Oak Brook's reputation a campaign issue

Oak Brook. Long known for its great shopping, gleaming office buildings and gated communities teeming with expensive homes.

But lately, the upscale suburb — home to 7,883 residents, McDonald's corporate headquarters and the Oakbrook Center mall — is also getting a reputation for down-and-dirty politics.

In recent months, the village president voluntarily took a polygraph test; controversy swirled around his late-night visit to a local bar and a $10,000 campaign donation. His election rival, meanwhile, was embarrassed by a year-old police report brought up at a public meeting.

“What we have in Oak Brook is a problem going back eight or 10 years,” said Trustee Gerald Wolin, who is running for re-election. “There are two political parties ... and they are not the Republicans and Democrats. They are the good guys and the bad guys.”

Oak Brook voters will have a chance to decide who's who on April 5.

The drama is playing out against a backdrop of growing tension within the village's police department and taxpayer outcry over public pension costs.

Village President John Craig and Police Chief Thomas Sheahan, who received a vote of no confidence from union police officers last month, are lightning rods for much of the controversy.

Craig, 76, was a village trustee for two terms before being elected village president in 2007.

“I'm in (the race) because I love Oak Brook and want to see it progress,” Craig said.

Running against him is Gopal Lalmalani, 61, a cardiologist and member of the Oak Brook Plan Commission, who — along with trustee candidates Wolin, Asif Yusuf and Michael Manzo — won the endorsement of the Oak Brook Community Caucus, which includes homeowner association representatives from throughout the village.

Craig's campaign website lists a number of high-profile supporters, including DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin.

Both candidates for village president agree that attracting new businesses is the key to Oak Brook's financial future. The village does not levy a property tax, but instead relies on sales tax revenues.

But Lalmalani said Oak Brook's reputation is in danger of becoming so tarnished upscale businesses won't want to locate there.

“We used to be a jewel in DuPage County. Our name has been degraded, our reputation is down in the gutter,” Lalmalani said. “There is a culture of corruption, and it has to end.”

For his part, Craig charges that his political enemies are behind the headlines that have been dogging him in recent weeks.

“Four months ago, everything seemed to be just perfect,” Craig said. “And then suddenly everything goes into a turmoil.”

Yet it was one of his own supporters, attorney Constantine Xinos, who first landed Oak Brook in the media spotlight.

A year or so ago, Xinos infamously belittled the village's librarians as people “making $100,000 a year wiping tables and putting books back on the shelves.”

Last fall, he called the village's police and firefighters “street people” who only understand civilized force, and suggested firing one firefighter a month in order to win contract concessions.

In both cases, Xinos' remarks quickly went viral on the Web, leaving many Oak Brook residents cringing.

More recently, Craig has been under fire on several fronts.

In January, the Better Government Association and Daily Herald reported that Craig and his wife collect about $142,000 from four government pensions. Craig has been outspokenly critical of Oak Brook employees' pensions and benefits.

An irate Craig said he was proud of the pensions he and his wife had earned through many years of hard work. They are former schoolteachers, and Craig also worked as a Cook County sheriff's officer.

The pension revelations were soon followed by reports that Craig accepted — but then returned — a $10,000 campaign donation from Gibson's Bar & Steakhouse several months after the restaurant received a liquor license. Craig doubles as the village's liquor commissioner.

Craig also drew heat for a late-night visit to the Sky nightclub. Police officers described him as drunk and belligerent when they came in to do a “bar check.”

Craig voluntarily submitted to a polygraph test — for which he paid $500 — which he said supports his version of events, that he was not drunk.

Xinos passed out copies of the examiner's report to trustees at a village board meeting.

“I challenge any of these policemen to take the polygraph as I did,” Craig said.

And just a week ago, the BGA and Daily Herald reported that state officials are looking into whether Craig has been putting in a full day's work on his $64,000-a-year job with the secretary of state's office.

Craig is on medical leave from the position as a dealer rep. The job entails visiting auto dealers and repair shops to, among other things, inventory temporary license plates.

Craig tried to tie his opponent to the reports by pointing out Lalmalani's daughter once worked for a law firm that is a major contributor to the BGA.

He also suggested that one of the police officers who was at the Sky bar is a friend of Lalmalani's.

Lalmalani said that is untrue.

“I've never met or talked to (the officer) in my life, and don't even know what he looks like,” he said.

Meanwhile, the bombshells keep dropping during the public comments segment of Oak Brook village board meetings.

Last month, the police union announced the vote of no confidence in Chief Sheahan. A Fraternal Order of Police representative said Oak Brook's police department suffers from a “glaring morale problem” due to Sheahan's “arbitrary and selective” discipline.

The village board, including Craig, called for an independent investigation into the workings of the police department.

But several weeks later, Fred Cappetta, chairman of the village fire and police board, gave a lengthy statement in support of Sheahan. If anything, he said, Sheahan is “too soft” on discipline. And Cappetta proceeded to stun the audience by publicly identifying police officers who had received disciplinary action.

He said he was moved to speak after receiving an anonymous letter from a “sniveling coward” that contained blistering accusations against Sheahan.

In another twist, an attorney revealed at a village board meeting that Oak Brook police had responded to a domestic call at Lalmalani's home last year.

Lalmalani said his wife called 911 after the couple got into a heated argument while trimming the 900-person guest list for their daughter's wedding reception. There was no physical contact, Lalmalani said, and no charges were filed.

“They came, everything was quiet and they left,” Lalmalani said. “We felt silly.”

He chalked up the release of the year-old police report to dirty campaign tactics.

“I guess when people get desperate, they do desperate things,” he said.

Contentious elections are nothing new in Oak Brook. Historically, the rhetoric — and rumors — tend to ramp up in the final days before the election.

Even so, voter turnout tends to be low. The candidates, who've been spending hours at neighborhood coffees and homeowner association forums, are wondering whether this year will be different. The newly elected officials will have to deal with a number of hot-button issues, starting with discontent in the police department.

“We need to get back on track,” candidate Michael Manzo said. “We need to get away from the personal attacks.”