Algonquin Township Road District Ordered to Pay Edgar County Watchdogs $45,000 for Clerk’s Non-Responses to Freedom of Information Requests

Last Thursday, County Clerk-elect Joe Tirio was not the only one to have a victory in McHenry County Court.

Tirio won the right to find out what Jack Franks’ ally smeared him with hit pieces during the Republican Primary Election.

The Edgar County Watchdogs, which publishes Illinois Leaks, got a court order from Associate Judge Thomas Meyer ordering the Algonquin Township Road District to pay $45,000.

This is $5,000 more than would have been the case if the Township Board had followed Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Andrew Gasser’s advice in October, but it is still less than the original $50,000 sought.

Here is Road District Attorney Robert Hanlon’s email to Road Commissioner Andrew Gasser about the judge’s court order:

Dear Mr. Gasser:

Please find attached the order of the Circuit Court entered today. The Circuit Court rejected all of Algonquin Township’s arguments in support of the objection to the entry of the order.

The Court order reads:

This cause coming on to be heard on the objection of Algonquin Township as to the proposed settlement agreement and agreed order. The court having reviewed the parties briefs and considered oral argument, it is ordered:

  1. Algonquin Township Objection to the settlement agreement and entry of the proposed agreed order is overruled and denied.
  2. Nothing in this order serves to order Algonquin Township to perform any action beyond normal requirements imposed by operation of law (i.e. FOIA requests must be answered and complied with.)
  3. Algonquin Township Road District and Plaintiffs having represented to the court they agree as to the following to dispose of Plaintiffs Claims against the Road District as follows:

McHenry County Libertarian Party Chairman Jim Young greets May speakers Kirk Allen and John Kraft of the Edgar County Watchdogs, who write Illinois Leaks, at a meeting this summer.

a) Judgment enters in favor of the Plaintiffs Kirk Allen, John Kraft and Edgar County Watchdogs, Inc. in the amount of $45,000 instanter.

b) The Algonquin township Road District is ordered to produce all road district records set forth in the parties settlement agreement and in its possession or control. the Road District to pay the costs of Production of Documents.

Algonquin Township Clerk Karen Lukasik

Algonquin Township Attorney Jim Kelly

c) Plaintiffs and Road District to pay its own attorney fees and costs of suit.

d) All counts directed to the Road District are dismissed with prejudice. As to any count directed to both the road District and the Township,

This order of dismissal impacts only those claims against the Road District and not the township.

All of Plaintiffs claims against the Township remain unchanged by this Order.


Comments

Algonquin Township Road District Ordered to Pay Edgar County Watchdogs $45,000 for Clerk’s Non-Responses to Freedom of Information Requests — 6 Comments

  1. Names and the meanings of words have little value, Clinton proved that by saying he didn’t have sex with Monica.
    watchdogs (plural noun)
    1. a dog kept to guard private property.
    2. a person or group whose function is to monitor the practices of companies providing a particular service or utility.
    ad·vo·cate [advocate] NOUN
    a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy.
    lob·by·ist (lŏb′ē-ĭst) n.
    A person employed to influence legislators or other public officials in favor of a specific cause.
    You can name yourself a Watchdog organization, but in fact a more correct name would be Edgar Co Advocates and Lobbyist.
    Rachael Lawrence Facebook:

    Which non-profit (“legal charity”) will you be donating to: American Watchdogs, Inc. OR Edgar County Watchdogs, Inc.?
    Speaking of getting paid, you reported to the IRS $60K+ on this year’s filing for American Watchdogs under the Employee Salaries and compensation. So who got paid? Just curious.
    https://apps.irs.gov/…/813432164_201712_990…

    Honestly the worst thing about Kirk Allen and John Kraft is that they have done SO much GOOD in so many places, but they’ve invested too much work into Algonquin Township for too long to take a step back and see the big picture.

    I honestly feel a little sorry for them both, because it’s almost as if they’re too far “in” to turn around now, or even fathom the notion that they were used.

    Just like a looooong line of others.

    They can’t or won’t admit they might have been wrong–about ANYTHING.

    It’s a shame, because I truly believe they started out on this journey with good intentions, but somehow somewhere, those lines got blurred. OR, maybe it’s just too lucrative for them to resist now.

    Who knows.

  2. So, who is going to save us from the “watchdogs”?

    Another successful money grab by the people who claim to be watching out for you.

  3. Damn it.

    Gasser will prove he is right if he has to bankrupt the entire township.

    The big pink idiot is now the big pink ego trip.

    Read the Herald he is going to appeal the union lawsuit decision.

  4. All penalty cost easily avoided had the Clerk done her job.

    Rather then hold her accountable to fulfill the duties she took an oath to do, some will expend great energy to blame anyone else.

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