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Lauzen accuses county board member of revealing closed session info

Kane County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen took county board member Maggie Auger to task Tuesday morning, saying she had revealed items the executive committee had discussed in closed session Sept. 3 regarding the county coroner's practices.

Lauzen, at the end of Tuesday's executive committee meeting, read an email from Auger to Coroner Rob Russell. In it, Auger said she had questions, based on the Sept. 3 meeting's agenda and discussion held during the closed portion of the meeting. She asked Russell the cost to provide electronic copies of reports for all the autopsies his office had done, and if the state's attorney's office would support having Russell waive the statutory fee for providing copies of autopsy reports. Russell copied his reply and her email to an assistant state's attorney, and that attorney forwarded it to Lauzen.

At the time, Lauzen and Russell were disagreeing over the coroner's spending, and Lauzen hired former coroner Mary Lou Kearns to review all Russell's autopsies to see if any were unnecessary. Russell had waived Freedom of Information Act copying fees for the reports, but it was unclear if he could waive a state-set fee of $50 per report.

Tuesday, Lauzen said he was disappointed that things discussed in closed session were being discussed elsewhere. He said it was not the first time it had happened.

“Maggie, I have to ask you, why would you take things we are talking about in executive session” public? he asked.

Auger disputed that.

“I did not take anything that we talked about in executive session ... I did not state any facts discussed,” she said.

“To me, that is not a reassurance that confidentiality is being respected,” Lauzen said.

“How is it inappropriate to get conversation going between all the parties?” Auger replied.

What can be discussed in closed session is limited by the state Open Meetings Act. Lauzen said Tuesday discussing the autopsy situation in closed session was appropriate because it involved potential litigation, and that the assistant state's attorney attending the Sept. 3 meeting had indicated it was appropriate. He also said he had tried “gentle” general warnings to committees about keeping closed session discussions private before specifically mentioning Auger.

“People are learning you don't send emails,” Auger said after Tuesday's meeting, who did not know how Lauzen had ended up with her email. “It (the criticism) was inappropriate.”

Maggie Auger
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