Niles man’s candidacy in April election challenged due to past convictions, per records

The candidacy of a man seeking election to the Niles-Maine District Library Board of Trustees in the April 4 election has been challenged, citing convictions for assaulting a woman and a now-expired ban on using local parks, according to records obtained by Chicago Tribune/ Pioneer Press.

Niles resident Jason Trunco, 42, served 120 days in a North Carolina jail after he was convicted of assault on a female when he was 21 years old, in 2002, according to the Wake County Clerk of Court’s office.

Locally, Trunco was banned from Niles Park District parks and programs from June 2020 to June 2021, according to documents obtained by Chicago Tribune/Pioneer Press. Niles Park District staff said the district has no documentation that anyone else has ever been banned.

In a statement to Pioneer Press, Trunco said his history with the law does not and should not bar him from holding an elected position.

“My background is something that has been discussed publicly since my first election run in 2015,” Trunco wrote in an email. “Anything on my background is over 20 years ago and does not disqualify me from running for public office. I am a father, a local business owner and a family man. I strongly believe that everyone deserves a second chance. I will not have any further comment on this matter and will be focusing my efforts on Reclaiming Our Library. Anything in Niles has never resulted in criminal charges, both against others or myself. A lot occurred in the Park District where we have all moved on, have worked together since and there has been no further issues.”(sic)

Niles resident Dale Zilligen challenged Trunco’s candidacy Dec. 23 citing the convictions in North Carolina and incidents in Niles and seeking to have Trunco removed from the ballot. The objection cited a portion of Illinois law that states “any person convicted of an infamous crime... shall thereafter be prohibited from holding any office of honor, trust or profit.”

The Cook County Clerk’s office is scheduled to conduct a hearing Friday and will decide whether Trunco remains on the ballot. Spokesperson Sally Daly said the ruling should be made Jan. 18 or later.

Raleigh, North Carolina police reports obtained by Pioneer Press state that on Nov. 28, 2001, police arrested Trunco, then 21, and he was accused of assault with other dangerous weapon. The victim is listed as a 19-year-old woman.

On March 20, 2002, another Raleigh Police report indicates Trunco, then 21, was arrested and accused of assault at a different Raleigh address against the same woman, then 20.

The Wake County Clerk of Court’s office said Trunco was found guilty of assault on a female, sentenced to two 60-day sentences and served 120 days in jail in 2002.

The objection also references Trunco’s history with the Niles Park District and its staff, officials and patrons, which resulted in a written warning and then Trunco’s one-year suspension from all Park District parks and programs. The objection was filed by attorney Daniel Kelley, who has also represented Niles-Maine Library Trustee Joe Makula in legal action trying to unseat one trustee and block another from being appointed. Makula himself is up for reelection on April 4.

Zilligen declined to comment on the matter.

On June 23, 2020, the Niles Park District banned Trunco from all its parks, facilities, events and properties for a one-year period.

Among the Niles Park District incidents that the objection references, the park district in 2019 issued a written warning to Trunco regarding his conduct at a volleyball game that led to his being escorted from the area.

In a letter to Trunco, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, Niles Park District Executive Director Tom Elenz stated that Trunco had been watching volleyball at Golf View Recreational Center when he yelled at a referee to “open his eyes” and gave him the middle finger. In the letter, Elenz said other parents escorted Trunco off the grounds.

“The Niles Park District will not tolerate this behavior,” Elenz wrote. “It is disruptive, exhibits unsportsmanlike conduct and can put the children at risk.”

Elenz advised Trunco that repeating such behavior could lead to him being banned from Niles Park District facilities.

On June 11, 2020, according to a Niles police report obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, Niles police arrested Trunco, who was accused of disorderly conduct for calling a man playing tennis at Jonquil Terrace Park a derogatory term for LGBTQ+ people and yelling at him about violating park rules.

The report also states that Trunco slapped a phone out of the hand of a woman who was recording the altercation. He was not charged with a crime or ticketed in either of these incidents, according to Cook County court records and local police.

Prior to those incidents, a Niles police report obtained through a public records request also shows that Niles Park District Athletics Director Paul Nielsen went to law enforcement in 2018 over a set of texts from Trunco. That report did not result in any legal action, according to law enforcement.

Earlier that year, Trunco had filed a police report after getting into an argument with then-Park Commissioner Ray Czarnik. Trunco and Czarnik both said they have “moved on” from the incident.

A letter dated June 17, 2020, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, Park District Board Attorney Daniel Shapiro noted Elenz’ June 2019 warning to Trunco and the past incidents and asked Trunco not to visit the parks.

Five days later, a June 23, 2020 letter written by Shapiro formally banned Trunco for one year from all Park District parks and properties.

The ban extended to Trunco’s presence at “all Niles Park District programs, events, properties and facilities until June 22, 2021 with the sole exception of dropping off and picking [up] your minor children, while remaining in your vehicle,” the letter said.

Trunco told Pioneer Press he has served his suspension, which he called an isolated incident.

“I have since coached and been in the stands,” he said. “I’ve coached baseball during this fall season just now.”

Trunco is running for library board alongside current Trustees Becky Keane and Umair Qadeer and Niles resident Roberto Botello as the “Reclaim Our Library Slate,” which has the endorsement of Niles Mayor George Alpogianis. Members of the slate favor reversing some of the severe cuts some library board members have pushed through since May 2021. The slate favors including hiring staff to fill positions that have gone vacant during a recently-lifted hiring freeze that lasted 19 months, from May 2021 to December 2022. The slate also favors preventive maintenance and cleaning for the library building.

Other candidates in the race are Mike Movido, Irina Byalaya, Steven Yasell and Steve Folga, as well as Makula.