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Residents accuse city attorney of improperly obtaining 30-year-old mugshot, demand investigation
Summary
Multiple Crown Point residents used public comment to accuse City Attorney Alex Kudnowski of retrieving and distributing a decades-old mugshot to smear a critic, prompting calls from commenters for an immediate investigation and possible changes to city ethics practices.
Multiple residents at the Crown Point City Council meeting on May 4 accused the city attorney, Alex Kudnowski, of improperly obtaining and using a 30-year-old mugshot to retaliate against a local critic, and urged the mayor and council to investigate and hold officials accountable.
In public comment, a resident identified as Sam said the mugshot, taken more than 30 years ago, was retrieved from a Lake County Sheriff’s Office archive and used to “smear my name,” and he said the city attorney was implicated. “Does anybody wanna guess who retrieved this photo … the city attorney that’s not sitting here tonight, Alex Kudnowski,” Sam said. He said he filed a tort claim and plans further legal action.
Michelle, another resident who said she rarely speaks at meetings, told the council she was “fed up” and asked for immediate action. “Are you gonna investigate it? Are you gonna hold anyone accountable? Are you gonna sit there and say nothing?” she said, pressing Mayor Pete and councilors for a response.
Susan McKendree, who urged ordinance changes about how addresses are recorded, said the pattern of alleged retaliation and the retrieval of private material should alarm residents and prompted a review of city practices. She cited guidance from the public access counselor indicating addresses need not be published and urged the council to amend local rules to protect privacy.
Mayor (presiding) closed the public comment portion without announcing an immediate investigation; council business moved forward into new-business items. Several speakers urged the council to act publicly rather than “behind closed doors,” and some said they would pursue electoral remedies in upcoming elections.
The council did not take formal action on staffing, ethics enforcement, or the specific allegation against the city attorney during the meeting. The allegations and residents’ calls for immediate inquiry were documented in the public-record comments and may prompt follow-up from council leadership or legal staff.
