Illinois county to approve settlement in FOIA violation

The McHenry County Board is likely to approve a six-figure settlement with an Algonquin man who sued the sheriff's office over an open records violation.

The settlement awards $104,402.96 to First Electric Newspaper Publisher Pete Gonigam, who sued the sheriff's office after it refused to turn over documents pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act.

Gonigam in January 2013 sought through a FOIA request a copy of the findings of an internal investigation into former Undersheriff Andrew Zinke. Gonigam was denied the department's written findings stemming from allegations that Zinke tipped off a friend and campaign donor that the friend allegedly was the subject of a DEA investigation into a large drug shipment. Continue…

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