From Illinois Leaks, reposted with permission:

Sunshine Week: Algonquin Township loses Partial Summary Judgement in FOIA case –

BY KIRK ALLEN & JOHN KRAFTON MARCH 15, 2021

Algonquin Township, IL. (ECWd) – [Yesterday] morning, a McHenry County Judge Granted our Motion for Partial Summary Judgment and determined that Algonquin Township violated the Freedom Of Information Act in regards to an FOIA request dated June 2, 2018, which was seeking communications between the township and YouTube.

There are several communications involved, but one communication between the township and YouTube was given to another FOIA requester, while it was denied to us.

That one communication was cited as a violation of the FOIA.

Other Prayers for Relief in our Motion for Partial Summary Judgment have been reserved to a future date.

This request came from our discovery that Algonquin Township Attorney James P. Kelly sent and received more than one communication to/from YouTube demanding they take down a video we had published.

In order to violate our First Amendment Rights, Algonquin Township appealed to YouTube to take down a video, which was a public record, because they didn’t like the fact we obtained said video and published it and said video embarrassed the Township Clerk.

Another status update is scheduled and more hearings will be scheduled until this FOIA request is fully and completely complied with.

Algonquin Township is spending your tax dollars to defend the indefensible.

This is a great start to Sunshine Week 2021!

Our attorney in this lawsuit is Denise Ambroziak.