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Pekau Allies Removed from Electoral Board by Cook County Judge
Two of the most vicious and controversial members of the Orland Park Village Board, Cindy Katsenes and Bill Healy, were ordered removed by a Cook County Judge from serving on the Village Election Board named by Mayor Keith Pekau to oversee a faulty challenge to candidate Jim Dodge who is running for mayor of the village. Two independent alternatives were appointed in their place. The Election Board will review a faulty error-ridden challenge filed by Pekau sycophant James Hartmann.
In a decisive ruling today, a Cook County judge ordered the removal of Trustees Cindy Katsenes and Billy Healy from the Orland Park Electoral Board, citing an “unacceptable risk of bias” stemming from their close ties to Mayor Keith Pekau and his ongoing campaigns, including unpaid loans.
The Court found this case was similar to other cases which “warrants disqualification of both Katsenes and Healy under General Order No. 21 5B “personal or direct pecuniary interest in the outcome of a case.”
The ruling comes as a significant development in the electoral process.
The Electoral Board has the critical responsibility of overseeing election-related matters, including reviewing nominee objections. With the judge’s ruling, it is expected that two new public members with substantial credentials in election law—typically retired judges or seasoned attorneys—will be appointed to ensure impartiality and integrity in the electoral process.
This ruling comes amidst an ongoing challenge to Dodge’s submitted petitions. A financial supporter of Pekau has initiated objections aimed at disqualifying Jim Dodge from the ballot, an action the Orland Park for All slate deems to be a frivolous tactic.
This is a direct cost to the public because the Village’s lawyers must be involved and is a typical campaign tactic used to cause the opponent to waste time and money getting on the ballot.
A review of the objection reveals it is error-ridden and aims to distract and burden him with unnecessary legal proceedings.
Specifically, the objector notes he aims to prevent Jim Dodge’s name from appearing on the ballot for “Village Clerk, in the Village of Lombard, in DuPage County.”
“These objections are nothing more than a tactical ploy to sabotage my campaign and undermine the will of the 4,236 voters who signed my petition,” said Dodge.
“We are committed to fighting back against this frivolous attack and will pursue every legal avenue to defend our right to be on the ballot.”
Dodge added, “The Orland Park for All party believes that we should proactively take the necessary steps to do what is right for our residents, without requiring a judge or the Attorney General to intervene or mandate our actions.”
The Orland Park for All campaign has prepared a lawsuit to recover all legal fees incurred from addressing these objections. This move emphasizes their determination to hold the objector accountable for initiating what Dodge describes as a “ridiculous, political dirty trick.”
Moreover, it is noteworthy that, according to Illinois law, a new party must run as a slate. A slate has all the members on it: Mayor, clerk, and trustees. If one of the members is removed, the law allows the slate to appoint a person to fill that slot. Should Dodge be removed as a candidate, the Orland for All slate can simply reappoint him as the mayoral candidate.
This development further underlines the political dynamics at play and the lengths to which some are willing to go to obstruct the democratic process.
The procedures following the judge’s ruling will unfold as follows:
1. Appointment of two qualified “public members” to the Electoral Board with expertise in election law.
2. Scheduling of a new hearing at Village Hall to address the objections raised against Dodge’s nomination.
3. OPFA will file a motion to dismiss the objections based on Illinois law and their lack of merit.
4. Should the Electoral Board rule in Dodge’s favor, he will be placed on the ballot; otherwise, an appeal will be pursued in the Circuit Court of Cook County.
5. Additionally, OPFA intends to seek sanctions against the objector for submitting frivolous and flawed objections, alongside the lawsuit for recovery of legal fees.
This development not only underscores the importance of a fair electoral process but also aims to reinforce public trust in local governance. Orland Park for All remains committed to ensuring that elections are conducted fairly, transparently, and free from undue influence.
Click here to read the Judge’s ruling
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Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
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