Jim Glasgow Has 'Direct Conflict Of Interest' In Juan Moreno's Joliet City Council Seat: Bertani Filing

JOLIET, IL — Will County Judge Jennifer Lynch has been notified that lawyers representing Joliet City Councilman Juan Moreno Jr. are now seeking a special prosecutor to handle Moreno's case after discovering that Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow donated a substantial amount of money to Moreno's opponent, Damon Zdunich, in last spring's Joliet City Council elections.

"In the case at bar, the Will County State's Attorney publicly endorsed defendant's candidate and monetarily supported him. No challenge to defendant's candidacy occurred when Mr. Glasgow's candidate had not lost the election. The foregoing creates an actual conflict of interest and the appearance of conflict, such that any further involvement of the Will County State's Attorney's Office or any attorney employed therein, cannot stand," declared Joliet attorney Anna Rose Bertani.

Joliet Mayor Terry D'Arcy also donated a substantial amount of money in hopes of seeing Moreno lose the April 1, 2025 election, Thursday's court filing showed.

Since taking office in May, Moreno has voted against D'Arcy on several important city issues including the Dome of Unity $197,000 sculpture and maintaining a 1 percent grocery tax upon the citizens of Joliet for 2026. Mayor D'Arcy cast the tie-breaking vote on both controversial issues.

Within days of Moreno's no vote for the Dome of Unity, Glasgow had one of his long-time Assistant State's Attorneys, Scott Pyles, file a lawsuit against Moreno seeking to remove him from elected office. Their lawsuit contends that Moreno was not residing in the city of Joliet for a proper amount of time prior to filing his candidacy in November 2024. Moreno had lived in Troy Township for several years, according to the state's attorney's office.

Moreno was the top vote-getting in the April Joliet City Council elections, garnering more votes than Jan Quillman and Joe Clement, the two incumbents who also won re-election.

In Thursday's motion seeking a special prosecutor, attorney Anna Rose Bertani of Tomczak Law Group noted that Moreno "has learned that plaintiff and more specifically James W. Glasgow have a direct conflict of interest with defendant and the subject matter of this case ... James W. Glasgow, under his campaign committee, Glasgow for Will County, donated significant funds to one of the defendant's opponents in the April 1, 2025 election."

According to Bertani's filing, several candidates ran for Councilman at large in the April election including Moreno and Damon Zdunich, who had an election committee, Zdunich For Joliet.

"Notably, James W. Glasgow's committee Glasgow for Will County contributed to Zdunich's campaign in the amount of $1,000. Terrence O. Darcy, the mayor of Joliet, also donated $1,000 to Zdunich's campaign. This is particularly noteworthy considering the fact that D'Arcy had to vote and break a tie vote in the Council's decision to impose a 1 percent grocery tax. A decision that defendant opposed," Bertani's filing showed.

In her motion asking Will County Judge Jennifer Lynch to appoint a special prosecutor, Bertani noted that "James W. Glasgow also publicly endorsed Zdunich. The endorsement was present on Zdunich's campaign website ... defendant (Moreno) secured enough votes to win one of the three seats up in the April 2025 consolidated election. Damon Zdunich did not. This information was unknown by defendant and his attorneys previously."

Moreno was sworn in on May 5 and has been serving on the Joliet Council for nearly six months, Bertani noted. "The Will County State's Attorney filed the complaint in this matter on September 16, 2025," her motion for a special prosecutor pointed out to Judge Lynch.