Latest news with #Kaczmarek
Chicago Tribune
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Illinois attorney general investigation of DuPage County clerk a concern for county's Democratic growth
When activist Jean Kaczmarek was elected DuPage County clerk seven years ago, she became the first Democrat elected to countywide office in 84 years and her subsequent work as clerk to make voting easier and more available was lauded by the party faithful. But the appointment of Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office as special prosecutor to investigate Kaczmarek's office over allegations of official misconduct has prompted concern among Democrats that the gains they have made in wresting significant control of the once strongly Republican suburban county could be at risk. Kaczmarek, hailed in 2022 by the Democratic Women of DuPage County with its leadership award, is already facing a primary challenge as she seeks a third term next year. And her previous budgetary actions helped lead to a change in state purchasing law for most Illinois counties — a law that is now at the center of the Raoul investigation. DuPage County Circuit Judge Bonnie Wheaton's order on Monday appointing Raoul's office as special prosecutor is rooted in more than two years of internecine battles between the Democratic clerk and the Democratic-led DuPage County Board involving the often labyrinthine world of budgetary control and power in county governance. Even before the special prosecutor appointment, each side had filed civil suits against the other over such issues as Kaczmarek's ability to make budgetary transfers from one account to another without informing the county's chief financial officer from where the money was coming — as other county agencies and offices are required to do. In defending the moves, Kaczmarek is leaning on an April 2023 advisory opinion from Raoul that says a county board's budgetary authority over county officers using 'internal control provisions' is limited to appropriating lump sum amounts for equipment, materials and services. 'The attorney general's office has been crystal-clear for decades on this issue and it's time DuPage County started following the law,' Kaczmarek said in a statement a day after the special prosecutor appointment. 'The job of the County Board is to fund the office, not to micromanage operations.' But DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin, one of only three GOP countywide officeholders and the legal counsel for both the board and the clerk's office, said that under state law the clerk's transfers 'must be accomplished in such a manner for the County Finance Department to track' them. 'You were cautioned that expenditures in excess of an appropriation are prohibited, and a violation may result in prosecution of a Class B misdemeanor,' Berlin wrote to Kaczmarek's chief deputy clerk, Adam Johnson, in a May 2023 email. 'Further, a violation of any of these laws may constitute official misconduct by the public officer and/or the employee. Penalties may include forfeiture of the office or position, in the case of an employee, and is also a Class 3 felony.' The Democratic-led county board has sided with Berlin amid concerns over Kaczmarek's power, contending that there is a lack of transparency and a failure to follow traditional bidding rules. It led Deb Conroy, the county board's chair since 2022 and a former Democratic legislator, to travel to Springfield last year to persuade her former legislative colleagues to change state purchasing law to specifically put controls on the actions of elected county officials like Kaczmarek. 'The DuPage County Board and I work diligently to ensure our offices are fiscally responsible and that they comply with procurement laws and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles,' Conroy said in a statement. 'For years, we have expended significant time and energy to persuade the clerk's office to comply with these procedures. I went to Springfield in 2024 to clarify the law, ensuring the statute specifically outlined bidding guidelines for elected officials.' The new law, which took effect Jan. 1, requires elected county officials outside of Cook County to bid out 'services, materials, equipment or supplies in excess of $30,000.' Nine days after the law took effect, however, Kaczmarek signed a contract with Prager Moving & Storage Co. to transport early voting booths for this year's spring municipal elections, Berlin wrote in requesting a special prosecutor. The firm billed the clerk for $113,710, above the $30,000 bidding threshold, but the clerk's office has refused to give the county auditor any documentation to prove the contract was bid in order for the payment to be made, Berlin wrote. 'The County Auditor's office is not a court to which the County Clerk submits evidence in order to obtain the Auditor's subjective approval of her internal operational decisions,' Johnson, the chief deputy clerk, responded to the auditor's request for bidding documentation, according to Berlin's court filing. In another instance in April, the county auditor's office received a $115,997 bill from Governmental Business Systems for election supply kits, such as ballots, supplied to the clerk's office. The auditor requested more information from the clerk about the invoice, but the clerk has not provided any, and the auditor won't process the bill for payment. 'The clerk's failure to comply with the competitive bidding law may constitute official misconduct,' Berlin told the DuPage court, saying the county board knows the county could be sued for nonpayment of the invoices — something that prompted the board to request 'an investigation into possible misconduct.' Because Berlin legally represents both the clerk and the county board, he has a conflict of interest and requested Raoul's office step in as an independent special prosecutor. Wheaton granted the request and Raoul's office has agreed to the role. In a statement after the special prosecutor appointment, Kaczmarek said she would 'welcome the involvement of' Raoul's office but said the action was 'simply another example of the lengths to which Bob Berlin will go to avoid admitting being wrong about the law.' Berlin, in response, issued a statement saying, 'In my thirty-seven plus years in public service, my ethics have never been called into question. I have no vendetta against anyone. All I am trying to accomplish is to ensure that everyone follows the law.' The new state law contains one exception for bypassing competitive bidding — professional services. Those are generally defined as professions in which a government-issued license is needed for the work to be performed, such as lawyers, accountants, physicians or architects. In an interview with the Tribune, Johnson, Kaczmarek's chief deputy clerk, contended the contracts awarded for moving and supplying polling equipment and ballot materials were 'professional services' that exempted the clerk from having to bid out the work. 