Posted on: November 18, 2024, 10:41h.
Last updated on: November 18, 2024, 10:51h.
A township supervisor in Illinois is refusing to resign from her position despite admitting to using government money at a casino.
During the Canteen Township Board of Trustees’ September 4 meeting, Township Supervisor Sally Rodriguez admitted to using the town’s debit card for her personal use. But Rodriguez, who was appointed to her position in May of 2023 by the trustees, claims the debit withdrawals on the government card were made by mistake.
Trustees say an anonymous source tipped them off that Rodriguez didn’t only poach money from the township via debit card, but also wrote herself checks from the township’s bank account that she cashed. Banking records show six transactions were completed at the Horseshoe Casino St. Louis that’s operated by Caesars Entertainment.
Rodriguez confessed to withdrawing $6,000 in cash at the casino. She also cashed two checks made out to herself from the township checking account, and a third directly made out to cash.
Canteen Township is located in St. Clair County in southwestern Illinois along the Mississippi River. The township includes Caseyville, Fairmont City, Fairview Heights, Madison, and Washington Park. Horseshoe Casino St. Louis is just across the river from the township.
The Belleville News-Democrat first broke the news of Rodriguez’s actions.
Resignation Refusal
During the September meeting, Canteen Township Trustee Rickie Thomas, in a motion seconded by Trustee Angie Rodgers, called on Rodriguez to resign immediately. She refused.
Rodriguez contends that the financial transactions to her benefit were made in error. Thomas said one errant transaction might be understandable, but not five.
I asked her how do you make the same mistake five times and how does your personal card have the same PIN as the township’s?” Thomas asked, as reported by the Belleville News-Democrat.
The township’s attorney told the media outlet that the trustees cannot forcibly remove an elected official, even though Rodriguez was appointed — not elected — to the role following the death of Supervisor Norm Miller in April 2023.
It’s unclear if Rodriguez has agreed to repay the township the money she took from its banking accounts. It’s also unknown if Rodriguez gambled with the ill-gotten funds.
The board was tipped off to her actions after two trustees and the township clerk received packages in the mail detailing her alleged theft.
According to the US Census Bureau, the median household income in Canteen Township is $41,530. The employment rate is below 50% and almost four in 10 people live in poverty.
Illinois Politics
Considered a Democratic stronghold and one of the party’s “big three” states along with California and New York, politics in Illinois has long been doused in scandal. Dating back to before the Chicago Outfit ran the Windy City, political corruption in Illinois is nearly as famous as Chicago’s deep-dish pizza.
Among the state’s most notorious political scandals was Gov. Rod Blagojevich fielding bribes in exchange for the state’s Senate seat left vacant by Barack Obama after he won the presidency in 2008.
More recently, and certainly less consequential, is Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard, the self-described “supermayor” who’s accused of living lavishly off her taxpayers. Last year, Henyard allegedly ran up a tab of more than $10K for a Las Vegas visit that taxpayers covered.
