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.
Dec. 5, 2007 Cal Skinner reports in McHenry County Blog, “Congressional Candidate Steven Greenberg Helps McHenry County State
Dec. 7, 2007 Curry Public Strategies made the presentation, "Ten Steps to Better Press Relations," in Chicago to the Illinois State's Attorneys Association, a non-profit corporation closely affiliated with ILSAAP .
Jan. 6-8, 2008 Curry Public Strategies/ Reverse Spin reports that they had talked several times on the phone with Bianchi.
Jan. 8, 2008 Curry Public Stategies/Reverse Spin reports, "Met with McHenry County State Itasca about various press-related issues within his office".
Jan. 10, 2008 Daily Herald publishes, “Bianchi Denies Any Rift with Local Police". The article discusses law enforcement endorsements for Bianchi's opponent in a two-hour campaign meeting before the Daily Herald’s editorial board with Bianchi and Regna.
Jan. 11, 2008 Reverse Spin of Wheaton files for LLC with the state, marking the company transition for ILSAAP media consultants Curry Public Strategies. The agent is former Edgar County Chief Judge Ralph Pearman, the father of Dan Curry's Reverse Spin partner, John Pearman.
Jan. 13, 2008 Daily Herald publishes, "Attorney General: No Criminal Investigation into Bianchi Spending." According to the article, allegations that Bianchi committed criminal misconduct will not be pursued.
Jan. 21, 2008 Committee to Re-Elect Louis Bianchi pays Reverse Spin $500.Jan. 22, 2008 Illinois Office of the State’s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor pays Curry Public Strategies $2,500 for work in November and December 2007.
Reverse Spin, which changed its name to 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.
In addition to working one-on-one with Bianchi via ILSAAP, the media consultants were simultaneously working on his political campaign, according to disclosures to the Illinois State Board of Elections. The Committee to Re-Elect Louis Bianchi paid Reverse Spin $500 on Jan. 21 and $2,000 on Feb. 4. Bianchi won the primary election on Feb. 5.
In February 2008, after four months of "extensive" one-on-one time with McHenry County's state's attorney, Reverse Spin made no reference to Bianchi in their activity report.
It remains unknown why the media consultants had met with Bianchi and others in Itasca for the third time in less than three months. Itasca is roughly one hour from Woodstock. As the other Itasca meetings, the January gathering took place on a weekday. Also a mystery is why the ILSAAP spokespersons/ media consultants were quietly devoting so much tax-paid time with Bianchi for four solid months leading to the primary.
A hint of the media consultants' activity with Bianchi may have been provided in their proposal to the ILSAAP Board of Governors, as reported in meeting minutes: "He could help state's attorneys as situations arise when an attack from the media is imminent, where something adverse has been printed, or when an emergency situation presents itself. He would be available to the state's attorneys to review the facts and circumstances and devise a strategy to deal with the media."
Typically, a political media consultant coaches candidates on technique and style in dealing with the press, in addition to drilling talking points and how to spin negativity.
No ILSAAP work product of the media consultants is available for this period. By correlating dates and events listed in the activity reports with media stories published at the time, however, there is question that some of their tax-paid services may have overlapped into political work for Bianchi.
Curry Public Strategies/ December 2007
Curry Public Strategies reported that for the month of December 2007, they had “consulted extensively with McHenry Count State's Attorney -- by phone and email" and talked numerous times to Bianchi about “various press- related issues within his office”. Incidentally, special prosecutors also charged that Bianchi had met with state's attorneys office managers during public work hours on or about Dec. 17 to prepare him for an election endorsement meeting with the Northwest Herald newspaper; Bianchi was later acquitted.
Additional December 2007 work by the consultants included the presentation, "Ten Steps to Better Press Relations for State's Attorneys", at an Illinois State's Attorneys Association meeting held in Chicago. Closely affiliated with ILSAAP, the Association is non-profit corporation not subject to the Freedom of Information Act or the Open Meetings Act.
Orland Park attorney David O'Connor may have been involved in planning this Association event, as he was under at $25,000 contract with ILSAAP to develop and implement training seminars. O'Connor had been appointed the previous month, by specific request of Bianchi, to lead the investigation of Amy Dalby and the transfer of her computer files while she had worked for the state's attorney's office.
Curry Public Strategies/ Reverse Spin Background
On Jan. 11, 2008, Reverse Spin of Wheaton filed for LLC (limited liability company) with the state, marking the company transition for the media consultants from Curry Public Strategies. Reverse Spin's agent is former Edgar County Chief Judge Ralph Pearman, the father of Dan Curry's partner, attorney John Pearman. The partners met while working for former IL Attorney General Jim Ryan; Curry as spokesperson and Pearman as chief of policy and legislative affairs.
