SKOKIE, IL — An Ethics Commission decision against a former Skokie Village Trustee is up for review at Monday night's board meeting.
On Feb. 20, 2025, a Skokie resident filed a complaint against former Trustee James Johnson, claiming that they used their position on the Village Board to promote their campaign for Village Clerk last April.
The resident cited instances where Johnson left their post during board meetings to give public comments while they served as Trustee. The resident argued that Johnson violated the Village Code ordinance that states public office should not be used for personal gain.
Johnson told Patch at the time that they never mentioned their campaign for Village Clerk in their comments. Each time they took the stand, they urged the Board to acknowledge and rectify perceived corruption in Skokie's legal department.
Johnson argued that the complaint was a politically motivated scheme from their opponents.
On Feb 11, 2026, the Skokie Officers Ethics Commission found that Johnson had violated the village's ethics code on three occasions, and the commission recommended implementing a fine of $1 per instance.
Johnson criticized the commission's decision, accusing two members of the commission of being biased against them.
"Commissioners Minkus and Matanky clearly do not understand or respect the basic free speech rights that are afforded to me, and every person, by the IL Open Meetings Act. These are the same two Commissioners who were investigated by the IL Attorney General’s Office in 2022 for holding secret, illegal meetings without public notices, agendas, or minutes. Now they are attempting to fine me for giving public comments during public meetings about public policy? Their recommendation is absurd, and the Village Board will undoubtedly dismiss it," Johnson said in a statement.
At Monday's meeting, the Village Board can take one of three actions:
The decision made by the Board of Trustees will be final and is subject to administrative review in the Circuit Court of Cook County.
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