Algonquin Township Clerk Lukasik: “I don’t give a shit… go through it all.” Caught On Video

The township form of government has been under attack for some time in McHenry County.  Here is the latest from the Edgar County Watchdogs.  This is re-posted with their permission:

Algonquin Township Clerk captured on video removing records and more!

McHenry Co. (ECWd) –A simple Freedom of Information Act request has now lead to yet another denial of records, however, the video evidence is going to be problematic for more than just Karen Lukasik.FOIA Request 11/29/2017:

Karen Lukasik

“A copy of any records that the current Algonquin Township Clerk removed from the offices of the Highway Commissioner, Township Supervisor, and Township.”

Lukasik FOIA Response 12/06/2017:

“There are no documents responsive to your request.  The FOIA officer for this response is the Algonquin Township Clerk, Karen Lukasik.”

If there are no records responsive to my request then I guess the video that shows her taking records and saying I’ll take “this”, and “this”, as she grabs records and walks out is just a fabricated video using state of the art video editing?  No, the video is real and the Clerk denied an FOIA request for copies of the records she took out of the Township Supervisors office which is going to be very problematic for her. (see 13:09 mark of the video below)

FOIA Request 12/17/2017:

“A copy of all digital images of public records taken with a mobile device, such as a cell phone, tablet, and/or other similar device between May 15, 2017, through June 3oth, 2017.  The request applies to digital images of public records made by the Supervisor, Highway Commissioner and Clerk during the above-referenced timeline.”

Lukasik “late” FOIA Response 01/04/2018:

“There are no documents responsive to your request for the Township Supervisor and Township Clerk.  I have forwarded your request to the Highway Commissioner for his office to answer.”

NO documents?  Really?  Then what happened to the digital images of public records that she took in the video beginning at the 6:58 mark of the video?

Now for what should be a serious concern for the citizens of Algonquin Township as well as those of Fox River Grove.

Why would Jennifer Curtiss, a Fox River Grove Township Trustee,  be going through files and a person’s desk in the Algonquin Township Supervisors Office?  Not only is this trustee from another community going through Algonquin Township records, she is left alone in an office she has no business being it.

Jennifer Curtiss proudly shows her petition clip board at the Fox River Grove Lioness Spaghetti Dinner.

At the 12:17 mark of the video, Curtiss asks the Clerk: “Karen, do you have the authority to be going through this stuff?” Lukasik responds with: “I can do whatever I want”.  Then, as if the Clerk’s authority is all encompassing to her, she admittedly starts going through Township employee Ryan’s “stuff”.  She even tells Clerk LuKasik at the 13:16 mark of the video that she is going through “Ryan’s” stuff, which generated a response of; “I don’t give a shit…….go through it all”.  By asking if the Clerk had authority to go through stuff you would think she would understand that the same authority question would apply to her.

This video provides clear indicators that the Clerk was not honest with her responses to our FOIA requests and is not a trusted keeper of the records. Additionally, as statutory custodian of the records, her response of “I don’t give a shit……go through it all”, is sufficient to call for her immediate resignation in our opinion.

Any Clerk that brings in another person from another community and allows them to have free access to records to include leaving them in that office alone with those records is not protecting the records of the Township.

What kind of trustee thinks it’s OK to be going through other communities records?

We urge the voters of Algonquin Township and Fox River Grove to make special note of the behavior of these two people and realize they have no place in public service.

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Comments

Algonquin Township Clerk Lukasik: “I don’t give a shit… go through it all.” Caught On Video — 49 Comments

  1. Wow. The whole thing is so shocking. Why would an elected official who is supposed to be the custodian of all records for the township be so cavalier as to grant unfettered access to the offices and records of the township to an individual who has no status of responsibility.

    Granted gasbag is not winning any fans but can you imagine the up Roar if he brought someone who was not authorized into the road district opened up the key box and said go ahead Drive whatever you want wherever you want???

    The clerk’s alleged casual indifference is beyond shocking. She should resign and probably hire lawyer at this point. Ms. Curtiss may want to consider the consequences of her behavior as well.

  2. Sounds like a trump quote. She should just deny ever saying it. Her base will still support her.

  3. Those filing cabinets aren’t a person’s personal files, those are public files.
    Active files like year to date info for the township.
    From the video you can tell it’s warm out, but there is no time or date stamp presented with this video?
    Was the video before or after the requested records FOIA time?
    Were the records on the video removed from that office put back, or are they missing now?
    Jen Curtiss lives in Alg Twh, and is a sworn to uphold the law part of that township’s Community.
    Helping find records either miss filed or missing because of others actions for free is now a crime?

