03252014 - News Article - FBI returns to county to download computer files

FBI returns to county to download computer files

Chesterton Tribune
March 25, 2014

http://chestertontribune.com/PoliceFireEmergency/fbi_returns_to_county_to_downloa.htm

The FBI returned to the Porter County Information Technologies Department Monday to collect computer data pertaining to the plan commission. 

IT Director Sharon Lippens confirmed the presence of FBI agents in her office from about 10 a.m. to about noon on Monday. 

“They came in and said, ‘We need access to whatever the Plan Commission has access to.’ I didn’t ask why and they didn’t tell me,” Lippens told the Chesterton Tribune this morning. 

Lippens said the FBI did not tell her what data they were searching for but that she gave them the access they requested. The Plan Commission computer servers hold electronic copies of issued building permits. 

The FBI brought in their own hard drive to download the information to and were once again brought in by Plan Commission Executive Director Robert Thompson, Lippens said.

Thompson took FBI agents to the IT Department last Wednesday to ask Lippens specific details on the Plan Commission’s computer server such as the serial number, the make and model. 

Thompson has declined to comment to avoid impeding the investigation.

He did say earlier this month that the FBI has entered his office on more than one occasion asking for copies of the building permits for Porter Regional Hospital and the 60,000 sq. ft. medical office building attached to it. 

While newer versions of the permits are available, the original handwritten copies for the two buildings have reportedly gone missing from the plan commission office. 

The hospital is located in Liberty Twp. on the northwest corner of Ind. 49 and U.S. 6. 

County officials have reported numerous visits by the FBI since November. 

The bureau has taken documents related to the December 2012 contract between the County Commissioners and Porter Hospital for clinical services in the County’s Employee Health Plan, conflict of interest disclosure statements filed in the County Clerk’s office from 2007 to 2013, and project bid proposals related to 2010 and 2011 contracts with the County Highway Department. 

03242014 - News Article - FBI taps into Porter County computers

FBI taps into Porter County computers
NWI Times
March 24, 2014
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/fbi-taps-into-porter-county-computers/article_6d0c1185-595b-50bc-ad98-a547d992fbcf.html

VALPARAISO | FBI agents downloaded computer information Monday as part of their ongoing investigation into county government.

Four agents spent several hours at the county's information technologies department during the late morning downloading data files from the county server to an external hard drive they brought, said department Director Sharon Lippens.

Lippens did not know exactly what information was targeted by the agents.

The FBI declined comment when contacted Monday afternoon.

Plan Commission Executive Director Robert Thompson, who also confirmed the presence of the FBI at the county administration center Monday, has had agents visit his office multiple times recently.

Thompson said neither he, nor to his knowledge anyone he supervises, have done anything inappropriate.

"I am fully cooperating with law enforcement authorities," he said.

Thompson declined further comment to avoid impeding the investigation.

FBI agents have made numerous visits to county government during the last several months.

Agents were at the IT department last week seeking information about models and makes of computer servers used by the county, Lippens had said.

Agents have also appeared at the plan commission office seeking copies of building permits for the new Porter Regional Hospital and the nearby medical office building at Ind. 49 and U.S. 6.

Thompson has said his office is unable to locate the original building permits for those two buildings.

The FBI has also visited the county highway department, where agents sought records of materials purchased by the Porter County Board of Commissioners in a competitive bidding process in 2010 and 2011.

Porter County Clerk Karen Martin said in December an FBI agent showed up at her office seeking copies of conflict of interest disclosure forms designed to reveal a public servant's financial interest in contracts or purchases involving their government offices.

The FBI also took possession late last year of records related to the county commissioners' decision Dec. 18, 2012, to switch the provider of wellness and clinic service for county employees from HealtheACCESS to Porter Regional Hospital's CareEXPRESS

03212014 - News Article - FBI seeks computer info in latest visit to Porter County government

FBI seeks computer info in latest visit to Porter County government

Chesterton Tribune
March 21, 2014

http://chestertontribune.com/Porter%20County/fbi_seeks_computer_info_in_lates.htm

The FBI is continuing to investigate the Porter County Plan Commission. Wednesday agents inquired as to what kind of computer equipment it uses.

County ITS Director Sharon Lippens told the Chesterton Tribune this morning that the FBI visited her office mid-afternoon escorted by Plan Commission Executive Director Robert Thompson. 

“They asked (Thompson) what kind of server his office ran on. He didn’t know so that is why they came and asked me in my department. They asked for the serial number, the make and model of the server,” Lippens said. “That’s all what happened.”

Lippens said the FBI did not tell her why they wanted the information.

Thompson told the Tribune “no comment” when asked about Wednesday’s events. 

FBI agents also visited the Plan Commission office March 7 and March 10 to take copies of building permits issued for Porter Regional Hospital and the 62,000 sq. ft. medical office building connected to it owned by Sanders Trust. 

At that time Thompson confirmed the FBI visits but would not give further comment. 

The building permits have played a part in the County Council’s ongoing discussion of a 10-year tax abatement for the new hospital located at Ind. 49 and U.S. 6 in Liberty Twp.

County Council member Jim Biggs, R-1st, presented to the press printed copies of building permits that the County Assessor’s Office had on file that indicated Porter Hospital LLC as the property owner for both the hospital and medical office building.

The original handwritten permits for the buildings have reportedly been missing from the Plan Commission office, Biggs said, and he’s urged closer scrutiny on the Council’s part when considering the abatement. 

County officials have reported numerous visits by the FBI since November. Agents have taken documents related to the December 2012 contract between Porter County and Porter Hospital for clinical services in the County’s Employee Health Plan, conflict of interest disclosure statements filed in the County Clerk’s office from 2007 to 2013, and project bid proposals related to 2010 and 2011 contracts with the County Highway Department. 

