If there’s one thing that can bring us out of the Super Bowl loss funk, it’s more idiocy in Lake County.
Hammond Mayor Tom “Harry” McDermott and Lake County Sheriff Roy “Lloyd” Dominguez were at it again. Remember: both of these guys want to run for governor in 2012.
First, Dominguez costs Lake County $100,000 for firing political opponents back in 2005.
CROWN POINT | The recent settlement of a political firing lawsuit against Lake County Sheriff Rogelio “Roy” Dominguez likely will cost taxpayers about $100,000.
County Attorney John Dull said the County Council will appropriate that amount to resolve claims made by three former sheriff’s civilian employees who took the sheriff to trial last month after they were fired from the sheriff’s work-release center because of a security breach there.
The breach in question began with a dispute about 6 a.m. Aug. 16, 2005, on the second floor of the work-release center, a minimum-security detention facility housing minor criminals, court documents state. One of the center’s custody officers, who wasn’t a party in the suit, accidentally left open a security door that would have given inmates access outdoors to nearby Crown Point and Merrillville residential areas.
The sheriff terminated not only the custody officer who left the door open, but also Robert Deliget, James Fulk and Robert Klus, fellow custody officers who also were on duty in the center at the time and unaware of the open door…Deliget, Fulk and Klus sued the sheriff in 2007, alleging the sheriff was retaliating against them because they were supporters of former Sheriff John Buncich. Dominguez and Buncich were political enemies at the time but have since reconciled.
Now, the two come together for a reprise of their public weed spat several months ago.
HAMMOND | Monday’s dismissal of marijuana charges against Hammond political insider David Woerpel and two family members may stoke political fires smoldering since the family was arrested in September.
All charges were dropped Friday against Woerpel, his wife, Tina, and their son Derrick as part of a plea agreement entered into last week by the couple’s son, James, who received 18 months probation….
With an eye toward potential civil litigation, John Cantrell, an attorney for the Woerpels, said Monday his clients will investigate who was behind the charges and why. Cantrell indicated a focus will be who or what prompted a helicopter flyover by state police that led to the criminal charges.
“Lawyers are looking at this case and salivating,” said Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr., a Woerpel ally.
“It could be problematic for the sheriff,” he said, contending Lake County Sheriff Rogelio “Roy” Dominguez authorized the flyover.
“This was politics from Day One,” McDermott said.
Dominguez dismissed McDermott’s remarks Monday.
“I don’t think his comments merit a response from me inasmuch as his conduct is unprofessional, and his statements are without any factual basis,” Dominguez said. “I think, unfortunately for the Woerpel family, that they have Mayor McDermott to thank for all this unnecessary notoriety.”
Samsonite! I was way off!