Whiteside official’s assistant blew whistle

“It appears Mr. Haring was trying some green alternatives and the prices seem to be in line with comparable products regularly purchased for use by the Highway Department,” he said in an email.

Haring also used his car for private purposes, Bauscher said.

In spring 2010, both men attended a conference in Rockford. Haring told his subordinate they would drive separate cars.

“He informed me he had to officiate a game and would need to leave early,” Bauscher wrote. “Mid-morning in Rockford, the county engineer left without informing me. The next day, he informed me he did leave early, his game was canceled, and he used the opportunity to go car shopping in Rockford.”

In another instance, the state police obtained a photo of Haring’s county vehicle at the Westwood sports complex in Sterling, where a referees meeting apparently was taking place.

In an interview with a state police detective, Andrea Dalton, the Highway Department’s executive secretary, said she was concerned that Haring was leaving early to officiate games, the report said.

He would leave around 2:30 or 3 p.m. up to seven times a year in his job as a referee for volleyball, softball, basketball and football, Dalton said in the report.

“On other occasions, she would not see him after lunch,” the report states. “Dalton did not know the reasons for these absences.”

‘Evidently took longer than what I thought’

On Sept. 27, two state police detectives interviewed Haring in the public lobby at the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Department.

According to the transcript:

Haring denied allegations from Bauscher, landfill technician Jim James and engineer technician Linda Blumhoff that he had workers spend county time on his personal projects.

He said the employees did work for him during lunches and weekends. After much questioning, he conceded employees may have worked on the county clock, but he said that wasn’t the plan.

When a detective asked Haring if employees spent longer than their 30-minute lunches on projects, the engineer said it was possible.

“I didn’t sit there and, you know, take a stopwatch or anything else,” Haring said.

The detective then asked Haring whether it was fair to say some work took a lot longer than 30 minutes. He said yes.

“It evidently took longer than what I thought,” he said.

Haring said he never demanded his employees help out.

The detective asked whether employees would feel a certain obligation to say yes to their boss.

“No, not with my employees,” the engineer said.

Asked what should happen to him, Haring responded, “I guess whatever the county decides.”

Report: Haring tries to influence testimony

State police Lt. Kurt Cavanaugh said Haring was cooperative during the investigation.

In the interview, Haring never returned fire at his employees. When asked about why they would make such allegations, Haring said he didn’t know.

However, Haring twice contacted James, the landfill technician, trying to get him to tell state police that the private work had been done during lunch or after normal working hours, according to reports.

Haring first contacted James on Sept. 27 in the Highway Department office, after Haring’s interview with police, the reports state.

The second time, Haring called James on his cellphone on Dec. 6, a day after the engineer was put on paid leave from his job as a result of the investigation, according to the reports.

James told detectives that the private work had been done during lunch on occasion, but it lasted for 3 to 4 hours at a time. One time, Haring went inside while James cut weeds because it was too hot for the engineer, James said.

James told detectives that he didn’t know how Haring would react if he had said no to the engineer’s requests for private work. But he said he didn’t want to take that chance, police said.

After the county suspended Haring, the engineer called Bauscher twice in the hours afterward, according to police reports. His second in command didn’t return the calls.

Haring hasn’t returned messages for comment from Sauk Valley Media.

Bauscher declined to comment, saying he believed the police report is all-inclusive.

“With work responsibilities, I feel I must remain focused on the department’s operations,” he wrote in an email.

Horn said his office was brought into the loop on the allegations as soon as the state’s attorney was made aware of them.

He said he hadn’t found it to be the case that employees feared going to his office to reveal wrongdoing.

As part of his plea agreement, Haring paid $7,500, including $2,500 in restitution. Judgment in the case will be deferred for 24 months, during which time Haring will be under court supervision, records show.

If he meets conditions of his supervision, the case will be dismissed. Such terms are allowed in misdemeanor and traffic cases.

Haring was in the fifth year of a 6-year contract with the Highway Department. Before that, he worked 36 years for the state Department of Transportation, from which he still is entitled to receive a pension.