LAWSUIT, excerpt from Steinbach's complaint [FP]

On Friday, Proviso Probe published the press release from Forest Park Commissioner Theresa Steinbach's lawyer. On ForestPark.com Logic started a discussion in which s/he labeled the issue "Mayorgate".

On Friday, August 4, Forest Park Commissioner Theresa Steinbach filed a lawsuit in federal court against three John Does for secretly accessing her village email account without authority and forwarding emails to Mayor Anthony Calderone.

Steinbach’s email account was accessed on July 7. [Correction: According to the complaint Steinbach noticed her email account had been accessed on July 7.]

Steinbach alleges the three John Does were engaged in a conspiracy. The suit alleges:

Without Commissioner Steinbach’s authorization or knowledge, Defendant John Doe 1 obtained unauthorized access and/or exceeded his authorized access to Commissioner Steinbach’s Forest Park Email Account….

Without Commissioner Steinbach’s authorization of knowledge, Defendant John Doe 1 selected particular private electronic mail communications to forward to the Mayor of Forest Park from those they [sic] read in Commissioner Steinbach’s Forest Park Email Account and thereafter did in fact forward such electronic mail communications to the Mayor of the Village of Forest Park….

Upon information and belief, Defendant John Doe 1 acted in concert with Defendants John Doe 2 and John Doe 3.

Upon information and belief and without Commissioner Steinbach’s authorization or knowledge, Defendants John Doe 2 and John Doe 3 disclosed contents of private electronic email communications from Commissioner Steinbach’s Forest Park Email Account to other third parties.

Upon information and belief, the Defendants engaged in the foregoing conduct with actual malice and intent to harm Commissioner Steinbach personally and politically.

Steinbach’s complaint is based on five violations of the law. Count one alleges a violation of the Federal Wire Tap Act (18 U.S.C., Sections 2511, 2520). Count two alleges violation of 720 ILCS 5/14-1, et seq. Illinois Eavesdropping Statute. Count three alleges a violation of intrusion upon seclusion. Count four alleges a violation of public disclosure of private facts. Count five alleges a violation of Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (18 U.S.C. Section 1030).

The case number is 06C-4215 and has been assigned to Judge Zagel.