$100K Spent On Hinsdale Fire Department Inquiry

HINSDALE, IL — The Hinsdale village government has spent more than $100,000 in its investigation of the fire department, according to public documents

In response to a Patch records request, the village provided documents showing $103,252 in bills with Chicago-based law firm Cotsirilos, Tighe, Streicker, Poulos and Campbell. The spending was during the last quarter of 2020.

In a September meeting, the board voted to allow the village to spend up to $60,000 on the inquiry. The limit was increased to $110,000 in early December.

The village has said little about the investigation. In a September interview, Brad Bloom, the village's assistant manager, said "some operational issues came to light."

"We thought we would benefit from an independent review. There are no allegations at this time against any particular member of the organization. There are no integrity issues," Bloom said.

Eric Pruitt is the attorney at the Chicago law firm who performed the investigation, the village says. According to the firm's website, Pruitt focuses his practice on white-collar criminal defense, assistance to management in conducting internal investigations and responding to governmental investigations, and complex commercial litigation.

Pruitt's experience as a former assistant U.S. attorney "uniquely qualifies" him to represent clients in all aspects of grand jury and regulatory investigations and in criminal and civil trials, the website said.

The village denied Patch's request for the report from the investigation, citing three exceptions under the state's open records law. One of the exceptions was that releasing the documents would reveal the identity of those who provided information as part of law enforcement or administrative investigations. Some public entities would simply black out that information.

The village's letter also cited the exceptions involving preliminary notes and records and the secrecy of an attorney's communications with the village. The letter left unclear how a report that potentially cost taxpayers more than $100,000 could be considered preliminary.

Because an attorney conducted the investigation, the village may have an escape valve from public scrutiny. Otherwise, it may have been hard-pressed to keep the results of the investigation under wraps.

None of the legal exceptions mandate the village keep the report in question secret.

According to the village's letter, attorney Mallory Milluzzi of Chicago-based Klein, Thorpe and Jenkins was responsible for the denial.

Bloom and Village President Tom Cauley, an attorney himself, couldn't be reached for immediate comment.