Kendall County Republican Committee Hesitant to Release Email Addresses

The Kendall County Republican Central Committee will discuss at its next central committee meeting whether precinct committeeman email addresses should be released after Fox Township Precinct Committeeman Todd Milliron requested the email addresses of all the Oswego Township committeemen in order to keep them informed on government matters, according to emails obtained by Patch.

Milliron recently brought to light allegations that Oswego Township Highway Commissioner Gary Grosskopf was spending most of his time in Florida and was still paid his $95,000 salary for the position.

Grosskopf and his actions were part of the reason Milliron was looking for the KCRCC email addresses. A search of the Kendall County Republican Central Committee website shows only one email address listed for Jessica Bannister, chairperson of the KCRCC.

A phone message left for Bannister was not immediately returned, nor were emails to Bannister and KCRCC Treasurer Lee Hoffer.

In an email to Milliron, Bannister said the precinct committeemen provide their email addresses to the central committee with the understanding that their email address will be used for central committee correspondence.

“That being said,” Bannister said in an email, “this board has not received a request such as yours, so we will bring (up the) question at the next central committee meeting with the goal of creating a standing rule for the release of email addresses: should (precinct committeemen) email addresses be released, and if so, what are the parameters for release.”

In an email to Bannister, KCRCC Treasurer Lee Hoffer said the committee needs to establish a procedure that requires anyone asking for addresses, phone numbers, documentation or other information to state what the purpose is and the need for the request.

“We should also establish that the individual pay for any costs that would be incurred for furnishing the information,” Hoffer said in an email.

Milliron said that he shouldn’t even have to ask for the emails and that all contact information should be listed on the KCRCC’s website.

“Republican precinct committeemen, elected or appointed, are public officials and their (email) addresses should be made readily available to another precinct committeeman like myself to communicate with other Kendall precinct committeemen regarding important matters of local government,” Milliron said in an email to Hoffer.

The next date of the KCRCC meeting is unknown and is not listed on the website.