Tribune editorial raises serious questions about Hoffenberg’s judgment after concluding she used her taxpayer-funded position to block her political opponent’s request for public records
By Illinois Review
On Thursday, the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board endorsed Republican Liz Gorman for Cook County Board’s 17th District and sharply criticized her Democratic opponent, Elyse Hoffenberg, for using her taxpayer-funded position as Lyons Township Clerk to block a public records request.
The October 15 endorsement is a significant development in the race. Gorman, a former Cook County commissioner, is seeking to reclaim the 17th District seat she previously held, bringing a record of opposing tax increases and advocating for fiscal responsibility.
But the Tribune’s most consequential criticism wasn’t about taxes, spending or county government. It was about Hoffenberg’s conduct as a public official and the controversy over surveillance footage showing Hoffenberg kissing Bridgeview Mayor Steve Landek inside her government office.
The Tribune concluded that Hoffenberg had “used her official position to block her election opponent’s initial FOIA request to release the footage, a public record.”
And it raises an obvious question: If Hoffenberg used her taxpayer-funded position to prevent a political opponent from obtaining public records involving her own conduct, why should voters trust her with a seat on the Cook County Board?
The controversy began in August when Gorman filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking township surveillance footage from July.
Hoffenberg serves as the township’s FOIA officer, meaning the request landed on her desk even though she appeared in the footage. She initially rejected it as overly burdensome. Gorman narrowed the request, but the footage was not produced by the initial deadline.
Instead, Hoffenberg released the video directly to the Tribune while Gorman maintained that her formal request remained unfulfilled.
Hoffenberg has denied any romantic relationship with Landek, describing the kiss as nonromantic. She has accused political opponents of attempting to extort her into leaving the race and claims township supervisor Chris Getty, a fellow Democrat, obtained the footage before Gorman filed her request.
She also attempted to call a special township board meeting seeking an outside investigation, but the meeting was canceled.
Gorman has denied the extortion allegations and publicly discussed pursuing legal action in response.
However, none of that answers the Tribune’s central point.
In September, Gorman publicly argued that Hoffenberg should have recused herself from handling a records request involving her own conduct. Gorman also maintained that additional requested footage and records had not been released.
In many public-sector workplaces, using an official position to protect one’s personal interests could lead to disciplinary action, potentially including termination.
Yet Hoffenberg is now asking taxpayers for a promotion to the Cook County Board.
The Tribune, meanwhile, praised Gorman’s record of opposing tax increases and her support for freezing property taxes and consolidating government services to reduce costs.
That leaves voters with a striking contrast: a former commissioner campaigning on tax relief and government accountability, and a sitting township clerk facing serious questions about whether she used her public office to shield herself from political embarrassment.
With Election Day approaching on November 3, the Tribune’s rebuke makes clear that this controversy is no longer simply about a kiss caught on camera.
It is about whether taxpayers can trust a public official to uphold transparency – especially when the public records involve that official herself.
