Election Vendors Paid After Restraining Order Sought, DuPage Clerk Says

DUPAGE COUNTY — DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek recently announced that DuPage County had paid $230,000 that had been owed to election venders. The news roughly a month after Kaczmarek filed a motion for a temporary restraining order against the county. That motion has since been withdrawn.

Per the DuPage County Clerk's Office, Prager Moving & Storage had been owed $115,000 for its delivery, logistics, security and management services during the Consolidated Election on April 1.

Governmental Business Systems (GBS) was owed $116,414.83, an early October news release said. GBS performed accuracy testing on voting machines prior to the Consolidated Election and also provided election kits that were "highly customized," per the news release

Kaczmarek asserts that the county "refused" to pay both vendors, "despite explicit, unambiguous guidance from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office."

In 2024, a lawsuit was filed against Kaczmarek by the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office asserting Kaczmarek was in violation of the state's Local Government Prompt Payment Act. In September 2024, County Board Chair Deb Conroy said Kaczmarek failed to comply with DuPage County's practices.

Kaczmarek responded with a countersuit naming Conroy, among others. The suit states that the county board challenged invoices, including some involving "technical issues."

“Elections must be planned months in advance. The time to contract with our vendors for the primary is now, and no business will agree to do work they aren’t being paid for,” Kaczmarek said in a statement, adding, “The voters elected me to administer elections, and my efforts to do so have continued to be illegally obstructed.”

Kaczmarek asserts that the clerk's office had not been notified prior to receiving the payments.

“This sudden reversal proves that payment for these vendors could and should have been signed off on long ago by County Board Chair Deb Conroy and County Board Finance Chair Paula Deacon-Garcia,” Kaczmarek said.

She added, “Nothing has changed regarding these legitimate and essential services that were performed for the voters of DuPage County. There is no rhyme or reason to the county’s payment procedures. It’s just whatever direction the wind is blowing.”