Waukegan Clerk Janet Kilkelly Shaken Over Police Seizure of City-Issued Mobile Phone

The City of Waukegan is unfortunately all too often known as the home of corruption, and with a recent story regarding City Clerk Janet Kilkelly’s city-owned mobile phone being seized by law enforcement, one has to wonder if this is yet another chapter in Waukegan’s history of political corruption.

On December 28, 2023, the Lake & McHenry Scanner broke a story that Waukegan City Hall had received a search warrant for Kilkelly’s work mobile phone. A Lake County Circuit Clerk Judge reportedly signed the warrant on December 13. According to those with knowledge of the warrant, the Illinois State Police are examining Clerk Kilkelly’s phone for evidence of official misconduct.

At the January 2, 2024, City Council meeting, the normally very well-composed City Clerk seemed out of sorts and nervous as she spoke about the incident during the resident public comment time. During the Clerk's comments, she denied any knowledge of a search warrant for her Samsung phone. She said it was part of an ongoing investigation into indicted former Alderperson Roudell Kirkwood, who was indicted last year on dozens of felony charges.

After her remarks, Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor confirmed the City did, in fact, receive a search warrant for the Clerk’s telephone and that Clerk Kilkelly has been cooperating with law enforcement thus far.

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This situation leaves many Waukeganites wondering what exactly is happening with the City Clerk. Is she under investigation herself? Is this, just as she claimed, part of the investigation into her friend Roudell Kirkwood, or are the Illinois State Police digging for evidence of crimes from someone higher up the political food chain, perhaps even former Mayor Sam Cunningham? Only time will tell.