'The act of moving 250 pieces of sensitive equipment throughout the county to polling places that by law have to be open at 6 a.m. the next day — yes, we do believe that that requires the professional expertise of our vendor,' Johnson said of the moving and supply contract. He said the same held true for the ballot kits, citing the March 2018 primary night fiasco of misshapen ballots that hampered vote counting — an issue that effectively ended the DuPage County Election Commission and merged its duties into the clerk's office. 'If people go back and look at the issues that the election commission had with improperly produced (ballot) cards that caused the election night catastrophe, my feeling is, if you can ruin the entire election by doing your job wrong, that sounds like a professional risk to me,' Johnson said. Beyond the immediacy of the investigation by Raoul's office is the potential fallout for Democrats if the probe concludes that prosecution of a criminal nature or official misconduct is warranted. Once considered a Republican firewall against Democratic votes out of Cook County, DuPage County since Kaczmarek's 2018 election has seen Democrats now hold six of the nine countywide elected offices and 12 of the 18 county board seats, with the countywide-elected chair, Conroy, also being a Democrat. Democrats privately fear that a prosecution of the clerk could halt their advances, with many wondering why the clerk and county board couldn't simply work out their differences. Now, Kaczmarek, who in May announced her 2026 bid for reelection as clerk, faces an announced Democratic challenger, county board member Paula Deacon García of Lisle, who Conroy is backing. What's more, there are also Democratic concerns that a highly visible prosecution could give Republicans an opportunity to regain the office. Such a development could potentially curb the expansion of voting opportunities created under Kaczmarek, such as increasing early voting sites and allowing people to vote at any polling place in the county on Election Day. 'It's disappointing that an investigation is needed,' Conroy said in her statement. 'However, I'm grateful the attorney general's office will investigate, provide information and determine the appropriate next steps.'
Chicago Tribune
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Alex Toth puts ‘discouraging times,' including demotion, behind him. Then he helps put Lake Zurich in front.
Roller coaster season is just beginning, but Lake Zurich's Alex Toth has already experienced an up-and-down ride this spring. The sophomore third baseman knew he had to stay the course after starting the season 0-for-30 and being demoted to the junior varsity team. 'It wasn't the best feeling,' Toth said. 'There were for sure some discouraging times, but I really never told myself that I wasn't good. I always kept it positive and tried to battle my way through. 'Now look where we're at. I'm out here doing my job, and it feels good.' Since Toth was brought back to the varsity team this month, his job has revolved mostly around playing good defense and supplying a little offense at the bottom of the order. But he provided more than a little during the eighth-seeded Bears' 9-4 win against ninth-seeded Warren in the Class 4A Fremd Regional semifinals in Palatine on Thursday. Batting ninth, Toth drove in three runs, including two on a single up the middle to spark a game-changing six-run fourth inning for Lake Zurich (24-11), which will play top-seeded Fremd (27-4-1) in the regional championship game at 11 a.m. Saturday. His clutch hit wiped away the Blue Devils' 2-0 lead and gave his teammates a jolt of momentum. 'That was a huge at-bat,' Lake Zurich senior outfielder Cash Kaczmarek said. 'It got us right back in the game. It's not normal for a sophomore to come up this big in a playoff game.' Toth doubled his RBI total for the season with that hit off Warren junior starter Braylan McCarthy. 'I wanted to focus on the game not being too big — just do my job, get on base,' he said. 'I was thinking just to have a good at-bat and get to the next batter — provide what I can for the seniors. 'Rounding first after that hit, I was almost a little relieved, but it felt great.' Toth tacked on another run in the fifth with a sacrifice fly to center field off Warren sophomore reliever Mason Palmer, driving in senior shortstop Dylan Fogelsong, who led off the inning with a single. 'I had faced him (Palmer) before in a conference game, so I knew what he had, and I again just had to do a job,' Toth said. Kaczmarek, a Wisconsin-Oshkosh commit who went 3-for-4 with a double, a triple and three RBIs against the Blue Devils (20-15), understands what Toth has gone through this season. 'It's definitely been a mental battle for him, and I've been there and done that,' Kaczmarek said. 'It's tough being younger on varsity seeing great pitching. But every day, his at-bats get better, and it showed here.' The Bears' six-run inning was all that senior right-hander Josh Marzec needed. He allowed one earned run on three hits and struck out seven in 6 1/3 innings to improve to 7-2 as Lake Zurich won for the 11th time in 13 games. Toth's contributions haven't been overlooked. 'He's gotten mentally tougher and matured over the year,' Lake Zurich coach Mike Manno said. 'Anybody who starts 0-for-30, that can really weigh on you. He's just gone with the process of working hard. I always say the kids that work hard, good things happen for them. I think that's where he's at at this point. He didn't look like a sophomore today.' Toth, who gives some of the credit to his travel coach, Anthony Drago, has often been a middle-of-the-order hitter in the past. He has noticed pitchers are approaching him differently at the bottom of the order. 'You're not going to see much off-speed there, so it's being ready for the fastball,' Toth said. 'I've honestly liked hitting in the nine spot. It's motivation for me, too, because they'll say I'm an easy out. I'm making sure I'm a tough out.'
