Will County Gazette

The Illinois State Board of Elections has referred a complaint against Frankfort Mayor Keith Ogle to the Illinois Attorney General and the Will County State’s Attorney for potential criminal investigation. This decision, made by a 6–2 vote, was reported on the Board's website. The allegations concern Ogle’s use of the Village of Frankfort’s official logo in campaign posts, which the Board concluded fell outside its administrative jurisdiction and required further review by prosecutors. This action marks an escalation in a dispute initiated earlier this year when resident Daniel Rose filed a complaint.

"It gives me hope to see public officials take note of the prevalent corruption in small town politics," said Rose, Manager. "There shouldn't be a double standard where politicians get a free pass in circumstances where us regular citizens would otherwise be held accountable. It's powerful to see the Illinois State Board of Elections, on their own and without any urging from me, overwhelmingly vote to refer this case to the Attorney General and State's Attorney—explicitly labeling Mr. Ogle's conduct as potentially criminal."

According to the Will County Gazette, Rose alleged that Ogle’s Instagram posts included hashtags such as "#ElectKeithOgle" and "#ReElectKeithOgle," which improperly used the village logo as campaign material. Ogle denied these claims, stating that the posts were not campaign-related and that the logo was not the village’s official emblem. However, he removed the posts following the complaint. A hearing officer had previously determined that this matter was unsuitable for Board enforcement and more appropriate for criminal authorities, a stance reiterated by the Board’s counsel during their meeting.

The hearing took place on Tuesday, August 19. Rose urged the Illinois State Board of Elections to hold public officials accountable to the same legal standards as ordinary citizens, according to the meeting agenda. While agreeing with an earlier finding that deemed the complaint outside its jurisdiction and better suited for criminal investigators, Board Member Casandra B. Watson advocated for a formal referral based on precedent. Her motion was seconded by Board Member Jennifer M. Ballard Croft, leading to a 6–2 vote in favor of sending the case to higher authorities.

The Illinois State Board of Elections is an independent agency established under the 1970 Illinois Constitution, tasked with overseeing voter registration and administering elections across Illinois.