A misdemeanor charge filed against former Lake Forest City Manager Robert Kiely was dismissed Tuesday after a Lake County judge verified that Kiely had successfully completed the terms of a plea deal.
At a brief teleconference hearing, a county probation officer attested that Kiely performed the 15 hours of community service, made a $1,000 charitable donation and wrote a letter of apology to Lake Forest over Kiely’s role in approving a lobbying contract whose $200,000 price tag exceeded his authority as city manager.
In February, Kiely agreed to plead guilty to a charge of attempted official misconduct, but with the understanding he could ask the court to withdraw the plea if he met the terms of the agreement within a six-month period. After hearing assurances from the probation department, the State’s Attorney’s Office and Kiely’s attorneys that the terms had been satisfied, Judge Victoria Rossetti dismissed the charge Tuesday.
“Defendant’s motion to withdraw the plea is granted, and the matter is dismissed,” Rossetti said.
Kiely was present on the video hearing, though was not required to speak and did not say anything.
After the hearing, Kiely issued a statement saying, “My family and I are thankful that this most unfortunate ordeal is now over, and the case against me dismissed. The tremendous outpouring of support we received from the community throughout this 10-month process was truly humbling and appreciated. It reaffirmed why I love this community so much.”
Probation officer Angelica Barbosa-Gomez said Kiely met his community service requirement working at a medical facility.
Kiely, who served as the city’s top administrator for almost three decades, stepped down in January 2019, about nine months before a grand jury indicted him on a felony count of official misconduct.
The count alleged that Kiely had exceeded his $20,000 purchasing authority in 2016-17 when he authorized a contract with a lobbying firm. During that period, the city was seeking help to arrange federal funds for an Amtrak stop and underpass at the Telegraph Road train stop.
In 2018, a special counsel hired by Lake Forest later determined that the city had paid $200,000 to the lobbying firm. At the time, Kiely apologized and described the matter as an oversight.
Prosecutors later said they agreed with Kiely’s assertion that he did not receive any personal gain from the contract. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors agreed to reduce the felony to a misdemeanor count in exchange for Kiely’s guilty plea.
