Special Counsel To Investigate Amtrak Lobbying Payments Approved

LAKE FOREST, IL — Aldermen unanimously ratified the appointment of a special counsel Tuesday to investigate how Lake Forest city staff spent more than $192,000 without approval from the City Council. Leigh Jeter has already begun looking into how the city ended up hiring a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying firm to advocate for an Amtrak stop at the West Lake Forest train station.

From March 2016 and until October 2017, payments to the firm of Chambers, Conlon and Hartwell were made in monthly increments of $9,500 and distributed through the law firm of City Attorney Vic Filippini. Following accusations of a cover-up from citizens, City Manager Bob Kiely last month admitted that he should not have authorized the payments out of a contingency account.

"It should not have happened, and it won't happen going forward," he told the Lake Forester in December.

Following a Dec. 18 meeting, the council met for about four hours without the mayor, city manager and city attorney in attendance, explained Alderman Jack Reisenberg, 3rd Ward.

"We interviewed many present and former city officials individually," he said. "As a result of those discussions, Council decided several days later to engage outside counsel to provide an independent and comprehensive review."

Jeter, the special counsel, is an attorney with experience handling "all aspects of government agency investigations," was previously the director of the sexual harassment prevention office at Northwestern University, according to her firm's website.

While she has already begun investigating the payments, her appointment was formalized with the Council's Jan. 16 vote.

Jeter is due to present an initial report in February, Daily North Shore reported. There is no deadline for a final report, which is expected to address the actions of Kiely, Filippini and Mayor Rob Lansing.

Reisenberg will act as the lead member of the Council during the probe. He told the Lake Forester after the meeting that Jeter, the special counsel, had already held meetings with several officials and members of Citizens for ACTION, a group opposed to building an additional rail in Lake Forest.

» Read more: $192,000 Spent On Amtrak Lobbying Without Council Approval

_{Top photo: Amtrak train in 2007, file photo | AP Photo | Jeff Roberson}