DuPage Official Admits 'Rookie Mistake' On Facebook

ELMHURST, IL – A DuPage County Board member has used her official Facebook page to promote her run for county clerk.

Paula Deacon Garcia, a Democrat from Lisle who is running for county clerk, said she would delete the political posts in question.

The page in question is titled, "Paula Deacon Garcia DuPage County Board Member District 2." It is presented as an official page, with her government email address.

Under state law, political campaigns must be kept separate from the functions of government.

In an interview late last week, Garcia said there should be a separation between campaign and government pages.

"It was a rookie mistake," Garcia said. "I'm clearer now with the boundaries."

In last month's Democratic primary, Garcia defeated incumbent Jean Kaczmarek with 57 percent of the vote. Garcia faces Burr Ridge Republican Patricia Kladis-Schiappa in the November election.

In December, Garcia noted a judge sided with the board over Kaczmarek in a jurisdictional dispute.

"So frustrating that so much in legal fees had to be spent to just follow procedures," Garcia wrote. "That is why I am asking for your support for DuPage County Clerk – Primary is March 17th."

On her official page in November, Garcia twice shared items from her campaign page criticizing Kaczmarek.

In January and February, she referred visitors on her official page to her political one for "campaign news."

Garcia is one of three members representing District 2, which includes parts of Elmhurst and Clarendon Hills, among other towns.

Over the last year, several area officials have worn their government pins while at campaign events.

In January, District 6 member Greg Schwarze, a Carol Stream Democrat, acknowledged he should not have worn a county pin and name tag to a political fundraiser.

Last fall, Elmhurst Alderman Guido Nardini, who was running as a Democrat for the DuPage County Board, said he would stop wearing his official city pin to political events when the issue was pointed out.

Around the same time, District 2 County Board member Andrew Honig, a Democrat and Lombard resident, was in photos on his campaign's Facebook page, where he appears to be wearing his government-issued pin during a political fundraiser. He did not return Patch's messages.

In October, area watchdog Edgar Pal submitted a complaint to the county's investigator general about Honig's alleged violation of the rules.

Last month, Tina Tyson-Dunne, a DuPage County Forest Preserve commissioner, wore her official name tag at a Democratic event in Lombard. She did not return a message for comment at the time.