Crime & Safety

County Pol's Ex-Guy Pal Says He 'Destroyed' Personal Pics

An old boyfriend of Former Republican County Board Member Kathleen Konicki denied plotting to embarrass her with "personal" photographs.

By Joseph Hosey

Former Will County Board Member Kathleen Konicki's old boyfriend already destroyed the "personal" photos she accused him of holding over her head, according to a recent court filing in their case.

"As far as pictures of her she requested destroyed, this was done in her presence in 2005," former Konicki flame John Bassett wrote in an answer to her petition for a protective order.

"She sat with me in my office at my computer, and watched every photo or file be deleted," Bassett said. "As far as me sending photos of her to anyone, I never did this."

In her petition, Konicki, 64, claimed Bassett was ordered to destroy the photos eight years ago but she lately learned they are still floating around.

"I found out ... recently that John did not destroy these pictures," Konicki's petition said. "He gave these pictures to another friend of his who I dated some time ago. This person emailed the pictures of me out to a number of other people."

This other boyfriend is not identified in the petition. Konicki, who is an attorney, has declined to comment on the case or the nature of the photographs, which Bassett planned to use against her, according to her 2005 petition.

"He has threatened to use these pictures and other, more personal ones, to keep anyone else from being interested in me," Konicki wrote.

Bassett denied all of this.

"As far as me sending photos of her to anyone, I never did this," he said. "Also, I never spoke to or met anyone else she dated, as she claims.

"Also, I would have had no photos to send, as previously stated," Bassett said.

Bassett said he resumed contact with Konicki at the behest of a friend who needed a lawyer.

"I also thought she may want the extra income," he said.

Konicki, a Homer Glen Republican, lost her seat on the county board when she was defeated in the March 2012 primary. While still in office, she was a fixture at the Drew Peterson murder trial, attending regularly, if not every day.

Konicki is scheduled to return to the county courthouse Wednesday, this time for her own case with Bassett. According to his filing, Bassett, a New Lenox resident, plans on attending as well.

"I will see her in court," he said, "with my friend who asked me to contact her."

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