Bianchi Attorney Wants Pursuing Prosecutors Fired
WOODSTOCK, Ill. (WBBM) -- The attorney representing McHenry County State's Attorney Louis Bianchi wants the special prosecutors pursuing Bianchi fired. WBBM's Bob Roberts tells why:
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Bianchi attorney, Terry Ekl filed a motion Thursday in McHenry County Circuit Court not on his client's behalf, but on behalf of six McHenry County residents.
The motion seeks to declare special prosecutors Henry Tonigan and Thomas McQueen incompetent and have them replaced. It also seeks a review of the billing by Tonigan and McQueen in the case.
"It isn't a ploy to get these baseless charges dismissed," Ekl said. "It's a maneuver to get competent people analyzing and taking over the prosecution."
Despite that, Ekl said he believes that "anyone" taking over the case will find no basis for the accusations Bianchi still faces, of allegedly stalling the prosecution for a case involving his nephew and ordering staffers to help a campaign contributor.
Ekl said he does not care if the attorney general's office or a state's attorney from outside of McHenry County takes over the case.
Bianchi did not even have to present a defense before Judge Joseph McGraw, brought in from Winnebago County to hear the case, acquitted him March 23 of all 21 felony charges he faced in a first indictment, including conspiracy and official misconduct, for ordering employees to do political chores for him on county time.
The second indictment was returned in February. Ekl at the time of the first verdict called on Tonigan and McQueen to drop the remaining charges.
McHenry County Judge Gordon Graham could rule on the motion at a hearing at 9 a.m. April 15, in Woodstock.
WBBM is attempting to contact Tonigan and McQueen.
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