The village of Orland Park will slap a cease-and-desist notice on former mayor Keith Pekau.
For what reason?
That’s not publicly known.
The village board voted 5-1 after a lengthy executive session on July 21 for the notice, which included the proviso “to authorize the village attorney to pursue all remedies available under law, should the cease-and-desist demands not be met immediately.”
Mayor James Dodge referred questions to village manager George Koczwara, who had no public answers.
“On advice of the village’s attorneys, because this is a pending legal matter, we’re not at liberty to provide any more comment,” Koczwara said shortly after the vote. “I can’t say anything. The lawyers were clear.”
Reached early on July 22 by the Regional, Pekau said he knew nothing behind the reasoning of the move.
“They are trying to silence a private citizen is what they are trying to do,” Pekau said. “This is nothing new for Jim Dodge. He accused me of a crime during my first campaign. He’s accused me of at least 10 crimes.
“I can promise you this. I will neither be silent or intimidated. I won’t cease and I won’t desist because I’m not doing anything wrong. You know when I will cease and desist? When they stop lying and they start being responsible.”
He had not received anything official and is not sure what to expect.
“Cease-and-desist what?” Pekau said. “Am I supposed to stop walking? Entering my building? My home? I don’t know. Nobody knows.”
Trustee Cynthia Nelson Katsenes was the only “no” vote and John Lawler was absent.
Interestingly, trustees Michael Milani and William Healy voted “yes.” Katsenes, Milani and Healy are holdovers on the board who have run with Pekau on his People Over Politics slate in the past.
“They have to look themselves in the mirror and shave,” Pekau said.
Dodge beat the two-term incumbent Pekau in the contentious April 1 election, gaining more than 57% of the vote.
That night, Pekau said he was “shellacked” and added “We actually showed what good government can be and the people of Orland Park chose that they didn’t want that.”
In early May, after Dodge and the new board were sworn in, Pekau did not stay silent. Through emails and social media, Pekau continued his “Dodgeing the Facts” series that debuted during the election ripping into the new mayor and started up another series of missives, “Straight Down the Fairway with Keith Pekau – Politics, Policy and Truth With No Slices and No Spin.”
The most recent came on July 20 in which Pekau criticized his former friend for raising debt and taxes and patronage hires.
“He’ll take Orland Park back to the era of backroom deals and fiscal shell games,” Pekau wrote of Dodge. “This isn’t new. It’s exactly who he’s always been.”
Koczwara would not say whether the social media and email criticism caused the cease-and-desist notice.