Ex-DuPage auditor Grogan has the cash to pay for full recount of election he barely lost
Thanks to an online fundraising campaign, former DuPage County Auditor Bob Grogan has raised more than $56,000 to pay for a court-ordered full recount of the 2020 election he narrowly lost.
Grogan, a Downers Grove Republican, was defeated in November by Downers Grove Democrat William "Bill" White by 75 votes. But in May, DuPage County Judge Craig Belford ordered a recount of the more than 466,000 ballots cast in the race.
The recount has yet to begin because Grogan must pay some or all of the costs. Belford had given Grogan a Friday deadline to deposit the $56,307 - half the estimated eligible cost of the recount.
Grogan delivered the check to the DuPage County circuit court clerk's office on Friday afternoon.
It turns out Grogan raised the money over several weeks using a GoFundMe page. He said he was "truly humbled by all the support" shown by donors.
White, who was sworn into office as county auditor in December, said he opposes Grogan's push for a recount.
"His entire case is based on invalidating legitimate votes of honest voters, based on an obsolete law," White said Friday.
Grogan paid for a partial recount - 25% of the precincts - in December. He found that election judges at a Downers Grove polling place did not initial 436 ballots on Election Day. Grogan argues that made those ballots invalid and, if they were thrown out, he would have won by seven votes.
In his ruling, Belford said state law requires paper ballots to be initialed in ink. He then ordered the full recount.
A date for the recount has not been scheduled.
Meanwhile, Grogan, White and County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek will return to court on Sept. 7. Belford will consider a motion by Kaczmarek to dismiss Grogan's case.
Kaczmarek's attorney, Patrick Bond, could not be reached for comment on Friday.
To date, Grogan has spent roughly $40,000, mostly on legal fees, trying to get the recount.