Published: November 18, 2024, 10:41h.
Last updated on: November 18, 2024, 10:51h.
A township supervisor in Illinois is refusing to step down from her role despite acknowledging using government funds at a casino.
At a meeting of the Canteen Township Board of Trustees on September 4, Township Supervisor Sally Rodriguez confessed to using the town’s debit card for personal expenses. Rodriguez, appointed to her position by the trustees in May 2023, claimed that the debit card withdrawals were accidental.
Trustees were informed by an anonymous source that Rodriguez not only used the debit card for personal expenses but also wrote checks to herself from the township’s bank account that she cashed. Records show that transactions were made at the Horseshoe Casino St. Louis, operated by Caesars Entertainment.
Rodriguez admitted to withdrawing $6,000 in cash at the casino and cashing two checks from the township’s checking account and one made out to cash.
Canteen Township is situated in St. Clair County, Illinois, near the Mississippi River. The township includes several towns, including Caseyville, Fairmont City, Fairview Heights, Madison, and Washington Park. The Horseshoe Casino St. Louis is located across the river from the township.
The Belleville News-Democrat first reported on Rodriguez’s actions.
Refusal to Resign
During the September meeting, Canteen Township Trustee Rickie Thomas motioned for Rodriguez to resign immediately, seconded by Trustee Angie Rodgers. Rodriguez declined.
Rodriguez maintains that the financial transactions for her benefit were made in error. Thomas questioned how she could make the same mistake multiple times, pointing out the questionable use of the township’s PIN.
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 stated that the trustees cannot forcibly remove an elected official, even though Rodriguez was appointed following the death of Supervisor Norm Miller in April 2023.
It is unclear whether Rodriguez has agreed to return the funds taken from the township’s accounts. It is also unknown if Rodriguez used the money for gambling.
The board learned of her actions after two trustees and the township clerk received packages detailing her alleged theft.
According to the US Census Bureau, the median household income in Canteen Township is $41,530, with an employment rate below 50% and nearly four in 10 residents living in poverty.
Illinois Politics
Illinois, known as a Democratic stronghold and one of the party’s “big three” states, alongside California and New York, has a history of political scandals. Dating back to the era of the Chicago Outfit, political corruption in Illinois is almost as famous as the city’s deep-dish pizza.
One of the state’s most notorious scandals involved Gov. Rod Blagojevich exchanging bribes for the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama after he became president in 2008.
More recently, Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard, dubbed the “supermayor,” faced accusations of extravagant spending at the expense of taxpayers. Last year, Henyard allegedly incurred over $10,000 in expenses during a Las Vegas trip covered by taxpayers.