Judge rules Pecatonica Township Clerk ‘exceeded authority’ by removing political opponents from ballot

PECATONICA, Ill. (WTVO) — A Winnebago County Judge has ruled that Pecatonica’s Township Clerk Kelly Olson-Fuca “exceeded her authority” by removing political opponents from the ballot for the upcoming April 1st election.

According to the suit, filed on behalf of Pecatonica Township, Pecatonica Township Officers Electoral Board, and Candidates, Gregory Deppe and Thomas Menge, Olson-Fuca discriminated against her political foes and a candidate running against her father, Randal Olson, who serves as Township Supervisor.

Although six candidates failed to file receipts with the Township Clerk’s offices, demonstrating that they filed statements of economic interests with the Winnebago County Clerk’s office, including Olson and Olson-Fuca herself, she amended the ballot certification to remove her father’s opponent, Gregory Deppe, and the incumbent Highway Commissioner, Thomas Menge.

She did not remove herself, her father, or two other candidates who also failed to file their receipts with her office.

The lawsuit also said Olson-Fuca refused to comply with two electoral board decisions directing her to certify Deppe and Menge to the ballot.

Winnebago County Judge Lisa Fabiano found that Olson-Fuca violated Menge and Deppe’s equal protection rights, saying she “acted arbitrarily and in violation of the petitioner’s equal protection rights by subjecting only their petitions to a conformity review while disregarding the petitions of other candidates, including herself, who had the exact same flaws in their petitions.”

The lawsuit also seeks to have Olson-Fuca pay the Township attorney’s fees for representing the plaintiffs in the case.