By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – Illinois is often a punch line when it comes to political scandal and the Land of Lincoln lived up to that reputation again this year. Several prominent figures, including two from Central Illinois suffered falls from grace as WJBC reports one of the top stories of 2016.
It was in early January when federal prosecutors announced they had filed wire fraud charges against McLean County Board chairman Matt Sorensen of Bloomington and a codefendant for allegedly billing clients hundreds of thousands of dollars through his private consulting firm – for work that was never done. Even though he resigned his seat, Sorensen easily won a five-way race to retain his county board seat in the Republican primary in March. He later withdrew his name.
Sorensen will be sentenced in March. A local attorney predicted the former county official will be looking at prison time.
“Based on the amount of money and the number of victims that are involved in this scheme, it would be a sentencing range of 37 to 46 months with $15,000 to $15,000 in restitution,” Illinois State University politics and government professor Tom McClure said.
Aaron Schock had been keeping an uncharacteristically low profile since he resigned from Congress last year amid a spending scandal. In November, prosecutors announced 24 felony counts against the ex-congressman tied to the elaborate remodeling of his Capitol Hill office in the style of the television series “Downton Abbey.”
“I am eager to finally defend my name and reputation in a court of law and be able to move on with my life,” Schock said at a news conference.
Schock asked his case be tried in his hometown of Peoria, a district he served for four terms, but a judge in Springfield rejected that request.
One of the worst falls from grace in Illinois was that of Dennis Hastert. The longest serving Republican U.S. House Speaker in history is now serving prison time. Hastert pleaded guilty to a financial crime related to accusations he sexually abused teen wrestlers while he was a coach at Yorkville High School years ago.
“We are grateful that Denny Hastert is being given a prison sentence,” Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests President Barbara Blaine said following the sentence. “We think his crimes are such that prison is appropriate.”
The judge drew special attention to the lies Hastert told federal investigators last year in a desperate bid to keep his dark secret hidden.
Not all crime in 2016 was political.
Bloomington High School was jarred by the arrest of teacher Sara Mellor, a foreign language teacher who was charged with killing her husband Mark Mellor.
“This is one of those things that has sent shock waves throughout the school district and the community as you can imagine,” District 87 Superintendent Barry Reilly said.
Mellor’s trial is set to begin in January.
Bloomington man Brian Petersen awaits trial on charges that he killed his parents Bruce and Nancy Petersen at the family’s rural Bloomington home.
“Their (deaths) are a tragedy and our job is to make it happen as little as possible,” McLean County State’s Attorney Jason Chambers said.
The defense is trying a second time to have him ruled mentally unfit to stand trial.
Jason Hopkins of Bloomington was found not guilty by reason of insanity for stabbing two people downtown in 2015.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
