Illinois County Coroner Uses County Credit Card for Promo Items

Kane County, Ill., Coroner Rob Russell charged about $5,780 worth of unpaid bills for promotional items to his county credit card, bypassing a process that would have required county board approval because he felt businesses were caught in the middle of a "political battle," he said.

"If it looks like I am circumventing the B.S., it is exactly what I am doing," Russell said.

A county board ordinance passed in July requires Auditor Terry Hunt to flag invoices that are not statutory mandated for any department projected to be over budget. Russell's office is projected to be 6.8 percent over budget by the end of the fiscal year.