County Pol’s Bid to Get Back ‘Personal’ Pics Postponed

By Joseph Hosey

Former Will County Board Member Kathleen Konicki's bid to secure a protective order against an old boyfriend she claims is holding "personal" photos over her head was put on hold Thursday when her lawyer had to leave to take care of business in Kankakee.

The lawyer, John Ridge, did not want to discuss matters after he left court.

"The case is in litigation," Ridge said. "Why don't you ask me when it's over."

But Konicki's former flame wasn't averse to talking.

"She's a lawyer, she knows how to play the game," old boyfriend John Bassett said of Konicki, who is a licensed attorney.

Bassett said he and Konicki ended their romance seven years ago and that he only went to her home recently to ask if she would represent a friend, Clay Maloney, in a legal matter.

"That's the only 20 seconds in seven years," Bassett said of his contact with Konicki.

Maloney had accompanied Bassett to court and agreed with his friend's version of events.

Bassett also denied possessing photographs Konicki said he was court-ordered to destroy eight years ago.

"I found out ... recently that John did not destroy these pictures," Konicki said in a petition for a protective order. "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."

Bassett insists he did in fact destroy the photos.

"Absolutely," he said. "And she watched them be destroyed."

Konicki has declined to discuss the nature of the photographs. Bassett said "Some of them would have been romantic" and "Some of them might have been" nude pictures.

The hearing was rescheduled for Sept. 13.

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