Reverse Spin would later describe themselves as political "operatives" and "game changers." Company owners have worked on numerous campaigns, including two gubernatorial races for Jim Ryan, the gubernatorial race of Judy Baar Topinka, three state-wide office campaigns for Joe Birkett who was later appointed to a seat on the Illinois Second District Appellate Court, and the U.S. Illinois House Eighth District seat race for Steve Greenberg.
Over the past decade the "game changers" have worked often with Rick Reed, most famous for his swift boat campaign against 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry. A quote by Reverse Spin is currently featured on the demo video of Rick Reed Media's website. Another Reverse Spin testimonial featured on Reed's website once complimented his "artistry and persuasion".
Recently, the media consultants have reportedly been conducting public relations for Bianchi's defense with attorney Terry Ekl. The consultants have worked closely with Ekl, Williams & Provenzale of Lisle and James Sotos & Assoc. of Itasca on defense involving an ongoing federal civil lawsuit.
Timeline - December 2007 & January 2008/McHenry County
December 2007 Curry Public Strategies report “consulted extensively with McHenry Count State's Attorney -- by phone and email" and talked numerous times to Bianchi about “various press- related issues within his office”.
ILSAAP Board of Governors meet at the Westin Hotel in Chicago
Greenberg for Congress pays Curry Public Strategies $4,236.68.
Dec. 14, 2007 DuPage County Election Commission pays Curry Public Strategies $6,000.00, as their media consultants/ spokespersons.
Dec. 17, 2007 The approximate date special prosecutors charged that Bianchi had met with state's attorneys office managers during public work hours to prepare him for an election endorsement meeting with the Northwest Herald newspaper; Bianchi was later acquitted.
January 2008 Curry Public Strategies/ Reverse Spin reports “consulted extensively with two state’s attorneys – DuPage County SA Joe Birkett and McHenry County SA Lou Bianchi. I met and talked by phone with each and exchanged emails". He also stated that he consulted several times with the Appellate Prosecutor’s office in order to return press calls.
Jan. 7, 2008 The approximate date special prosecutors charged that Bianchi had met with state's attorneys office managers to prepare him for an election endorsement meeting with the Daily Herald newspaper; Bianchi was later acquitted. (See Jan. 9 & 10, 2008 in timeline)
Jan. 9, 2008 Bianchi and his opponent are grilled by the Daily Herald's editorial board for two hours on issues related to the upcoming primary election.
Daily Herald publishes, "Ex-Bianchi Assistant Defends Actions". The article reads, “Kristen Foley, now a lawyer for the city of Naperville
Jan. 28, 2008 Daily Herald publishes its endorsement for Bianchi's opponent, Dan Regna. The newspaper wrote, "We applaud Bianchi for since halting the practice of asking taxpayers to foot the bill (for reimbursements of meals and treats for himself and staff), but given his justification for it he likely only did so due to the resulting public outcry and threat of legal investigation."
McHenryLeaks asks:
Why did Reverse Spin rename itself Delos Communications?
Why, in a state with 102 counties, did McHenry County continue to be a top media priority for ILSAAP for four straight months? What project justified the urgent, extensive and back-room work of state media consultants/ operatives/ game changers? What was on fire in McHenry?
Why, in a state with 102 counties, did McHenry County continue to be a top media priority for ILSAAP for four straight months? What project justified the urgent, extensive and back-room work of state media consultants/ operatives/ game changers? What was on fire in McHenry?
Did the tax-paid work of ILSAAP for Bianchi overlap into his political and personal legal matters? If yes, is this why ILSAAP contracted game changers/ operatives, as opposed to a conventional PR firm? Was ILSAAP (and tax-payers) subsidizing the Committee to Re-Elect Louis Bianchi?
What press issues did Curry Public Strategies discuss with Bianchi and "other individuals" in Itasca on Jan. 8, 2008? This was the third meeting tax-payers paid the game changers to meet with Bianchi in Itasca...what is with Itasca? Was this meeting held at a law firm which may have coached talking points for the press? Who were the other individuals at this meeting? The date fell on a Tuesday; did this meeting take place during work hours?
Did the Itasca meeting prepare Bianchi for the two-hour campaign meeting before the Daily Herald’s editorial board scheduled the next day? What other possible press issue could tax-payers have been charged? Yet, if this in fact was the press matter tax-payers were charged, why would ILSAAP be involved with Bianchi's campaign? Did the Bianchi camp anticipate that the Daily Herald would not endorse Bianchi? Did the Bianchi camp predict questions about Dalby's computer files?
Why did the media consultants keep a low profile in McHenry County? Did they not want to give the appearance that Bianchi was being handled by the Agency, after all, doing so might raise suspicions as to why this was even necessary?
Where exactly did the game changers draw the line between tax-paid work and political work for Bianchi? Or did they?
Just how long can the it's-all-politically-motivated chump defense work?
Should the Illinois Supreme Court call for an investigation?
Following are documents pertaining to ILSAAP and Curry Public Strategies from December 2007 and January 2008. McHenry Leaks has concealed personal information. To enlarge, click or double-click the image:
