Public Watchdog.org

The Maine Township Stupid Party Presents: “Assgate” (Act 2)

09.29.18

To our readers: An incomplete version of this post was inadvertently published on September 29; and it took us until the morning of October 1 to correct and complete the post. We apologize for any inconvenience or confusion.

As the curtain rises on Act 2 of “Assgate” two Ancel Glink attorneys, Robert T. McCabe and Margaret Kostopulos, are conducting their interview of Jones on June 7 – 16 days after Jones’ accusation of Carrabotta and 13 days after Jones filed her “Formal Complaint” against him at the suggestion of Township attorney Keri-Lynn Krafthefer.

In the Formal Complaint, Jones described Carrabotta’s alleged acts of harassment on January 24, 2018, as his having “lightly swiped his hand across [her] bottom,” which she “chalked…up as being an inadvertent mistake”; and on May 16 as his having “again lightly swiped his hand across [her] bottom” to which she responded with “a dirty look” that Carrabotta “pretended” not to notice.

According to the transcript of Jones’ interview by the attorneys, they started by explaining that their questions would be “specifically and narrowly tailored” to that Formal Complaint. (Page 3, lines 6-11). But they also told her that she was free to provide any other relevant details she may have. (Page 3, lines 13-22)

Jones described Carrabotta’s actions as being, variously, “a brush…maybe that was inadvertent” (Page 7, lines 20-22), “a real faint brush” (Page 11, line 24), a “light brushing” (Page 28, lines 7-9) and a “touch” (Page 14, line 2; page 16, lines 17-18; and page 38, line 10) to her “butt” (Page 16, lines 17-18) or “ass” (Page 14, line 2; page 38, line 10). Heck, she wasn’t even sure whether she might have “backed up into his hand.” (Page 12, lines 23-24)

In both the Formal Complaint and in her interview with the attorneys, Jones described how she promptly reported both incidents to her fellow Township government RINOs: Supervisor Laura Morask, Non-Assessor Susan Moylan-Krey, her “longtime friend [Highway Commissioner] Walter Kazmierczak,” and Clerk Pete Gialamas. (Page 14, lines 1-13; page 20, line 8 through page 21, line 9; page 38, line 4 through page 39, line 14)

If these incidents actually occurred, however, and if Jones reasonably perceived them as sexual harassment, why didn’t she say anything directly to Carrabotta? After all, she admitted to the Township’s attorneys that there was “nothing personal” between her and him, despite the fact that “[h]e usually [voted] with Susan Sweeney and [she/Jones] usually [didn’t].” (Page 19, lines 7-18).

And if politics wasn’t an issue, why did Jones tell only her fellow Township RINOs about the incidents? Why didn’t she also tell fellow Trustees McKenzie and Sweeney that their Reformer colleague, Carrabotta, was harassing her?

Curiously, the attorneys – both before they started questioning Jones (page 4, lines 6-22) and again at the end of the questioning (page 57, lines 4-7) – requested that Jones treat all information about the incidents as confidential until the investigation was completed; and she said she would. But on July 7, with the investigation still in progress, she signed a letter, along with nine other members of the Maine Township Republican Women’s Club, addressed to Township Republican Committeeman Char Foss Eggemann but widely distributed, demanding that Foss Eggemann “condemn [Carrabotta’s] behavior and call for his resignation immediately.”

Jones and her nine friends (including Morask, Moylan-Krey and their consummate political hack/lackey, Jean Dietsch) didn’t call for a criminal investigation. They didn’t call for an ethics investigation. They called for Carrabotta’s resignation from the Board.

Why? Because they wanted to strip The Reformers’ 3-2 Board majority of his vote so that Morask (as we understand Illinois law in this regard) could appoint another RINO as his replacement – perhaps Kelly Schaefer, who lost her Trustee’s race in 2017 before Morask promptly created a $30K/year part-time Township job for her without Board approval, but which Schaefer quit in the face of withering Daily Herald articles and a Daily Herald editorial ripping the kinky deal.

Had they succeeded in that effort, they also would have deprived all the Carrabotta voters of their duly-elected representative – which obviously would have been readily-acceptable collateral damage for Morask, Jones and the rest of the Maine Township RINO cabal politically aligned more with Maine Township Democrats like state rep. Marty Moylan and state sen. Laura Murphy.

Another curious aspect to that July 7 letter is how Jones’ prior description of Carrabotta’s actions as consisting of a “touch” or a “brush” that might even have been “inadvertent” somehow became “actual groping.” To date, neither Jones nor her nine friends have explained that sudden metamorphosis.

Jones insists Carrabotta touched/groped her and that she’s a victim of sexual harassment, not one of the perpetrators of purely political maneuvering. But actual proof of any touching/groping is something Jones and her supporters so far appear to totally lack.

For example, Jones told the attorneys that Gialamas and Kazmierczak told her stories about Carrabotta’s also having harassed Township employees Dayna Berman and Vicki Rizzo. (Jones transcript, page 38, line 4-16; page 40, lines 10-18; page 42, lines 12-23).

And according to the transcript of Gialamas’ testimony, Berman and Rizzo told him not only was Carrabotta “very handsy” and made them uncomfortable” but, also, that Berman told him that Carrabotta “even had touched her rear end.” (Page 9, line 18 through Page 10, line 4; page 11, line 13 through page 12, line 11) Gialamas admitted to the attorneys, however, that he never saw Carrabotta do anything inappropriate” because, if he had, he would have called Carrabotta on it. (Page 19, lines 3-14)

So, instead, he merely gossiped about it.

And when the attorneys got around to Kazmierczak, the transcript of his testimony shows that he, too, was spreading unsubstantiated hearsay about what Berman and Rizzo told him concerning Carrabotta’s conduct: That “somehow their buttocks were touched” by Carrabotta. (Page 19, line 9 through page 20, line 6)

Not surprisingly, Morask’s testimony to the attorneys consisted of the same hearsay as Gialamas and Kazmierczak conveyed to them about Berman and Rizzo having been made to feel uncomfortable by Carrabotta and afraid of retaliation for saying so. (Page 36, line 1 through page 40, line 6)

But when the attorneys interviewed Berman, the transcript of her interview discloses that she insisted that she never told anyone that Carrabotta “was ever inappropriate” around her; and that she wasn’t afraid of any form of retaliation for telling the truth. (Page 20, lines 17-23).

Similarly, the transcript of Rizzo’s interview establishes that Rizzo told the attorneys she “never felt uncomfortable around…[Carrabotta], in any way.” (Page 33, lines 17-21). Rizzo also explained how Morask – supposedly at the direction of Township attorney Keri-Lynn Krafthefer – pre-interviewed Rizzo (Page 27, lines 2-24), which made Rizzo angry because she didn’t have any problem whatsoever with Carrabotta. (Page 29, line 4 through page 30, line 23).

For those keeping score, Krafthefer is the Township attorney who privately counseled Jones about how to deal with Carrabotta – including telling Jones to file the Formal Complaint against him – without Krafthefer disclosing to Carrabotta or the Board that she was counseling one Trustee (Jones) in her personal claims against another Trustee (Carrabotta).

Can you say “conflict of interest”?

Good for you! Because Krafthefer apparently couldn’t, or wouldn’t – at least not if it might jeopardize the prospect of additional fees flowing into her firm’s coffers as a result of her advice to Jones.

Based on the totality of the facts and circumstances disclosed during the investigation, the attorneys issued their final Investigation Report dated July 30, 2018, finding that there was inadequate evidence from which they could conclude that Carrabotta touched Jones’ buttocks or sexually harassed her in any other way. And, not surprisingly, the accuracy of the report’s summaries of the various testimony has been demonstrated by the transcripts of that testimony.

With the issuance of that report and with the sound of preternatural howling and wailing in the background, the curtain falls on Act 2.

To read or post comments, click on title.

 

 

10 comments so far

Jones’ and her tiny cabal of twp officials and patronage wrote to the GOP committeeman, and Governor Rauner, and state reps to tell them that Carrabotta engaged in ACTUAL GROPING. But Jones said in complaint and interview that she had no idea if the light or faint brush was inadvertent, or the front or back of the hand was used. Lie and lie again. A faint or light brush magically turned into a GROPE later on. 2 times turned into 3 times. Its truly insulting to all of the women who have been assaulted or raped to pretend to be a victime. I’m ashamed to be a Republican because of this stupid sideshow. Why the hell doesn’t Char and the GOP disown these people?

EDITOR’S NOTE: Jones, Morask, et al. AREN’T Republicans: They are RINOs who are allies of Dem rep. Marty Moylan and Dem senator Laura Murphy while masquerading as “Republicans.” They are ticked because The Reformers disrupted their mutual fluff-and-stroke society.

And “the GOP” won’t “disown these people” because idiots run the state GOP.

Thanks for doing all that legwork to quote chapter and verse from the transcripts. I am sure glad we paid thousands of dollars just so that Jones and her crowd could find out that the attorneys accurately summarized all the witness testimony in their report.

I agree with you that Carrabotta screwed this up by over-reacting the way he did, but Jones could have chosen not to file the Formal Complaint and the whole thing would have been over. Or it would be pending before the EEOC or IDHR, as it currently is, for $30,000 less in legal fees.

Is somebody at Town Hall going to demand a big discount from Ancel Glink on the fees because they were instigated by Krafthefer’s advice to Jones about talking privately to Carrabotta and then filing the Formal Complaint?

