A Will County judge awarded $45,901 in damages to a Homer Glen woman who said Homer Township collector Michael Gondek harassed her by falsely suggesting she was celebrating Donald Trump’s 2024 assassination attempt.
The case is likely the first of its kind to reach a verdict under the Civil Liability for Doxing Act, which took effect Jan. 1, 2024.
Ellen Moriarty said Gondek spread a doctored image attributed to her that claims she was celebrating the July 2024 assassination attempt on Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, when Trump was a former president campaigning again for the office.
Moriarty said she didn’t create the Facebook post and hadn’t realized the post was shared numerous times until someone pointed out that it appeared on the Will County Republican Women Facebook page.
She initially filed a lawsuit in August 2024 against Patricia Deiters, a New Lenox Township trustee who is an administrator of the page, but Deiters was dismissed from the lawsuit last year following a settlement agreement.
In the discovery process, Moriarty and her lawyer, Joe Giamanco, said they learned the image was sent by Gondek in a text message thread to several prominent Homer Township Republicans.
Moriarty alleged Gondek was also contacting the Will County clerk’s office in an attempt to get her fired and shared the fake image with the clerk. Moriarty does part-time seasonal election work for the clerk’s office and has worked various positions such as election judge and field tech.
The fake Facebook image was shared numerous times and damaged Moriarty’s reputation and caused her to feel anxious and frightened, she said.
The clerk’s office had to reassign her election work starting with the 2024 presidential election away from Homer Township precincts to the Plainfield area out of concern for her safety, she said. She said she felt as though there was a target on her back.
The image was obviously a fake, Moriarty and Giamanco said.
“I’m very pleased justice was served by the court,” Moriarty said. “This is wrong to do to somebody.”
She thanked her lawyer for outlining the facts and Judge Brian Barrett for listening to the testimony.
Barrett awarded Moriarty $10,000 for damage to her reputation, $10,000 for emotional distress, $5,000 for future damage to her reputation and $20,901 in reasonable attorney’s fees for a total of $45,901.
Gondek said Monday he plans to appeal the judgment.
He said the image attributed to Moriarty was real and not doctored, and he is concerned his reputation is being smeared, adding a similar lawsuit could happen to anyone.
Giamanco said the Civil Liability for Doxing Act protects a citizen from being deliberately targeted with false and harmful material.
The act provides ways for a victim to seek relief from being harmed by doxing, or the act of intentionally using another’s personally identifiable information, including social media profiles, without consent with the intent to harass, cause mental anguish or create fear of bodily harm or death.
In the original lawsuit, Moriarty said she had emotional distress, feared for her safety, feared for her family’s safety and feared she would lose her job. The lawsuit states she suffered a lack of sleep and became more cognizant of her surroundings in case anyone was following her or watching her.
“In social media, once you put something out into the atmosphere, you can’t get it back,” Moriarty said.
Gondek was added to the lawsuit as a defendant in March 2025.
Gondek, who represented himself, last year filed a motion to dismiss the case, saying the original suit against Dieters had been settled and there was nothing showing any illegal activity.
Moriarty said she believed she was a target because she spoke up at Homer Township meetings and against former township Supervisor Steve Balich’s administration, where Gondek was appointed in July 2023. He resigned as Homer Township collector in September 2024, according to the township’s meeting minutes.
Giamanco said this is not an issue of free speech. He said Gondek intentionally spread a fake image and tried to get Moriarty fired.
He said the verdict sends a message that people cannot manufacture or spread fake content, try to destroy someone’s livelihood or weaponize misinformation.
“People really need to think before they share,” he said.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter.
