for Woodside township officials. If you’re a Public Official, trustee or other, it would seem that Illinois law mandates that you are paid…and at a certain specified rate. To donate, one could simply endorse a check, mark it as a donation and return it. Perhaps, even the IRS would like that.
If the Township did not issue any payment to you…well that doesn’t seem to be exactly what Township Law 60 ILCS 1/65-5 is saying and if they did not…. it would appear as though the township is not following the law, even at a time when you were serving as a trustee.
In regards to integrity issues…well, a case seems to have been made, that a seasoned Public Official was serving on both public bodies in violation of Illinois Law: which automatically removed him from the Airport Authority Board. Obviously, there is some agreement, since that Public Official resigned from the Township board and then “agreed” to a re-appointment to the Airport Authority Board. Hence an admission of violating….so, what about integrity (honesty) doesn’t apply here?
Frank Vala
Posted at 19:41h, 17 MayRobert Bogue, I stand by my May 7, 2018 reply to your statements. I am not an attorney but I know of no law that requires a board member to accept payment for serving on a board that allows a member to receive payment. It appears that you may not be a charitable person because you need an explanation on my comment donating my resources THEY CALL IT A DONATION and that comes from my personal finances.
Frank Vala
Posted at 19:56h, 17 MayBogue, I just read 60 ILCS 1/65-5 and it says a township board member is entitled to receive payment, it does not say that a trustee must take it and I find nothing in the law that says a township must force a member to take the entitled payment
Robert O. Bogue
Posted at 20:16h, 23 AprilLet me see if I have this right. Governor Rauner’s recent appointee….to a board….now fails to recall…where last year’s government pay check came from and what he did….. so now, he fails to properly fill out a new statement of Economic Interest. (Maybe the State of Illinois didn’t pay him well enough for him to remember? Maybe the job wasn’t important enough?)
How is it possible Frank Vala cannot can read and comprehend Illinois Law (as pointed out in your last article)?
Governor Rauner must be having trouble selecting appointees that can read, comprehend what they have read, and properly fill out a Statement of Economic Interest.
Maybe it’s the Governor himself who’s unable to comprehend the problem. Frank has doesn’t belong on this board by virtue of his recent election. He also has integrity issues….and Governor Rauner (because he’s Rauner’s man) and IDOT should remove him immediately.
Frank Vala
Posted at 19:29h, 07 MayTo Robert Bogue Let me see if I can show how incompetent you are in doing your research. First of all I am not a recent appointee to a board for Governor Rauner. The Edgar County Watchdogs have already investigated and found that my Procurement Policy Board position is in compliance with the law. YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT I TAKE NO PAYMENT FROM THE MANY BOARDS I SERVE ON. I DONATE MY TIME AND RESOURCES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE TAXPAYER. YOUR FALSE STATEMENTS WILL PROBABLY CAUSE SANGAMON COUNTY TAXPAYERS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS A YEAR BECAUSE ANYBODY WHO WOULD REPLACE ME WILL TAKE THE ALLOWED SALARY. WHAT A GREAT WATCHDOG YOU ARE.
I advise you that you better have facts to PROVE your unfounded statement “HE ALSO HAS INTEGRITY ISSUES” because you have crossed the line with that lie.