Illinois Township Supervisor Admits Using Government Funds at Casino, Won’t Resign

Illinois Township Supervisor Admits Using Government Funds at Casino, Won’t Resign

A township supervisor in Illinois is standing firm and not stepping down from her role, even after acknowledging she spent public funds at a casino. 

At the September 4 meeting of the Canteen Township Board of Trustees, Township Supervisor Sally Rodriguez acknowledged using the town’s debit card for personal expenses. However, Rodriguez, who was selected for her role by the trustees in May 2023, asserts that the withdrawals from the government card were accidental. 

Trustees report that an unnamed informant alerted them that Rodriguez not only misappropriated funds from the township using a debit card but also wrote checks to herself from the township's bank account, which she subsequently cashed. Banking documents indicate that six transactions occurred at the Horseshoe Casino St. Louis, which is managed by Caesars Entertainment. 

Rodriguez admitted to taking out $6,000 in cash at the casino. She additionally deposited two checks addressed to her from the township's checking account, along with a third one made out to cash. 

Canteen Township can be found in St. Clair County in the southwestern region of Illinois beside the Mississippi River. The township consists of Caseyville, Fairmont City, Fairview Heights, Madison, and Washington Park. Horseshoe Casino St. Louis is located right across the river from the community. 

The news of Rodriguez's actions was first reported by the Belleville News-Democrat. 

Declining Resignation 

At the September meeting, Canteen Township Trustee Rickie Thomas, with a motion supported by Trustee Angie Rodgers, urged Rodriguez to resign without delay. She declined. 

Rodriguez argues that the monetary transfers to her advantage occurred mistakenly. Thomas stated that one incorrect transaction could be excusable, but not five.

"I asked her how do you make the same mistake five times and how does your personal card have the same PIN as the township’s?” Thomas asked, as reported by the Belleville News-Democrat.

The attorney for the township informed the media that the trustees do not have the power to forcibly remove an elected official, despite Rodriguez being appointed — not elected — to the position after Supervisor Norm Miller passed away in April 2023. 

It’s uncertain whether Rodriguez has consented to reimburse the township for the funds she withdrew from its bank accounts. It is also unclear whether Rodriguez used the stolen money for gambling. 

The board was alerted to her activities after two trustees and the township clerk got packages in the mail outlining her supposed theft. 

As per the US Census Bureau, the median income for households in Canteen Township is $41,530. The job rate is under 50%, and nearly four out of ten individuals live in poverty. 

Politics in Illinois 

Regarded as a Democratic bastion and one of the party’s “big three” states alongside California and New York, Illinois politics has historically been marred by scandal. Originating even before the Chicago Outfit controlled the Windy City, political corruption in Illinois is almost as renowned as Chicago’s deep-dish pizza. 

One of the state’s most infamous political scandals involved Gov. Rod Blagojevich accepting bribes for the Senate seat left empty by Barack Obama following his presidential win in 2008. 

More recently, and undoubtedly less significant, is Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard, the self-proclaimed “supermayor” who’s alleged to be living extravagantly at the expense of her taxpayers. Last year, Henyard reportedly accumulated a bill exceeding $10K for a trip to Las Vegas that was funded by taxpayers.