EDITOR’S NOTE: Unfortunately, The Reformers mean well but they still aren’t ready for prime time, which would appear to be why Carrabotta stupidly left the reservation with his yelling, his stupid demand for a closed session, and then another stupid demand for an investigation by claiming that HE was being harassed.

Meanwhile, Jones, Morask and their RINO cabal is milking this silliness for all it’s worth, hoping they can still intimidate Carrabotta into resigning while at the same time turning Kim “The Victim” Jones into a secular martyr.

Disclaimer: I am a guy, which to some means I’m unqualified or incapable of writing what I’m going to write. Or it makes me a victim-shamer, a bully, or some other type of misogynist: I don’t believe Jones because Jones’ story makes no sense.

No guy is going to risk getting caught doing what Carrabotta is accused of doing (light brush or swipe) two or three different times over five months and not do something more, like invite her to lunch, for a drink, or to the no-tell motel.

Further, the denial by those two other women who Gialamas and Kazmierczak said had been groped or grabbed by Carrabotta makes me believe this really is all one big set-up by the RINO faction to push Carrabotta off the board.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Interesting take on the situation. But given what mopes and morons most guys are when it comes to these types of things (to say nothing of the Cosby/Weinstein-style predators), stopping at a brush or swipe that Jones couldn’t even tell was intentional or inadvertent, or the result of her backing into his hand, doesn’t seem to make sense.

Carrabotta was a goof to react the way he did, no matter what the accusation was. But after reading the transcripts you provided something smells about Jones’ story. And Marty MOylan and Laura Murphy jumping on the bandwagon reeks.

7:04:

I am a guy too and I have to ask where on earth have you been?? I am in my 50’s and men have been “ass grabbing” for as long as I can remember. For you to say “no guy……” flies in the face of what has been happening for decades. What is pissing off some of these lechs
is they are finally getting called on it.

8:06:

I didn’t say guys haven’t been “ass grabbing” for as long you can remember. What I said is that Jones herself never described any “ass grabbing” in her formal complaint or to the interviewing attorneys. All she described was a brush or swipe so light that it may have been inadvertent. Only a month after Jones gave her testimony to the attorneys did she and her gang call it “actual groping” so that she and they (including Morask and Moylan Krey) could demand Carrabotta’s resignation.

Having actually grabbed an ass or two as a drunken moron while in college years ago (no, I’m not Brett Kavanaugh and, yes, I apologized when sober), the drunk and stupid goal of that was hoping the grab would lead to something more from the gropee, which it never did.

Nobody has accused Carrabotta of being drunk when any of the incidents occurred, or of looking for anything more (like a roll in the hay) from Jones. And my opinion is also based on how Ms. Berman and Ms. Rizzo courageously rejected Morask’s, Gialamas’ and Kazmierczak’s pressure to corroborate JOnes’ story with a pattern of similar conduct. To me, those two ladies may be the real heroes of this charade.

EDITOR’S NOTE: We’ll leave you two to your ass-grabbing arguments. But we do agree that it took a lot for Berman and Rizzo to stand up to Morask – because Morask, as Supervisor, has the ability retaliate against them by things like her review of their performance, promotions or demotions, raises, etc., unlike Carrabotta who, as merely 1 of 5 trustees, has no individual ability to do anything of the sort.

ANONYMOUS ON 10.02.18 8:45 AM:

I agree completely about Berman and Rizzo. Stand up ladies who could not be intimidated by Morask in private conversations.

This is not just a political ploy for control of the township board, it’s revenge against Foss Eggemann for beating RINO Carol Teschky for committeeman and then not slating her as a trustee candidate in 2017.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Exactly.

The editor of this blog is anti-woman, which he has proved time and again with his unjustified attacks on Mary Ryan, Kathy Meade, Laura Morask and now his victim shaming of Kim Jones.

EDITOR’S NOTE: If this editor were “anti-woman,” why has he supported and defended Trustees Claire McKenzie and Susan Sweeney? Why has he praised Joan Sandrik and Jayne Reardon, endorsed Harmony Harrington for the Park Board, and endorsed Margaret McGrath, Mary Childers and Linda Coyle for the D-207 Board. Heck, he even endorsed Ms. Ryan for the Park Board back in 2011 – although that was against a slate of candidates fielded by the SEIU.

Meade is a freeloader, a category of resident that this editor lambastes at every opportunity irrespective of gender.

And Jones and Morask and RINOs who, if they had any integrity, would drop the charade and just declare themselves Democrats.

10:56:

No! See it is revenge against the Clintons! Whoops…..wrong accusation!

EDITOR’S NOTE: How droll.

The Clintons and their ilk wouldn’t soil their fingers with this bottom-feeding level of sleazy politics, which is why it’s available to the Maine Twp. RINOs.



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