Illinois Township Supervisor Refuses to Resign After Misuse of Funds

Despite admitting to using government funds at a casino, a township supervisor in Illinois refuses to resign. 

The admission came during the Canteen Township Board of Trustees meeting on Sept. 4. Township Supervisor Sally Rodriguez admitted to using the town’s debit card for personal use. However, she, who took on the position in May 2023, claimed the debit withdrawals were done by accident. 

In other Illinois-related news, the state has made some key changes to its NFL bet catalog. 

More Details of the Misuse of Funds 

The trustees say that they received a tip that Rodriguez used the debit card and also wrote checks from the township account that she cashed herself. According to banking records, there were six transactions done at Horseshoe Casino in St. Louis. 

Rodriguez admitted to withdrawing $6,000 in cash from the casino. Two checks were made out to herself, and a third was made out to cash. 

Refuses to Resign

During the September meeting, Canteen Township Trustee Rickie Thomas motioned—and Trustee Angie Rodgers seconded—for Rodriguez to resign, but she refused. 

Rodriguez says that the five transactions that benefitted her were made in error. Thomas said that one is plausible, but not all 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, which was reported by the Belleville News-Democrat. 

The township attorney said that she could not be forcibly removed. She wasn’t elected but took over for Norm Miller, who passed away in April 2023. 

There’s no news regarding her willingness to pay anything back. 

As mentioned above, the tip came after two trustees and the township clerk received packages in the mail outlining the theft. 

This isn’t the first scandal involving a government employee. Last year, Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard allegedly ran up a $10k bill for a Las Vegas visit that taxpayer funds covered.