West Central Reporter

The Effingham County Board is using private counsel in an improper way, according to the Edgar County Watchdogs (ECW).

The ECW say that Chris Koester, an attorney hired by the county, claims to be an assistant state's attorney, yet records cannot be found to show his appointment by a court.

The ECW's Illinois Leaks website includes written dialogue that suggests a conversation took place between Koester and the ECW. It also includes italicized text apparently from a court document that the ECW says was an attempt by the court to allow the board to fix its mistake years earlier.

“The court believes the Board attempted to comply with the spirit of the law although it did not follow the letter of the law," the italicized text says. "The court will allow the defendants until April 21, 2015, to remedy this issue and properly authorize the SA to employ one additional Assistant State’s Attorney.”

Other questions involve the reflection of Koester’s status in minutes of public meetings and the lack of salary information related to the hiring.