Chicago Tribune
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Lake Zurich's Cash Kaczmarek steps into the box knowing a hit is likely. ‘Stepping away' is likely a reason.
Lake Zurich's Cash Kaczmarek is learning less is more sometimes. The senior outfielder has never played better, and the timing is notable. 'I ended junior year pretty well, and I didn't do as much baseball-wise in the offseason,' Kaczmarek said. 'I think that helped.' Kaczmarek, a Wisconsin-Oshkosh baseball commit, decided to play basketball this past season. He didn't play the sport during his junior year so he could give more attention to baseball, but returning to the court at Lake Zurich boys basketball coach Terry Coughlin's invitation turned out to be a win-win. 'Coach asked if I wanted to go to some open gyms in the fall, and I realized how fun it was,' Kaczmarek said. New baseball coach Mike Manno voiced his support, and Kaczmarek became the Bears' sixth man. 'Junior year, baseball was everything,' Kaczmarek said. 'This year, I couldn't lift as much because of basketball, and stepping away from baseball like that was something that I needed. I worked on my mental approach a lot.' Manno's arrival also pushed him. 'Two months ago, I really didn't know where I stood,' Kaczmarek said. 'There was some stress and uncertainty, which was good. First impressions are huge for me. I felt like I had to fully reprove myself. It was kind of like being a freshman again.' Not that he's playing like one. Kaczmarek, who began the season batting cleanup but has moved into the No. 2 hole, is on a tear at the plate for the Bears (11-6, 4-2). Including Lake Zurich's 5-3 nonconference win against Deerfield on Wednesday, he has hit .583 with a 1.810 OPS, four home runs, 14 RBIs and 14 runs scored in the past seven games. 'I'm just going up there wanting to hit it right back at the pitcher and thinking that I'm better than him,' he said. Kaczmarek, who hit two home runs all of last season, went 4-for-4 with a homer and five RBIs during Lake Zurich's 17-9 nonconference win against Normal West on Saturday. His home run during the Bears' 4-3 North Suburban Conference win against Lake Forest on Tuesday was his third in as many games and couldn't have been more clutch, coming in the top of the seventh inning of a tie game. 'He's always been a hitter at heart, and when he gets hot like he is right now, there's no stopping him,' Lake Zurich senior pitcher Josh Marzec said. 'It looks like he's adjusting really well to pitches and he's hitting beach balls. 'What's also great about him is that he's a great teammate and leader who holds everyone to the same standard.' Manno didn't know what to expect from Kaczmarek but quickly came to believe he would make a big impact this season. 'He's been easy to coach from day one, and you could tell, even early in workouts, that he carries himself the right way,' Manno said. 'There's a grit about him that is infectious for the rest of the team.' Kaczmarek also knows how to deal with the failure that is inevitable in baseball. 'I've gotten better at not dwelling on negatives, and I think a lot of that is being a year older,' he said. 'I try to not think about mistakes too much and move on to the next game or the next pitch.' As the Bears prepare for their next game, they have won five in a row. 'The heart of our lineup is heating up, and we're starting to feed off each other,' Kaczmarek said. 'I'm enjoying this season a lot, and I just want to enjoy my last time playing high school baseball.'
