Plainfield Park Board Member to Testify Before Grand Jury

As part of an investigation by the Illinois State Police, Plainfield Park District commissioner Peter Hurtado has been called to testify before a grand jury regarding a lighting contract awarded by the park district to his daughter’s boyfriend.

Hurtado, who did not respond to messages from Plainfield Patch over the weekend, confirmed to the Chicago Tribune that he was served with a subpoena on Thursday to testify on Aug. 9.

The state police have been investigating the park district since February, a month after board vice president Janet Silosky accused Hurtado of violating ethics by attempting to unload a shipment of surplus LED lights his company had onto the park district.

In January, Silosky said park district spokesman Doug Booth came to her after Hurtado allegedly asked him to authorize a payment to a lighting company called “Josue Solis & Associates” via PayPal. Solis is also Hurtado’s daughter’s boyfriend, which raised Silosky’s suspicions, she said.

Park district puchase orders show multiple orders to “Solis,” including a Jan. 2 purchase of $7,600 worth of 120-watt LED lights.

Silosky made the accusations at Jan. 29 special park board meeting, saying she brought her concerns to Hurtado during a Jan. 20 meeting with then-Executive Director Garrett Peck. At the time, she claimed Hurtado “admitted that the lights were his,” but denied any wrongdoing.

During the Jan. 29 meeting, Hurtado called the allegations “very serious accusations” and acknowledged that the lighting company was run by his daughter’s boyfriend, but said he did not know about the purchase. He also denied that the lights were originally his.

“I don’t get involved with equipment at the park district,” he said at the time. “I didn’t see the bids.”

Following the meeting, which occurred days after Peck’s resignation, the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office confirmed that it was investigating documents related to the park district. In February, spokesman Chuck Pelkie said the State’s Attorney’s Office had asked the Illinois State Police to begin a formal investigation into allegations of wrongdoing at the park district.

“I know there’s a lot of people making allegations against and I know what is true,” Hurtado told the Chicago Tribune on Friday. “All I have to do is tell the truth.”

Mary Kay Ludemann, who replaced Hurtado as board president in May, said she was interviewed by the state police in February, but has not been asked to testify before the grand jury.

“I look forward to the outcome of the investigation and resolving this,” Ludemann said Sunday. She said the park district will cooperate fully with the state police investigation.

The park board will have a special meeting to hold a hearing on the proposed park district budget at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13, at the Heritage Professional Center, 24023 W. Lockport St. in downtown Plainfield.

Ludemann said the board could also vote to hire a new executive director, pending the outcome of contract negotiations with the chosen candidate, at the Aug. 13 meeting.

Related stories:

Plainfield Park Board VP Accuses Hurtado of Ethics Violations (Jan. 29)

State’s Attorney Investigating Plainfield Park District Documents (Jan. 31)

Accusations of Patronage, Dummy Companies at Plainfield Park District (Feb. 5)

State Police Investigating Plainfield Park District (Feb. 24)

Photo: Park board vice president Janet Silosky (left) speaks about alleged ethics violations by then-president Peter Hurtado during a Jan. 29 park board meeting as Hurtado (far right) and Mary Kay Ludemann listen.