03182019 - News Article - Porter County election board president resigns after shouting match with clerk caught on tape

Porter County election board president resigns after shouting match with clerk caught on tape
Post-Tribune
March 18, 2019
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-porter-elecction-letter-st-0319-story.html

Democrat J.J. Stankiewicz, president of the Porter County Election Board, submitted a letter of resignation to Clerk Jessica Bailey Monday after a tumultuous week in which fellow Democrats and the Indiana Secretary of State called for his resignation in light of his conduct with Bailey before a March 8 election board meeting that was caught on video.

While Democrats also asked for a public apology from Stankiewicz, who was appointed by Jeff Chidester, chair of the county’s Democrat Party, Stankiewicz offered none, instead submitting an edited version of the same letter he provided to the media in response to Porter County’s elected Democrats and several from municipalities

“In the end, I feel positive that the truth will eventually prevail and that the voters of this county will understand what is really going on with these public attacks,” he wrote. “But until that time I arrives, I do realize I can no longer be effective. I therefore wish you good luck but choose to resign instanter (sic) and request your filing of this document in your official records pursuant to current election law.”

In a prepared statement, Bailey thanked Stankiewicz for his service.

“He has been a valuable member of the election board for many years and his accomplishments encompass much more than these past few months,” she said. “The county election board provides an essential service and the contributions of each member should be recognized.”

The next election board meeting is 3 p.m. Thursday in the commissioners chambers of the county administration building. Whether Chidester will have appointed a replacement for Stankiewicz by then isn’t known; he has not returned multiple calls seeking comment.

County officials who signed the letter seeking Stankiewicz’s resignation said they appreciate his time on the board and his decision to step down.

“I appreciate and agree with his decision to step aside, although I would be remiss in not recognizing that in years past, he put in a lot of time and effort into promoting the public good, and I appreciate that, too,” said County Council President Dan Whitten, D-At large.

County Councilwoman Sylvia Graham, D-At large, also appreciated his work on the election board and his decision to step down.

“I’m thankful that he did this and we’re going to move on,” she said. “I’m glad he did recognize it had to be done.”

In his letter, Stankiewicz touted his efforts in 20 years on the election board, noting the only election that “suffered problems” was last year.

He said he realized that his “private argument” with Bailey was “secretly videotaped” before the March 8 election board meeting, “and that I was extremely angry with that person for her response indicating, ‘That’s not my job.’”

“That private exchange was overly heated to say the least; but it eventually led to a very civil official meeting and my pressure eventually caused public disclosure of the names and telephone numbers for workers to call to assure poll workers appear in the primary election,” he wrote.

The letter from elected officials came in the days following a report on the November general election directed by the Secretary of State’s Office that noted toxic and dysfunctional relationships led in part to a wide array of Election Day woes, including late-opening polls, 18,000 absentee ballots that were never delivered to precincts to be counted, and election results that were more than two days late.

In a letter accompanying the report, Secretary of State Connie Lawson pinpointed Stankiewicz; Kathy Koszuszek, Democrat director in the county’s Voter Registration Office; and former Clerk Karen Martin, a Republican, for the election troubles.

She called on Stankiewicz and Kozuszek, also appointed by Chidester and his wife, to resign, and also noted Stankiewicz’s conduct on the video. Martin, unable to seek to seek a third term as clerk, lost a bid for auditor in the election.

The letter from elected officials, provided to the Post-Tribune by two officials who signed it, states that Stankiewicz owes Bailey a public apology, and that in the best interest of the citizens of Porter County, he should step down from the board and offer a public apology.

Officials were dismayed with how Stankiewicz treated Bailey in the video, according to their letter.

“We find the comments made by Mr. Stankiewicz to be demeaning, unprofessional, and woefully misguided and inaccurate. We cannot tolerate such behavior from any member of our county boards,” the letter said.

In addition to Graham and Whitten, the other officials who signed the letter include: Porter County Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South; County Council members Jeremy Rivas, D-2nd, Bob Poparad, D-1st, and Greg Simms, D-3rd; Sheriff David Reynolds; Auditor Vicki Urbanik; Treasurer Michelle Clancy; Portage City Councilman Colin Czilli, D-5th; Valparaiso City Council members Diana Reed, D-1st, Robert Cotton, D-2nd, and Deb Porter, D-At large; Portage Township Trustee Brendan Clancy; and Center Township Advisory Board President Deb Fray.