B. Hills ethics case continued

The next State Board of Elections hearing on a campaign finance complaint against Barrington Hills’ winning “Save 5 Acres” slate of candidates will be held on a yet unspecified date within the next few weeks. The board heard testimony Thursday from a “Save 5 Acres” office worker who admitted to filing the campaign finance report that did not properly identify resident Benjamin LeCompte III as the original source of $5,000 donations to candidates Joe Messer, Karen Selman and Patty Meroni. The office worker, like the candidates themselves, cited ignorance of the new campaign law limiting such donation amounts and admitted to a technical violation of it. The State Board of Elections will consider its hearing officer’s recommendation on the case in either late April or at its regular meeting in May.