  4. Time to rethink your position, Karen. You need to go to the authorities and just tell them what you know and ask for mercy.

  5. Wow! Video evidence so defenders can only say a trustee of another town is free to go through the desk of someone else? Are you serious? Time date stamp of FOIA? Seriously? To quote my liberal friends where there is smoke there is fire, unless of course you support the arson. In this case Gasser is is starting to look more and more vindicated. Meanwhile the uproar over the legal fees is legitimate but the blame is on Miller, Lukasik and Chuck. 3 members of the swamp.

  6. Hey nob. Let’s go to the township together and rifle through desks and files. They are public property. After all you and I are taxpayers and voters upholding the laws of our part of the township.

  7. Where is the States Attorney on this?…is he on board…? someone should be arrested ..NOW.. and I am wondering why this hasn’t happened…

  8. Talk about a beauty contest, you should entitle this one “Kim Zinkie’s Beauties.” They all have a sailor’s mouth.

    The ugliness these two project is terrible. Ugly because of how they look at the people that entrusted Lukasik to the job of being a clerk.
    This is what you see when they think nobody is watching.

    Wasn’t there a court order on this behavior involving Lukasik?

  9. Call for a appointment, they should be prepare and not to busy to watch us.
    If it’s not locked up, it’s in public domain.
    If it’s Personnel files it should be not in public domain files like those are.
    With no other video released, we don’t know who was all rifling the records.
    We can be sure the number is greater than the two on this video.

  10. 12:19 via an employee of another Town “Karen do you have authority to go through this stuff?” Karen “I have the authority to go through whatever I want?” Earlier in video laughing at a FOIA seeking all correspondence and recordeds of the Union agreement. Collective laughs from our clerk and her friend.

  11. What’s the big deal about access to records.

    Over the last two years we have found out that the most powerful investigating agency (bureau) in the U.S. looked into the “matter” about a former lady secretary who was once a president’s wife. This lady secretary had many thousands of “records”, some very highly classified, that she let her aide and the aide’s pervert husband have access to long after she quit her job as secretary. She even let her lawyers, unauthorized to look at classified info, look through the email records that were not legally hers any more but belonged to the government.

    The head of the bureau let her off the hook for her recklessness on the classified/secret emails and said she was merely extremely careless. There are still many thousands of emails that belong to the government and the secretary lady either destroyed them or is hiding them.

  12. Lots of rock throwing.
    Back and forth they fly.
    Question is who will have the biggest pile in the end?
    Time will tell, get the popcorn ready.

  13. The video shows them both in short sleeved and no coats. So its likely the video was taken many months ago.

  14. Another observation is that Jennifer Curtis is wearing shorts! When was the last time it was warm enough to wear shorts?

  15. I will wait for a denial in 48 hours or so, and believe nothing ever happened…make Algonquin wonderful again! Tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock…

  16. We have been sitting on the video for some time. Once we got our FOIA responses back, which were based off what we saw in the video, we ran the story.

    Anyone who defends the actions of these two is why this country is in the mess it is in.

    Intellectual honesty is what is needed and anyone willing to be intellectually honest will see this is simply wrong!

  17. I was trying to watch the most recent township meeting on YouTube, but it’s not there. Anyone know what happened?

  18. Yes theWholeTruth. This Clerk banned the videotaping of the meetings saying there was problem with the audio. Well maybe they ought to use a nest! No problem with this audio here!
    Both of these ‘females’ should seek legal and come clean.
    Also, we had warm short wearing weather in November.

  19. Sitbd see Kirk Allen’s commentary above. They sat on the video and FOIA was sent to see if she would lie. Lucky guess!

  20. Meanwhile my street aren’t plowed and why did I only get a 5 reduction on the Tax Levy. Stop this madness and clear my street of snow.

  21. Hey boob head commenters… Read the article and stop with the amatuer detective clothing observations.

    None of you are electable either.

    “between May 15, 2017, through June 3oth, 2017.”

  22. If I may take the liberty to expand on Sitbd’s answer to Thewholetruth. The Clerk arbitrarily decided to discontinue video taping the meetings, and notified the board at the last meeting, after being asked about it by Trustee Lawrence. She didn’t give any set plans for future meetings. She said, I’ve gotten complaints about the audio. I might look into something else, I don’t know yet. We’re done!

