East Central Reporter

On November 5, 2024, an article titled “Three Accident(s), DUI, Drugs, Prosecution Failures, Violation of Federal CDL Law, Death of Deputy” was published. This article was the first in a series exploring alleged violations by the Kane County prosecutor and a judge concerning federal "anti-masking" laws. These laws pertain to the handling of tickets and arrests for holders of Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDL). The allegations suggest that they failed to report Anthony Sweeney's arrest and guilty plea to the Secretary of State, which would have led to his CDL being revoked. It is also claimed that federal law prohibits dismissing such cases after probation or treatment.

On November 25, 2024, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias addressed these concerns in a letter to the United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). He alleged that Kane County did not comply with federal regulations regarding commercial driver’s licenses and requested an audit to uncover any additional violations.

Key parts of Giannoulias' letter emphasized these issues:

“His CDL would have been disqualified for life”