Will County Gazette

The Illinois State Board of Elections has announced that Keith Ogle and Dan Rose are scheduled for a Closed Preliminary Hearing on April 16, 2025, concerning provisions of Article 9 of Illinois' Election Code. The order was issued on March 27.

According to the document, the hearing will address a complaint filed by Dan Rose, founder of LFI Energy and Senior Member of LFI Real Estate. Rose accused Ogle of violating Illinois campaign finance laws by using the Village of Frankfort’s official logo in promotional materials. It is alleged that Ogle's campaign included the village logo in materials promoting his re-election, featuring a call to action urging viewers to #reelectkeithogle and follow the Instagram account @mayorkeithogle for updates. The use of the official village logo is claimed to be an improper use of public resources for political purposes.

The violation pertains to ILCS 5/9-25.1, a provision of the Illinois Election Code prohibiting the use of public funds, property, or resources—such as government logos—for political purposes, according to the Illinois General Assembly. This law aims to prevent public resources from being used to support or promote any political campaign, candidate, or party. Under this statute, using a public entity's official logo in campaign materials is generally prohibited unless explicitly authorized.

The mayoral election in Frankfort, Illinois, took place on April 1, 2025, featuring incumbent Mayor Keith Ogle and challenger Justin Ozinga. Ogle has served as mayor since 2021 and previously held positions as Village Trustee and Clerk. Ozinga, a longtime Frankfort resident and co-owner of Ozinga Bros., Inc., campaigned on a platform advocating increased government transparency and economic development.

The Illinois State Board of Elections (SBE) is an independent state agency established by the 1970 Illinois Constitution to oversee voter registration and the administration of elections throughout Illinois.