Kane County Ethics Ordinance Not Violated

Back in August, a resident of Batavia Township filed a complaint that Kane County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen and independent contractor Rick Nagel violated the county ethics ordinance when Nagel placed a notice about Lauzen’s annual political fundraiser in the Kane County Connects e-newsletter, the Kane County Chronicle reported.

On March 30, Special Prosecutor Charles Colburn wrote no violation of the ordinance was found for either Lauzen or Nagel.

“It appears that Mr. Nagel placed the fundraising notice on the calendar upon his own initiative,” the Kane County Chronicle reported that Colburn wrote. “Mr. Nagel has admitted that this was a mistake. Mr. Lauzen does not appear to have requested or directed that the Porky [Picnic] notice be placed on the Kane County Connects calendar.”

“Nagel, because he was an independent contract employee at the time, is exempt from the definition of “employee” was not subject to the ordinance.”