A Cook County judge Tuesday denied former Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau’s request to end a court order instituted in August that required he remove confidential village information from his blog and social media and barred him from publishing other information, according to Pekau and the village.
Moreland in August granted the village a temporary restraining order barring Pekau from publishing “future statements disclosing the village’s attorney-client privileged communications and confidential non-public information contained in village personnel files,” and ordering he remove any publications of such information.
Judge Kate Moreland Dec. 12 dismissed the village’s requests to limit Pekau’s speech in relation to confidential documents the village claims Pekau brought with him after he lost his bid for reelection to Mayor Jim Dodge and left office in May. She also struck the village’s request for injunctive relief.
The village said in a news release Wednesday that it “remains committed to open, transparent and responsible governance and will continue to take appropriate legal action when necessary to protect the interests of the village and its residents.”
Pekau responded to the decision with a blog post maintaining the lawsuit is politically motivated and wastes taxpayer money. He called on the Village Board to publicly raise concerns about the lawsuit’s continuation.
“I’ve said this before: quiet objections behind closed doors are not enough,” the blog post said. “Only they can stop this — and only then will this madness end.”
The village’s complaint filed July 29 states that after leaving office, Pekau held onto village documents that include personnel records containing confidential information and that he “intentionally published and circulated” that information.
The confidential information in question includes “documentation divulging privileged attorney-client information” and “litigation case assessments and strategy,” according to the complaint.
The lawsuit was filed six days after the village sent Pekau a cease-and-desist letter demanding he return written records and destroy their electronic forms. Pekau “publicly represented that he intends to continue to disclose the village’s confidential information,” according to the complaint.
Pekau, in an affidavit filed by attorneys Aug. 4, said at the end of his term he turned over all village property in accordance with state law and did not disclosed information that was not already publicly available or would not have been available to the public under Illinois’ access laws.
He said he runs a political newsletter that discusses village business but does not disclose confidential information and, since leaving office, has not engaged in conversation with litigants involved in pending lawsuits or stated he will release confidential information.
“The purpose of my newsletter is to create open dialogue about community issues and to express views on what is best for our community,” the affidavit said.
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/21/judge-denies-orland-park-mayor-keith-pekau/
