04092014 - News Article - FBI looking at 2013 County Expo Center payroll info

FBI looking at 2013 County Expo Center payroll info
Chesterton Tribune
April 09, 2014
http://chestertontribune.com/Porter%20County/fbi_looking_at_2013_county_expo.htm

The FBI is still actively conducting its investigation of Porter County government and appears to be interested in last year’s payroll information for the Porter County Expo Center.

County Auditor Robert Wichlinski confirmed this morning that an agent came to his office at about 1 p.m. Tuesday to obtain the Expo Center’s payroll records from 2013.

The agent did not indicate why he wanted to see the information and did not take anything else, Wichlinski said.

Wichlinski told the Chesterton Tribune that the agent also inquired about what records, claims and “a laundry list of other documents” in the auditor’s office were available to the public and if there was any information that would require a subpoena.

Wichlinksi said he told the agent that all the information in his office is public.

According to Wichlinski, this is the first time an agent with the FBI has come to him for information.

Since November, numerous County offices have reported visits by FBI agents collecting information.

In March, agents collected copies of building permits for Porter Regional Hospital and its adjoining medical center from the Porter County Plan Commission. They also downloaded records from the Plan Commission office from the County’s computer server in the IT office.


In addition to the hospital building permits, the bureau so far 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.