By: Diane Benjamin
A ruling that makes no sense was sent to me via email late yesterday. It contradicts everything that happened at the previous status hearing, but it’s still all good. The ONLY sad part is it looks like the City will not be paying my court costs, close to $400. Some of that readers contributed, so it wasn’t all my money. See the ruling here: doc00091220161116152250
This case was completely worth filing!
Let’s recap what I found out:
- Long before I filed, it was obvious nobody at the City cared about CIAM’s management of the Coliseum (except Aldermen Stearns and Lower)
- Nobody cared that CIAM paid themselves a commission on Sales tax collected
- Nobody cared that audited losses were MUCH higher than the losses CIAM reported
- The City had no idea what concession sales were and if CIAM was paying them the correct percentage. In settlement talks the City Attorney, George Boyle, said the City had no problem with what they were getting paid, CIAM’s attorney agreed
- David Hales has been proven to be completely incompetent with managing the Coliseum and protecting taxpayer dollars
- With the exception of Stearns and Lower, the entire Council and Tari Renner didn’t care either. The Council had a chance in 2014 to see what was happening, they allowed David Hales to bury the investigation into concessions sales. https://blnnews.com/2016/08/26/bombshell-followup-revisit-april-14-2014/
- John Butler did NOT pay the City as required by the contract. His lawyer admitted I got the documents I requested – he can’t say they are wrong now.
- Based on the documents I received, CIAM owes the City $447,317.77 – just for 3 years. https://blnnews.com/2016/08/26/bombshell-sit-down-before-reading/
- The actual amount is higher because I have no proof the City was ever paid 15% on catering. The judge would not let me present an Event Report showing catering of $3,860.90 of which the City should have received $579.14. That was just ONE event from the 10 years CIAM managed.
Other things I learned:
- The Judge ruled CIAM was not performing a government function. That must mean they were running their own scam at a taxpayer owned facility then. I have no explanation for that one.
- The vast majority of lawyers can not be trusted and are more interested in collecting fees than justice. I’m referencing a Chicago lawyer and one in Springfield that I communicated with.
- If the State Police don’t recommend charges by filed, justice is dead.
- Lisa Madigan’s Public Access office was not created so citizens can hold their government accountable. It is merely a rouse.
- The Coliseum vote was responsible for everyone on the Council getting tossed – those on the Council who didn’t care to oversee it deserve the same treatment
- The swamp at City Hall needs drained!
I still have other cards I can play, mulling them over now.
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Wow so called justice leaves a lot to be desired. Seems like this is another case of the elite protecting the elite.
The lawyers were probably not interested since there was no chance of a monetary award that they could take one-third of.
You did forget one other thing. The Pantagraph had to basically admit you are a better investigative journalist than their staff.
🙂 🙂 🙂
I will resubmit my FOIA request for Colliseum financial data as they might have denied me until your case was dismissed. Will try again.
They might claim the investigation, worth a try,
Keep going please. The Judges ruling is suspicious, and perhaps the Judge is tacitly helping our crooked Mayor from this ballooning this debacle into something bigger? After all Tari is chomping at the bit to get his election signs out by violating the City Ordinance and putting his Campaign sign out too early. He should of been asked after he gave his “excuse”, “then why does the city have the Ordinance on the books if it’s not enforceable?”. Why, following Taris logic, all signage Ordinaances, should be removed from the books. How about recommending that at the next Council Meeting Alderman Lower?