AG’s office asks tollway for an explanation of closed session

The Illinois attorney general’s office is seeking answers from the Illinois tollway about whether an Open Meetings Act violation occurred when directors went from a closed to open session Aug. 29.

The action follows a request from the Daily Herald to the AG’s Public Access Bureau.

Illinois directors went into executive session early in the meeting, at which point employees, visitors and a Daily Herald reporter left the board room.

The board resumed the open session later but did not announce this to people waiting outside.

The Daily Herald returned to the room as directors were leaving and learned the meeting was over. The board had voted on multiple items.

“We have determined that further inquiry is warranted,” Public Access Bureau Deputy Bureau Chief Laura Harter wrote the tollway Wednesday. She asked officials to address if the board adjourned the closed session before taking final action, and if board members informed members of the public attending the meeting in person that the open session had resumed.

Tollway officials said that after finishing the executive session, the board re-engaged the livestream meeting video and returned to the public session.

All board actions, including approving contracts took place in public on the live video stream, and the meeting recording was also posted on the tollway’s website, a spokeswoman said.