Ethics complaint alleges Deer Park used official Facebook page to sell tickets for GOP event

A complaint to the Deer Park Ethics Commission alleges village officials and employees used the town’s official Facebook page to sell tickets to a partisan campaign event.

Lake County Democrats are questioning the Oct. 12 post inviting residents to a luncheon hosted by the Cuba Township Republicans at the Biltmore Country Club in North Barrington.

The Oct. 17 event was to feature 14 candidates on the Nov. 3 ballot and give attendees a chance to hear from them before Election Day.

The post included information on how to purchase tickets, according to the Democratic group.

State ethics law, as adopted by ordinance in the village, prohibits public officials and employees from using public resources to solicit ticket purchases for political events, Lake County Democrats say.

Deer Park resident Nancy Shepherdson, former vice chair of the Lake County Democrats, filed the complaint.

“When the village uses its official page to sell tickets to a Republican campaign event, it puts the weight of local government behind one party and makes every taxpayer foot the bill,” she said in the release.

The complaint asks the village ethics commission to preserve all records related to the post, identify officials and employees responsible, refer the matter for prosecution and recommend appropriate discipline.

An intentional violation is a class A misdemeanor, according to the organization.

Village Administrator Beth McAndrews said in an email Tuesday that the town’s ethics commission is dormant, so before it could consider the complaint, it first would need to be appointed.

“To date, we have not received such a complaint, but we will, of course, review and consider it once it has been received,” McAndrews said.

The complaint was sent to the main office via the U.S. Postal Service and likely will be received later in the week, said Dan Didech, chair of Lake County Democrats.

mzawislak@dailyherald.com