How wrong was Zinke?

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Is the possible investigation of Undersheriff Zinke falling off the radar in McHenry County?

In summary, Zinke is alleged (in a Petition filed in Court) to have revealed a confidential DEA investigation to Brian Goode, president of RITA Corp. in Crystal Lake. Illegal drugs were part of a shipment headed from Texas to RITA Corp.

Why should Zinke have not informed Goode?

At the McHenry County Sheriff's Department there are what are called General Orders. These tell employees (deputies, command officers, Undersheriff, Sheriff) what they can and cannot do.

"Item 8. Assisting Criminals.
"a. Except as authorized, employees shall not communicate information
which might assist persons suspected of or charged with criminal acts.
"b. Employees may communicate information to appropriate Departmental
employees or the Prosecuting Attorney's Office that would exculpate
individuals suspected or charged with a criminal act..."

What does 8a mean?

Exactly what it says. Zinke is an employee. Therefore, he "shall not" communicate information that might "assist" persons suspected...  If drugs were headed for RITA Corp. (and the Petition said they were (according to the DEA)), and if Brian Goode is the president of RITA Corp. (and he is), then he might be a person "suspected".

The complete evidence gathered would help the DEA determine whether or not Goode was involved in any criminal way. As president of the company he is responsible for everything that is going on in his company. It is also certainly possible that criminal acts could be taking place in the receiving or shipping department of which he had no knowledge.

It would be up to the DEA to determine if and when to reveal to Goode that his company was suspected of criminal activity. If the illegal drugs in the current shipment were removed from the truck at an intermediate stop and never reached RITA Corp. (and were not intended to reach RITA Corp.), then wouldn't RITA Corp. be off the hook?

Were there illegal drugs in other shipments bound for RITA Corp.? Were they delivered to RITA Corp. or were they removed before the truck(s) reached RITA Corp.? The DEA's investigation would be thorough.

It was not up to Zinke to contact Goode and reveal a confidential DEA investigation.

The political tie cannot be ignored. The address-of-record for Zinke's political campaign is at RITA Corp. Zinke's boss, Keith Nygren, and Brian Goode seem to be very good friends. Nygren's own political campaign benefited to the tune of $50,000 over ten years. And Goode has been a member of the Sheriff's Merit Commission since 2004. And had a marked MCSD squad car parked (stationed) at his residence for some yet-unknown reason. Zinke certainly wouldn't want to do anything to irritate Goode or his boss.

But revealing a confidential Federal investigation? One commenter to a previous article wrote that Zinke just did what any good cop would do.

I don't think so!