ILSAAP "Game Changers" Met with McHenry County State's Attorney Louis Bianchi in Third Itasca Visit About "Press-Related Issues" the Day Before Two-Hour Grilling by Daily Herald's Editorial Board in Campaign Forum with Primary Opponent. Also Approximate Date Special Prosecutors Charged that Bianchi Had Met with His Office Managers to Prepare Him for Same Endorsement Meeting; Bianchi Later Acquitted.
Reverse Spin, which renamed itself Delos Communications, contracted media consultants for the Illinois Office of the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor (ILSAAP), "met with McHenry County State's Attorney Lou Bianchi and several other individuals in Itasca about various press-related issues within his office" on Jan. 8, 2008 -- the day before a scheduled campaign endorsement forum by Daily Herald newspaper's editorial board, according to the vendor's activity report submitted with an invoice charging the Agency.
Coincidentally, Jan. 7 was the approximate date special prosecutors Henry Tonigan and Thomas McQueen charged that Bianchi had met with the state's attorney's office managers to prepare him for an election endorsement meeting with the Daily Herald newspaper; Bianchi was later acquitted. The media consultants had stated that they had also talked several times to Bianchi during this period. (See timeline below)
The newspaper's endorsement was a concern for the state's attorney. Bianchi had been recently criticized for alleged political activity at the government office and for excessive reimbursement requests for meals and treats for himself and staff on the tax-payer's dime. Local law enforcement were backing his opponent, Dan Regna. Several weeks after the forum, the Daily Herald published its endorsement for Regna.
