By Tony Brockmeyer
The First Capitol News has learned that a number of people who were associated with the failed attempt to recall Councilman Mark Brown and Councilwoman Dottie Greer have joined together once again to make another attempt to take over St. Charles City Government and the $100 million budget.
This group was financially backed by millionaire developers who spent over $107,000 three years ago in an attempt to buy their candidates seats on the City Council. They were unsuccessful in their attempt to gain control of the City Council. After fourteen months they decided to start a recall effort against Councilman Mark Brown and Councilwoman Dottie Greer because of their strong stance to hold the developers accountable. The group spent more than $87,000 in their attempts to remove Greer and Brown because they were outspoken against them. The recall campaign was filled with lies, fraud, and forgeries and resulted in arrests and numerous charges still pending in the office of the Prosecuting Attorney. The First Capitol News exposed their scheme and discovered that when this group fell short of the necessary signatures, the recall group started paying up to $10 per signature in an effort to seek the recall elections. They spent money flying airplanes trailing banners around block parties calling for Mark Brown’s recall.
This group attempted to deceive the public by hiding their identities and forming several different committees to which money was funneled and laundered through these newly formed committees.
Committee treasurer and one of the main organizers of the St. Charles Citizens for Responsible Government was Ken Kielty who is now a candidate for Ward 8 city council seat.
Kielty, an organizer of the recall committee demonstrated his close ties with millionaire developer and builder T.R. Hughes where a large amount of the $87,000 came from and was put into the recall effort.
The police were called in after the First Capitol News exposed the fraud. Ken Kielty had his son, attorney Michael Kielty, defend numerous suspects throughout the criminal investigation involving the recall fraud and forgeries.
The First Capitol News has learned Ken Kielty has contacted several candidates now running for city council seats throughout the city. Kielty has offered them financial support and help in their campaign.
A candidate who had filed to run against Kielty for the Ward 8 City Council seat said that he withdrew from the race because of several threatening phone calls he had received from Kielty.
This is not the first time Kielty has been associated with threatening phone calls. A threatening phone call made to resident Bob Bredensteiner several months ago was traced by the police to a phone number registered to Kielty. His son, an attorney, had also made a threatening phone call to the First Capitol News. Stories on both of these incidents can be found in our archives at firstcapitolnews.blogspot.com.
Kielty is closely aligned with Mayor York. He is also a close ally of Glennon Jamboretz another confidant of the Mayor.
York allegedly funneled City tax dollars to a fictitious company that was in the name of an employee of Jamboretz. The money then found it’s way to Jamboretz and then to St. Charles Citizens for Responsible Government which was started by Kielty and Jamboretz with the express purpose of recalling St. Charles City Councilmen. The money then went from Jamborertz and Kielty directly to the recall effort.
Kielty was also chairman of the County Sports and Convention Authority for a short time. Kielty served on the Convention Committee with Mayor York when the $37 million in contracts were handed out to numerous firms. After the convention center was built he then left the committee and attempted to have the authority hire him to develop a golf course even though he apparently had no experience for such a position.
When the city council attempted to remove the Mayor from the Convention Oversight Committee, Kielty had the Authority file a lawsuit against the council in an attempt to overturn their action and have the Mayor returned.
It is also thought by several public officials that Kielty is responsible for several vicious and malicious campaign pieces that have been mailed in recent campaigns.
Councilman Mark Brown told the First Capitol News that he has been threatened and warned that if he filed for re-election that the vicious lies and rumors they put out the last time would be insignificant compared to what they had in store for him in this election. Brown went on to say, “This group will go to any level in their attempt to seize control of the City’s $100 million budget and to receive special treatment for their developments at the expense of the taxpayers.”
Brown told the First Capitol News he was aware that Ken Kielty was involved with his opponents and his opponents were financially supported by the same people who attempted to recall him. Brown stated, “The same people are strong supporters of Mayor York and Mayor York was a member of their team. In fact she contributed $2300 to them several months ago.” Brown went on to say that other candidates who are not favored by these developers can probably expect vicious and malicious mailings to be sent out by this group against them.
