WILLIAMS CANDIDACY CHALLENGED

TRAVELGATE SCANDAL COULD KEEP WILLIAMS OFF BALLOT

SAUK VILLAGE |  Shades of Travelgate, the so-called “personal trip” that Debra Williams and her daughter Trustee Rosie Williams took to a Building One America Summit in July, 2013, continue to plague the Village Clerk.  

Former Village Trustee Francine Anderson filed a formal objection to Debra Williams’s candidacy for Village Clerk claiming that she in fact owes the Village money from the trip.  Anderson in her objection claims that Williams solicited “donations and sponsorships” in her official capacity as Village Clerk.  That Williams accepted a check for $500 from a village vendor and provides a copy of the check to support her claim.  Anderson claims that Williams did not deposit the money into the village’s account, as required under law, therefore, owes the Village said money.  Under Illinois law, a person cannot be in arrears on any debt or owe money to a municipality and be eligible to run for office.  Anderson cites case law to support this claim in her objection.

To support Anderson’s claim, she included a copy of the Binding Opinion issued against Williams by the Illinois Attorney General stating Williams “acted in her official capacity as Village Clerk…” during the solicitation of funds for the Building One America Summit.

Anderson lists other objections to Williams’s candidacy along with several exhibits to support her claims.  Williams apparently notarized her own petitions, which Anderson cites that under Illinois law, that a Notary Public cannot notarize any document to which they are a party to within the document.

Attempts to reach Anderson for comment were unsuccessful; however, she did provide a copy of her 33 page objection to the Sauk Villager.

The objection further asks the electoral board for the recusal of certain members from serving on the board including the Village Attorney, David Hanks, Debbie Williams, her daughter Rosie Williams, Trustees Derrick Burgess, Lynda Washinton and Edward Myers for various reasons and conflicts of interest.  Typically Electoral Boards are not to have any conflicts of interest in the matter which they are to decide.  The Mayor, Village Clerk and the senior most Trustee which would be the daughter of Debra Williams, Rosie Williams, would serve on the Board.  Anderson claims all three have a direct conflict of interest in rendering a decision in the matter.  Anderson claims that Rosie Williams was a participant in the Building One America trip and that Debra Williams is her mother. 

Williams was first elected in 2009 as Village Clerk and ran with former mayor Lewis Towers.  Williams is being challenged for Village Clerk by Marva Campbell-Pruitt, who currently serves as Vice President of the School Board.  Campbell-Pruitt challenged Williams in 2013 in a crowded four-way race and Williams won with less than 50% of the vote.  Campbell-Pruitt promises rebuilding faith and trust in the office of Village Clerk.  Campbell-Pruitt promises not to solicit village vendors for personal gain.