Kane County Board chair censured for sharing confidential information

The Kane County Board has censured board Chair Corinne Pierog, saying she revealed confidential details about an investigation into a complaint against a board member.

Board members voted 13-7 Tuesday in favor of censure. Four members were absent.

The resolution states that the county board “has become aware that the chair has acted in a manner beyond her scope of duties; and whereas, the county board believes the chair inappropriately participated in the sharing of confidential information.”

County board member Leslie Juby, a Democrat from Geneva, proposed the resolution. Pierog, of Batavia, is also a Democrat.

Fellow Democratic board members Deborah Allan, Michelle Gumz, Michael Linder, Jarett Sanchez and Bill Tarver joined Juby in voting to censure.

Seven other board Democrats — Alex Arroyo, Sonya Garcia, Mohammad Iqbal, Chris Kious, Myrna Molina, Cheryl Strathman and Vern Tepe — voted “no.”

Pierog recused herself from the discussion but sat in the audience.

She later declined to comment on the censure.

Tepe, of Elgin, called the censure vote “a predetermined lynching,” and said the board is focusing on the wrong person. He later said the complaint had been filed against county board member Cliff Surges, a Republican from Gilberts.

Surges left shortly after the meeting and could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Few details were provided about what Pierog is alleged to have done. Officials cited the confidentiality requirements of the underlying matter.

State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser told the board that a county worker filed a complaint about the behavior of a county board member. The state’s attorney’s office investigated the complaint and drafted an “action plan” to resolve the matter. The board member agreed to that plan.

Mosser said Pierog shared specifics about the investigation with the county board outside her authority. She said the board should not have discussed the details of the complaint, and that state law specifies disclosure of allegations in a complaint “shall be restricted to individuals who have a need to know.”

Pierog “should not have discussed it with anyone not directly involved,” Mosser said. “This board is not always entitled to allegations of complaints.”

ssarkauskas@dailyherald.com