County State’s Attorney: No charges in Silvis case; mayor responds
The Rock Island County State’s Attorney has completed a review of a city of Silvis complaint and no criminal charges are being filed at this time.
In a long-running battle among Silvis leaders, there was an allegation that Mayor Matthew Carter retaliated against employees who took part in an investigation that led to the firing of another city employee.
Rock Island County State’s Attorney Dora A. Villarreal received complaints and documentation regarding potential retaliation against a whistleblower by the mayor. These materials were reviewed and forwarded to the Illinois State Police Special Investigations Unit for further inspection, according to release from the State’s Attorney’s office.
Based upon the information provided and a careful examination by both agencies, at this time there is insufficient evidence to proceed with any criminal charges, the release said.
Due to the nature and circumstances of this matter, the State’s Attorney’s Office recommends that any complaining party contact the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) and consults with a private attorney for possible civil action.
The State’s Attorney’s Office will continue to accept and review any additional relevant information that may become available in the future.
Mayor Matt Carter responds
Mayor Matt Carter released a statement Friday evening about what he calls the end “of a remarkable stretch during which members of the City Council have alluded to allegations by them or others against me in meetings and during which I have asked for a written statement of any allegations against me of any kind. Notably, I have never received anything concerning these allegations. The attorney I retained, in part, to defend these allegations has never received anything,” he says.
“I appreciate the reported work of the Office of the Rock Island State’s Attorney, Dora Villareal and her staff, as well as the work of the Illinois State Police. At no time have I broken any law, altered someone’s conditions of work, or acted against someone as a result of anything. I took no steps that another Mayor would not have taken in the best interest of their community. As a result, I am certain that, even if I knew of the allegations and their sources, I would confidently defend myself.”
“Alderpersons Dyer (in particular), Lohse and Trulson should be ashamed for raising these issues, engaging in a charade of a vote of no confidence and in attempting to mislead the public concerning whatever these charges were as well as for acting as though they understood, somehow, that whatever was forwarded merited action of any kind. They should feel smaller and sit lower in their seats at the Council table. They were wrong, and they and Allison Wright placed me in an impossible position that has not only embarrassed Silvis but that has also stained them permanently. However they decided to go about this, with or without legal advice, they harmed the City they swore to serve.”
“A week ago, I took another series of steps in my effort to get beyond the City’s leadership issues. I did not do this alone. Alderpersons who recognize that we, as a City Council, need to get past the internal problems chose not to falsify the minutes of the February 7, 2023 meeting (at the request of Alderperson Dyer who stood alone in this effort) and chose not to override my veto of the legislative counsel ordinance. I vetoed action by the Alderpersons, causing us trouble to terminate Ancel Glink and retain Allison Wright for labor and employment work. To avoid unnecessary spending, I directed the attorney for the Mayor to resolve the issues in court to the extent possible and for the City’s benefit by obtaining property of the City, by obtaining a commitment from Allison Wright to stand down on her representation and by agreeing to let Allison Wright finish her current work and attend bargaining matters with Ancel Glink as the lead attorney. I did this as a unilateral concession to get through this and I simply would not have let Allison Wright stay on for any reason other than to move forward, This does not affect my veto. I hope that the City Council will respect this and not force me into a position of litigating the authority of the Mayor and elected Councilmembers. After attempting and failing to obtain City Council input on one law firm, I have appointed Bond Dickson & Conway to handle only the matters involving the Illinois Attorney General and a few Freedom of Information Act requests – again to keep the City moving.”
“I am thankful for the reports today, for the past well wishes and for the review of County and State officials. Without the cloud of an undefined and never-communicated investigation looming over me or the City, I look forward to circulating requests for proposals for the position of City Attorney so that the new City Council can act as a team to do the work of the City going forward.”
“I thank Keri-Lyn Krafthefer and Ancel Glink for continuing excellent, and ethical, work in difficult moments for the City. I also thank Mark Daniel for stepping up and advising and representing me when needed and for being available if called upon to participate in whatever review was going on. Most of all, I want to thank the citizens of Silvis for their overwhelming support. We have smart folks in town who simply chose not to sit at home while this came to a boil.”
“In closing, I hope that the City Council will convene an April 5, 2023, closed session to conclude the disputes at the City Council level. While it seems that Alderpersons Dyer, Lohse, and Trulson will not negotiate until I resign, their position is irresponsible and childish. I am simply not resigning. I am proud to serve Silvis and to do the work of the City for the people who live, work and visit here. I think we would all be in a better position to close this ugly chapter before the new City Council has to address it.”
“NOTE; In the interest of resolving this matter, on April 5, 2023 and not later than April 19, 2023, I will not be further commenting on the disputes.”
Carter then gives contact information for media contacts.
