Will County Board member Jacqueline Traynere faces three counts of computer tampering, according to a complaint filed this week in Will County Circuit Court.
Traynere, a Bolingbrook Democrat, allegedly accessed the email account of board member Judy Ogalla, a Monee Republican, in March 2024 without Ogalla’s authorization, according to the charges.
The misdemeanor charges filed by special prosecutor William Elward state Traynere forwarded emails from Ogalla’s account to herself and others.
Ogalla, who was the Will County Board chairman at the time, said that Traynere knowingly accessed her email and knew it was unethical.
Ogalla questioned whether Traynere had opened her email more than once. She said she doesn’t know what all Traynere saw.
“Was she in my email other times and I just didn’t know?” Ogalla said. “She shouldn’t have done it.”
An email exchanged between board member Steve Balich, a Homer Glen Republican, and Ogalla regarding the controversial 143rd Street road widening project had been forwarded to the county executive, who replied to the email, Balich said during a July 2024 news conference with other County Board Republicans.
Reached Wednesday, Traynere said she was unaware of the charges.
Traynere said she had been testing out a rumor that all County Board members were given the same password when they were issued new devices.
At the time the incident occurred, Traynere said she contacted Ogalla to explain what happened and believed it amounted to nothing.
She said it was a simple mistake to see if it were true that all board members had the same password and she was exposing a problem with the system.
A summons was issued for Traynere to appear in court Sept. 9.
Traynere said Wednesday she believes the charges are political.
Traynere has been on the Will County Board since 2008 and is the past Democratic Leader. She chairs the Public Works and Transportation Committee. Her term expires in 2026.
Already, Sheldon Watts and Tyler Giacalone have announced they are running for the two seats that are up for election next year to represent District 11.
Earlier this year, Traynere was issued a traffic citation stemming from an accident with a minor on a bicycle. That case was dismissed May 15, according to her lawyer and Will County Court documents.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter.
