5 days: The deadline Lyons Township missed in kiss-cam records fight
A D.C. nonprofit sued the township for ignoring a records request, a delay that now coincides with a Cook County Board race.
By Takeshi Davidson ·
The Illinois Freedom of Information Act requires most public records requests to be answered within five business days. Lyons Township missed that window in a dispute over video footage of a kiss between two local officials. The delay triggered a lawsuit from a Washington, D.C., nonprofit group.
Elyse Hoffenberg serves as the elected clerk for Lyons Township. She is also a Democratic candidate for the Cook County Board. Her opponent is Republican Liz Gorman. The legal trouble stems from a request for records related to an incident that occurred on July 13.
Surveillance video from the township offices in Countryside shows Hoffenberg being kissed after hours by Steve Landek. Landek is the mayor of Bridgeview and a former state senator. He has served as the Lyons Township Democratic committeeman and is a longtime ally of Michael Madigan, the convicted former Illinois House Speaker.
Gorman and others requested the video and related documents under the state’s public records law. Hoffenberg initially withheld the footage. She later released a specific clip to news media. She described the kiss as non-romantic but inappropriate. Gorman argued that any such contact was improper inside a government building.
Judicial Watch, a conservative nonprofit, filed a similar request on August 31. The township did not respond. The group filed a lawsuit in Cook County on September 28. The complaint alleges the township violated the FOIA statute by failing to act on the request.
The lawsuit states that the defendant received the emailed request the same day it was sent. It claims the township failed to respond or acknowledge receipt. In recent days, Hoffenberg’s office sent a letter to Judicial Watch’s lawyer. The letter called the lack of response an unintentional administrative oversight.
Hoffenberg’s office asked for a voluntary dismissal of the case regarding records already provided. The letter invited discussion to resolve remaining issues without further litigation. It is not clear if all requested records have been released. Judicial Watch did not comment on the status of the files.
Gorman suspects the delay was designed to limit the story’s impact before Tuesday’s election. She noted that the legal fees will be paid by taxpayers. Burt Odelson leads the defense for Lyons Township. He has worked for Lyons Mayor Chris Getty. Getty is running for Congress as an independent. Hoffenberg accused Getty of leaking the initial footage to Gorman’s camp, a charge Getty denies.