  23. Get some coffee 2018pooper. Your attitude needs an enema.

    The reality and point of this story is that this twnshp clerk is willing to go down for Miller. Why? There’s got to be more to this story than we can see. This doesn’t look good for her (or her husband ex police chief FRG). Legal troubles are looming. What does Miller have on THEM?

  24. From the “you can’t make this stuff up file”

    Algonquin Township fires Ryan Provenzano as chief of staff
    By ED KOMENDAEmailFollow
    9:32 am
    From the NWH

  25. As a resident of Algonquin Township I would like this woman removed from her job immediately. My preference would be with handcuffs.

  26. Would you like your kids in teacher Lukasik’s classroom? Great example for them, right? She ought to resign her teaching position too, while she’s at it.

  27. Kirk Allen:
    http://www.nwherald.com/2018/01/09/algonquin-township-officials-in-conflict-over-hire-of-23-year-old-deputy-highway-commissioner/a4av45g/
    “I needed a deputy, and I found one, and Ryan is already at the township, [and] he already has a great understanding of how the township works, and he is not a full-time employee, by any means,” Gasser said. “He’s worth every friggin’ penny, and I am tired – I am tired of certain people coming around here and questioning everything I’ve done.”
    I’m not sure if “friggin” is in the new Urban dictionary yet?

  28. There is some legal problems this video raises under the Illinois eavesdropping statute.

  29. Patrickincary – the least of the problems is video compliance. Perhaps you should read the rest of these articles on Bob’s administration.

  30. @Patrick: Signs are posted regarding video surveillance

  31. At what point is enough??? this woman clearly doesn’t give a darn about anyone or anything, she sure has complete confidence in our states attorney not serving his county, now why would she think that??? why has this office done nothing to execute his responsibility ,. had this been joe blow citizen he would have put on a big parade grandstanding for the newspaper about what a wonderful his office has done, But no he refuses to do his job, we will remember you next time around

  32. I am with clear eyes on this. Something smells funny. I voted for him and I thought he was gonna clean this county up. It’s not looking good for him at this point. I have emailed his office a few times and been chastised for it by his staff. A personal answer from him was a little bit nicer, but pretty much the same results. I know the wheels of justice turn slowly, but don’t we have to get the starter churning first to see the engine warming up so that the wheels start to turn?

  33. People in Algonquin township need to start asking questions about why this is ok and for a detailed explanation.

  34. At last people are starting to wake up and see Gasser is not the person you thought he was shame shame shame I seen it when he aligned himself with Nick Provenzano. And as for you Gasser is you are tired of people asking you question maybe you should not have run for public office or even better yet why don’t you resign

  35. Sunshine blogger, please understand it is time to change the subject. A story on three-legged cats would be OK; perhaps a republican fundraiser, or the ruthless dictator Jack D. Franks, or something about a clogged sewer in Barrington Hills. Whatever it is, but please do something! Stay tuned…tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock…

  36. Gee, Rickey won’t it be fun when our township makes the headlines? Will make that jerk look like a small time piker. We will be number 1 for outlandish corruption!

  37. Guys and gals – There may be signs posted about video surveillance. There’s a problem with the audio, which has always been a problem with Illinois law (recently changed, but not enough). Also, the signs about video being in use would alert the public to the official collection and use of video. It would not protect against individual, unlawful (or at least non-officious) collection or use. I suspect the placement will lead to a determination that this was placed without what would be necessary authorization, making it illegal under either laws.

  38. And Frank, I appreciate your zeal, but it’s not really your place to tell anyone else what their rank of important topics ought to be. Feel free to relegate away, but please don’t presume to impinge on my right to do so as well.

    IMO much of this is absurd political theater by people who are not at all good at it; people who think that ‘gotcha’ moments get you anywhere, and that winning means accumulating more of these moments than the other side has.

    It’s all subjective opinion. Ironically, even when we get to the point where more of our tax dollars are spent on legal fees than allegedly went missing under previous officers ( a point in time that can be objectively “proven” as fact), folks will still supply their subjective opinions about whether the solution was worth outspending the problem. YMMV, but for me, I wish the leaders in the Township would disengage from each other and the useless bickering. Sadly, I don’t think that will happen since at least one of them has nothing else in their life but the feeling of importance they get from playing such political games.

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