Park Forest FOIA Request Seeks Records on Joe Woods’ Vehicle Use and Credit Card Spending (Park Forest, IL) – A Freedom of Information Act request has been submitted to the Village seeking records concerning the use of a Village-owned vehicle by Village President Joseph Woods.
The request seeks records that could show how the vehicle has been used, including its mileage, destinations and use outside Village limits.
The request also seeks records showing whether the vehicle has been used outside of normal Village hours.
Among the records requested are vehicle mileage logs, trip logs, GPS or location records, fuel records, maintenance records and documents concerning who has paid for expenses associated with the vehicle.
The request also asks for records showing whether the Village President was using or occupying a Village vehicle on the night of an altercation involving the owner of All Out Smoke Pit.
The request does not make a conclusion about whether the vehicle was used appropriately. It seeks the underlying public records so the facts can be reviewed.
The FOIA request also seeks Village credit card and purchasing card records associated with the Village President.
Those records include credit card statements, receipts, invoices, expense reports and other documentation supporting charges made during the requested period.
The request also seeks Village policies governing the use of Village-owned vehicles.
The full text of the FOIA request is below:
Dear FOIA Officer:
Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140), I request copies of the following public records:
Village Vehicle Records
1. Records identifying the Village-owned vehicle currently assigned to or being used by the Village President, and any previous vehiclrs used by the Village President, including the vehicle make, model, year, and license plate number.
2. Records showing the mileage on the vehicles referenced in item #1 immediately before the Village President began using or being assigned the vehicles, and records showing the vehicle’s current mileage.
3. All vehicle mileage logs, trip logs, GPS/location records, dispatch records, or other records documenting the use of the vehicles referenced in items #1 and #2 by the Village President during the period from September 1, 2025 through September 1, 2026.
4. Records showing trips taken in the vehicles referenced in items #1 and #2 outside the Village’s municipal limits, including the date, destination, purpose of the trip, and mileage, to the extent such information is contained in existing records during the period from September 1, 2025 through September 1, 2026.
5. Records documenting use of the vehicles referenced in items #1 and #2 outside of the Village President’s regular working or official Village hours, including dates, times, destinations, and stated purposes, to the extent such information is contained in existing records during the period from September 1, 2025 through September 1, 2026.
6. Records concerning the Village President’s payment for gasoline, fuel, maintenance, repairs, insurance, or other expenses associated with the vehicles referenced in items #1 and #2, including any policies, agreements, reimbursements, receipts, invoices, or other records showing which expenses are paid personally by the Village President and which are paid by the Village during the period from September 1, 2025 through September 1, 2026.
7. Any Village policies, ordinances, resolutions, employment/official-use agreements, or other records governing the personal or after-hours use of Village-owned vehicles by elected officials.
8. Records sufficient to show whether the Village President was using or occupying a Village-owned vehicle on the days of August 6, 2024 through August 7, 2024, including any vehicle logs, GPS/location records, mileage records, security records, or other existing records that document the vehicle’s use during that time.
9. Copies of Village credit card and/or purchasing card statements for cards issued to, assigned to, or used by the Village President for the period from September 1, 2025 through September 1, 2026.
10. Copies of receipts, invoices, purchase records, expense reports, reimbursement records, and other supporting documentation for charges made on those cards during the same period.
11. Records identifying the Village credit/debit/purchasing cards issued to or assigned to the Village President, including the cardholder’s name, card type, and the last four digits of the card number, if maintained by the Village.
12. Any policies, procedures, ordinances, resolutions, or other records governing the use of Village credit/debit/purchasing cards by elected officials.
I request these records in electronic format where available.
If any portion of this request is denied, please identify the specific statutory exemption authorizing the denial and provide all reasonably segregable portions of the requested records.
For purposes of this request, we are requesting these records in our capacity as news media as defined by 5 ILCS 140/2(f), and the principal purpose of this request is to access and disseminate information concerning news and current events and matters of public interest.
Accordingly, pursuant to 5 ILCS 140/2(g) and 5 ILCS 140/2(h), requests made by qualifying news media for these purposes are excluded from the definitions of “recurrent requester” and “voluminous request.” We therefore respectfully request that this request not be treated as a recurrent or voluminous request under those provisions.
If the Village determines that clarification is necessary, please contact me before processing the request so that I may clarify the scope.
Readers will be provided an update as it becomes available.
Park Forest FOIA Request Seeks Records on Joe Woods’ Vehicle Use and Credit Card Spending
