CAHOKIA, IL (FOX2now.com) -
Defendants in an election rigging controversy in Cahokia, Illinois are speaking publicly for the first time. Two village trustees and two workers are accused of working together back in April to swing the local election in their favor. Prosecutors have filed nearly 200 charges against them. Meanwhile the mayor has locked the trustees out of city hall.
"We believe the actions of the Mayor and his supporters related to the April election should be similarly investigated," said William Brown standing in front of a couple dozen supporters outside Cahokia Village Hall Thursday Night.
Brown is one of four men charged in St. Clair county with vote fraud. Two of them are recently elected Trustees and two of them are longtime employees all of them are accusing Mayor Frank Bergman of abusing his power, assault and making racial remarks.
"At it's best it's ludicrous," says Mayor Bergman, "irresponsible at it's worst."
Bergman says the racial remarks are as easy to brush off as the other claims. A push at Tuesday's Board of Trustees meeting, he says was to get someone out of his space and off his foot. As far as not disclosing paid bills to the Board, Bergman says they have seen the bills and as far as him paying them that's not his choice he says that's his responsibility. Bergman claims that only a referendum not the board can change that.
"According to state law I am the one responsible for the bills," he says, "so I am going to pay them and not the Board of Trustees."
"This is truly the example of dirty politics at its worst," says accused village employee Brown standing outside the padlocked front door of the Village Hall. The Mayor has ordered it padlocked after 5PM so he and others with keys have to go around back and through the police department. Bergman says it's a matter of safety, the accused Trustees and employees say it's all about control.
The accused Trustees say they feel powerless, violated and disrespected and until proven otherwise in a court of law they feel they were elected to represent the people and they will.
"I fear the Mayor's plan has already been set into motion and it is for this reason that he is refusing to let anyone inspect the village's finances," says Brown who also stated the innocence of all four of them.
It's those charges that has convinced the Mayor to not back down.
"I believe they were all elected illegally," says Bergman, "and I'm not going to answer to them."
"We believe the actions of the Mayor and his supporters related to the April election should be similarly investigated," said William Brown standing in front of a couple dozen supporters outside Cahokia Village Hall Thursday Night.
Brown is one of four men charged in St. Clair county with vote fraud. Two of them are recently elected Trustees and two of them are longtime employees all of them are accusing Mayor Frank Bergman of abusing his power, assault and making racial remarks.
"At it's best it's ludicrous," says Mayor Bergman, "irresponsible at it's worst."
Bergman says the racial remarks are as easy to brush off as the other claims. A push at Tuesday's Board of Trustees meeting, he says was to get someone out of his space and off his foot. As far as not disclosing paid bills to the Board, Bergman says they have seen the bills and as far as him paying them that's not his choice he says that's his responsibility. Bergman claims that only a referendum not the board can change that.
"According to state law I am the one responsible for the bills," he says, "so I am going to pay them and not the Board of Trustees."
"This is truly the example of dirty politics at its worst," says accused village employee Brown standing outside the padlocked front door of the Village Hall. The Mayor has ordered it padlocked after 5PM so he and others with keys have to go around back and through the police department. Bergman says it's a matter of safety, the accused Trustees and employees say it's all about control.
The accused Trustees say they feel powerless, violated and disrespected and until proven otherwise in a court of law they feel they were elected to represent the people and they will.
"I fear the Mayor's plan has already been set into motion and it is for this reason that he is refusing to let anyone inspect the village's finances," says Brown who also stated the innocence of all four of them.
It's those charges that has convinced the Mayor to not back down.
"I believe they were all elected illegally," says Bergman, "and I'm not going to answer to them."