Fox News
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
‘Malcolm in the Middle' revival will be missing key actor who ditched Hollywood
"Malcolm in the Middle" is set for a four-episode revival on Disney+ with all but one of the original cast returning. In December, the streaming service announced the news with stars Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek on social media. It was recently announced, per Variety, that Christopher Masterson and Justin Berfield, who played Muniz's brothers Francis and Reese, respectively, on the show, will also be returning. However, Erik Per Sullivan, who played youngest brother Dewey, will not be back for the series. According to the outlet, his role will be played by Caleb Ellsworth-Clark, who had roles in "Fargo" and "The Expanse." Per Sullivan has been absent from Hollywood for 15 years, with his last credited role in the 2010 film "Twelve." The actor has also skipped out on "Malcolm in the Middle" reunions over the years. Kaczmarek, who played mom Lois on the hit sitcom, spoke about Per Sullivan in a 2024 interview with Malcolm France, saying he is "well, he's very, very well." "He wasn't interested in acting at all. He goes to school at a very, very, very prestigious American university that he's asked us all to be quiet about," she continued, saying he is doing graduate work in Victorian literature. She added that she admired his decision, explaining, "I think so many people think being in show business is just the greatest thing in the world, and it's not for everybody." "He's a very grateful kid, for Dewey," Kaczmarek said. "Malcolm in the Middle" originally ran on Fox for seven seasons from 2000 to 2006, earning 33 Emmy nominations, including two wins for the late Cloris Leachman as best guest actress in a comedy and two wins each for best directing and best writing for a comedy. The new episodes will feature, according to the official logline shared with Variety, "Malcolm (Muniz) and his daughter are drawn into the family's chaos when Hal (Cranston) and Lois (Kaczmarek) demand his presence for their 40th wedding anniversary party." No release date has been announced. Muniz told E! News in February, "I'm so excited. I think Brian and I first started talking at a dinner that we had in 2015. And the fact that now, 10 years later, 25 years after the show started, it's going to happen—I'm really excited. I think people are going to be thrilled to see everybody and the ideas that they've come up with." WATCH: FRANKIE MUNIZ EXPLAINS WHY HE CALLED LA A 'HELL HOLE' He added, "Because that was a big thing for me, too, is like the possibilities are endless on what Malcolm and his family could be up to. I've read the scripts, so I know. And I think people are going to be pretty excited."
USA Today
04-02-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Local favorite Carleton Hotel Bar makes Budweiser Super Bowl commercial. Here's how
Local favorite Carleton Hotel Bar makes Budweiser Super Bowl commercial. Here's how Show Caption Hide Caption Budweiser Super Bowl commercial stars young Clydesdale foal In a new Budweiser Clydesdales Super Bowl commercial, a foal finds a way to help after being left behind by the rest of the Clydesdales. John Kaczmarek's business, Carleton Hotel Bar, can be seen in the 2025 Budweiser Super Bowl commercial. Kaczmarek is excited about the national exposure for his business and the town of Carleton. Surrounded by family and friends, it's a sure bet John Kaczmarek will be watching 2025's Super Bowl LIX. While rooting for his favorite football team, Kaczmarek will be watching for this year's Budweiser Super Bowl commercial. His business, Carleton Hotel Bar in Carleton, Michigan, will be making an appearance in this year's Budweiser commercial, called 'First Delivery." Located at 927 Monroe St., the modest business informed the community on its Facebook page, posting 'The hotel made it in the Budweiser Super Bowl commercial.' For more than 17 years, Kaczmarek has owned the neighborhood bar known for its burgers and steaks. Patrons gather to watch sports on TV, play pool and sing karaoke. It offers dine-in specials like every Tuesday features a classic burger and fries and music bingo is every Sunday from 6-8 p.m. except Super Bowl Sunday when they will be hosting a watch party beginning at 6 p.m. Super Bowl LIX: Merchandise and ticket scams may be out there, AG warns 'I found out from one of my customers,' Kaczmarek said. 'There's a place where you can go and get drone coverage for free. If you go to that website they show different pictures of Carleton. One coming one way and one coming the other way. It just happened that Budweiser picked that one up out of all the places.' The Carleton resident said that same footage found on is used in a Trump ad. 'Shutterstock has all this footage of an early morning aerial view on Monroe Street,' he said. 'And that's what they both used.' Being in the national spotlight, even for a brief moment, is exciting to Kaczmarek. 'But I'm more excited for Carleton,' he said. 'I love the advertising for Carleton.' According to the marketing department at Budweiser USA, the commercial was directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker and Emmy Award-winning commercial director Henry Alex Rubin and created by FCB New York. Contact reporter Lisa Vidaurri-Bowling at lvidaurribowling@ Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler at swisler@