03202014 - News Article - FBI visits Porter County IT department

FBI visits Porter County IT department

NWI Times
March 20, 2014 

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/fbi-visits-porter-county-it-department/article_6131063c-5ba3-58ae-af3b-280406fc8e3e.html

VALPARAISO | The FBI continued its investigation into Porter County government Wednesday with a visit to the information technologies department.

Department Director Sharon Lippens said the agents, who were brought to the department by Plan Commission Executive Director Robert Thompson, asked about models and makes of computer servers used by the county.

They did not request any specific data, she said.

The FBI has visited numerous county departments since at least late last year.

Agents appeared earlier this month at the county plan commission office seeking copies of building permits for the new hospital and the nearby medical office building at Ind. 49 and U.S. 6.

Thompson has said his office is unable to locate the original building permits for those two buildings.

The FBI has also visited the highway department, where they sought records of materials purchased by the Porter County Board of Commissioners in a competitive bidding process in 2010 and 2011.

Porter County Clerk Karen Martin said in December an FBI agent showed up at her office seeking copies of conflict of interest disclosure forms designed to reveal a public servant's financial interest in contracts or purchases involving their government offices.

The FBI also has taken possession of records related to the county commissioners' decision Dec. 18, 2012, to switch the provider of wellness and clinic service for county employees from HealtheACCESS to Porter Regional Hospital's CareEXPRESS, Mike Anton, who serves as the servicing agent for the county's health plan, said in November.

03112014 - News Article - FBI eyeing building permits for Porter hospital office building

FBI eyeing building permits for Porter hospital office building

Chesterton Tribune

March 11, 2014

http://chestertontribune.com/Porter%20County/fbi_eyeing_building_permits_for.htm

The FBI would now appear to be interested in the construction of the new Porter Regional Hospital and the 60,000-square foot medical office building built on adjacent property.

On Friday and again on Monday, FBI agents entered the Porter County Administration Building and requested copies of the building permits for those two structures.

“I will simply say that I can confirm the FBI was in here Friday afternoon and again on Monday morning,” Plan Commission Executive Director Robert Thompson told the Chesterton Tribune today. “They took copies of building permits for both Porter Regional Hospital and for the medical office building. I will give no further comment.”

Those records have also recently received scrutiny from members of the Porter County Council as it works to understand the details of a 10-year tax abatement granted to Porter Regional Hospital.

County Council member Jim Biggs, R-1st, held a press conference last week where he expressed concern about the medical office building, contesting that it should not be included as part of the abatement because the building is owned by someone other than the hospital: The Sanders Trust of Birmingham, Ala. That firm has not approached the council to request an abatement, Biggs said at the time.

Some of the materials Biggs shared with the media were in fact the building permits for both facilities. Both indicate only Porter Hospital LLC as the property owner and both were applied for by The Robins and Morton Group of Birmingham, Ala.

The Robins and Morton Group was contracted for construction work on the two structures. 

The permit for the hospital was issued in August 2010 while the one for the office building was issued in September 2011 by the Porter County Planning Office.

This is the second reported instance where the FBI has seized Porter County government documents relating to Porter Regional Hospital.

On the first occasion, the FBI requested documents related to the contract for clinical services between Porter County Commissioners and the hospital signed in December 2012 as part of the county’s employee health plan. FBI agents obtained those documents in November from the Anton Insurance Agency, which services the plan.

Mike Anton of Anton Insurance said at the time that the FBI approached him after someone had suggested to federal investigators that there was something questionable about the contract. Anton, however, said that there is nothing to hide as the deal was completely transparent and above board.

In December, an FBI agent turned up at the Porter County Clerk’s office and took miscellaneous records containing conflict of interest disclosure statements filed within the municipal units of the county from 2007 and 2013.

Also, County Highway Supervisor Al Hoagland said the FBI came to his department in November and gathered copies of various bid proposals from projects done in 2010 and 2011.

03102014 - News Article - FBI pulls hospital construction records from Porter Co. government offices

FBI pulls hospital construction records from Porter Co. government offices

NWI Times
March 10, 2014 

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/fbi-pulls-hospital-construction-records-from-porter-co-government-offices/article_7704b2c9-ca1b-5f13-8686-e000001920ab.html

VALPARAISO | The FBI has resumed its investigation into Porter County government, this time targeting records involving the construction of Porter Regional Hospital.

Plan Commission Executive Director Robert Thompson confirmed that FBI agents visited his office Friday afternoon and again Monday morning seeking copies of building permits for the new hospital and the nearby medical office building at Ind. 49 and U.S. 6.

FBI agents have made surprise visits at various other county departments over the past several months, including the highway department, where they sought records of materials purchased by the Porter County Board of Commissioners in a competitive bidding process in 2010 and 2011.

Porter County Clerk Karen Martin said in December an FBI agent showed up at her office seeking copies of conflict of interest disclosure forms designed to reveal a public servant's financial interest in contracts or purchases involving their government offices.

The FBI also has taken possession of records related to the county commissioners' decision Dec. 18, 2012, to switch the provider of wellness and clinic service for county employees from HealtheACCESS to Porter Regional Hospital's CareEXPRESS, Mike Anton, who serves as the servicing agent for the county's health plan, said in November.

Hospital officials on Monday declined to comment.

The medical office building targeted in the FBI's most recent visits was in the news last week when Porter County Councilman Jim Biggs, R-1st, announced he intends to have the structure removed from the hospital's 10-year tax abatement because it has a different owner.

There is nothing in the 2009 abatement agreement indicating the hospital's intention to include more than its main building, Biggs said.