The kiss-cam saga continued this week in Lyons Township as the elected board held its first public meeting since footage from surveillance cameras surfaced showing one official getting smooched by a suburban mayor after hours at the township’s Countryside offices.
But much of the drama at the Tuesday night board meeting centered not on the kisser or who he was kissing, but a third political figure who had been accused of playing a part in leaking the video that showed the embarrassing encounter.
Chris Getty is the Lyons Township supervisor, essentially the top administrator for that obscure public agency that handles, among other things, social services for a cluster of western suburbs that make up the jurisdiction.
Getty is also the mayor of the village of Lyons, part of the township, and a candidate running as an independent for Congress.
Getty is not exactly a political pal of Lyons Township Clerk Elyse Hoffenberg, who is running as a Democrat for Cook County Board and was captured on video getting kissed in July by Bridgeview Mayor Steve Landek, who is the township’s Democratic committeeman and a former state senator.
Hoffenberg, who is married to someone else, initially told Patch the kiss was inappropriate and that Landek had apologized to her. Later, she described the kiss “as a lighthearted, friendly and non-romantic moment among colleagues.”
The surveillance cameras had been installed in the offices at Hoffenberg’s request as a security measure, officials said.
Not long after the incident, Hoffenberg’s Republican opponent in the county board race, Liz Gorman, got wind of the video and submitted an open-records request for a copy — prompting Hoffenberg to accuse Getty of involvement in the tip-off and of potentially deleting images.
But on Tuesday night, Getty insisted that he had nothing to do with the situation, reading from a prepared statement that said:
“The recent accusations … are completely false and without merit. The Clerk has chosen to manufacture procedural drama, promote baseless conspiracy theories, and launch political attacks against my office and the dedicated professionals who serve our township.
“The residents of Lyons Township expect and deserve the highest standards of professionalism and integrity from their elected leadership.”
Hoffenberg also initially accused Gorman of dirty politics, saying: “My political opponents attempted to extort me regarding this video, saying they would drop their threats to release it if I end my campaign. I am certain that our community will find this kind of old school politics of harassment abhorrent, and I won’t be bullied.”
Gorman attended Tuesday’s meeting and spoke during the public comment session, accusing Hoffenberg of making “defamatory” statements that had no basis in truth.
Gorman said she was considering legal action over the remarks, and for Hoffenberg’s alleged violations of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act — all of which taxpayers might have to pay to defend.
Under the law, public agencies are supposed to turn over records — whether paper or electronic documents, or even videos — upon request by the public or press, generally within five business days. As clerk, Hoffenberg handles such requests.
While Hoffenberg eventually released a clip of the kiss, Gorman said she had asked last month for the entire stretch of footage. Pointing to Hoffenberg’s previous remarks that some of the footage may have been deleted, Gorman also requested copies of all the video logs that would presumably show who accessed the video and who might have deleted any of it.
But none of that has been released, Gorman said, noting that her lawyer wrote to the township attorney asking that all video be preserved.
“I requested public records, I narrowed my request when asked, I still have not received responsive records within the applicable time frame,” Gorman said, adding that “there’s an obvious conflict” of interest in play since the records involve Hoffenberg and she’s handling the request.
“She should have recused herself, period. My request was very clear: any and all camera footage on the first floor from the dates and times requested,” Gorman said. “Any and all does not mean the clerk gets to choose the camera, choose the angle, or decide which footage I or the public are allowed to see.”
Hoffenberg was mum on the subject at the meeting and after it, preferring to focus on the work of the township, which officials announced would soon include Dolly Parton’s literacy program.
But a number of her supporters, along with Getty critics, spoke during the comment session, praising her and slamming Getty on a variety of fronts, from how Lyons police conduct themselves to diversity in the village.
The meeting devolved into a shouting match that led police to intervene and township officials to adjourn early.
After the event, Hoffenberg wouldn’t go into detail with reporters about her previous allegations, or the video, including whether parts had been deleted.