Illinois Valley Times

Former La Salle County State’s Attorney Brian Towne faces 17 counts of official misconduct and misapplication of public funds following a grand jury decision to indict, according to the Edgar County Watchdogs (ECW).

The News Tribune reported that Towne, whom the paper contacted by phone, said that the indictments are completely unacceptable and an abuse of power and dirty politics on the part of current La Salle County State’s Attorney Karen Donnelly. Towne also asked that area residents reserve their judgments until the case is resolved.

Towne was state’s attorney from 2006 until the 2016 election, when he was ousted by Donnelly, according to MyWebTimes.com. His time in office included the creation of the State’s Attorney Felony Enforcement (SAFE) anti-drug unit, which has led to Towne to being the subject of a federal lawsuit. The Illinois Supreme Court ruled earlier this summer that SAFE was an illegal unit.

Brian Towne | Photo courtesy Edgar County Watchdogs

The charges against Towne break down to 13 counts of official misconduct and four counts of misapplied funds, all of which are felonies. Sentences for these charges range from probation to jail time. Towne will not be arrested but will receive a notice of the charges and a summons to the court hearing, the ECW said.