The Herald News

Hosey: Unsolved mysteries but no puppet shows

By this point, you have to think the state police must be a little fed up with all this nonsense coming out of Joliet.

State investigators have been tied up for more than five months now, undoubtedly toiling away day and night as they struggle to solve the Mystery of the Mayor and the Guy He Grabbed at a Black Lives Matter Rally.

And then, with that enigma still hanging open and unsolved, the state police must contend with the Curious Case of Councilman Duck Dickinson’s Pic and the Lady He Says He Sent It To.

Last week, Dickinson filed a report accusing Mayor Bob O’Dekirk — the same Mayor Bob O’Dekirk the state police are investigating in connection with the incident at the Black Lives Matter rally — not only of intimidation, but of also somehow getting his hands on nude photos of the councilman.

Dickinson later explained that he texted a photo of himself to a former flame he declined to name. But even if Dickinson wouldn’t say who he sent the picture to, the only people listed in the police report are the suspect, who is the mayor, the victim, Dickinson, and Joliet Park District Commissioner Jennifer Jobe-Gavin, who is identified as “other.”

Dickinson may not have come out and named Jobe-Gavin as the photo’s recipient, but she believes he was talking about her. And now she’s threatening to sue.

As of a few days ago, Jobe-Gavin said she was still trying to find a lawyer to take her case, which is a pretty big decision and should not be taken lightly. Fortunately for Jobe-Gavin, there’s at least one lawyer out there who seems to have some time on his hands.

Former City Attorney — and two-time former interim City Manager — Marty Shanahan appears to be unemployed, as he’s been collecting unemployment since he was fired back in May, and is likely looking for work.

Shanahan might even be willing to take the case just to get back at Dickinson, who stood in his way of collecting a $122,896 payoff — plus six months free insurance — from the city.

Dickinson had the audacity to go against buying off Shanahan after supporting the idea in a secret vote held earlier. This caused great consternation amongst O’Dekirk and a few members of the city council.

Councilman Terry Morris suggested that there may be, for some reason, the perception that Shanahan was the “mayor’s puppet.” Councilman Larry Hug called the treatment of Shanahan “evil and unforgivable,” and was also kind enough to provide some insight on how Shanahan might prevail in a lawsuit against the city if he decided to sue, which is just what he did the next day.

“All they have to do is call the video, is subpoena the night that we had the executive session with (former interim City Manager) Steve Jones,” Hug said. “That’s alls they got to do. And we knew that. Intelligent people knew that this was a losing cause for us, to cut our losses.”

Shanahan surely appreciated this unsolicited legal advice. After all, it’s never easy when you’re fighting City Hall. And if Jobe-Gavin ever gets around to filing her own lawsuit, especially if she has Shanahan as her attorney, Hug might have some ideas for her as well, what they may want to subpoena, for instance. Not that anybody would be pulling Shanahan’s strings.

• Joe Hosey is the editor of The Herald-News. You can reach him at 815-280-4094, at jhosey@shawmedia.com or on Twitter @JoeHosey.

Joseph Hosey

Joseph Hosey

Joe Hosey became editor of The Herald-News in 2018. As a reporter, he covered the disappearance of Stacy Peterson and criminal investigation of her husband, former Bolingbrook police Sgt. Drew Peterson. He was the 2015 Illinois Journalist of the Year and 2014 National Press Club John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award winner.