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Joliet Mayor Accused of Blackmailing "Duck" Dickinson Over Nude Photos

 


By John Raspante

One of the biggest ongoing stories in local politics is that Joliet City Councilman Don “Duck” Dickinson made accusations that Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk has blackmailed him over alleged nude photos taken by Dickinson.

On Monday November 2, Dickinson filed a police report against the Joliet mayor and his report was immediately supplied to a local newspaper. That same night, Dickinson read a prepared statement at the Joliet Council meeting suggesting he has been a blackmail victim these past several months.

“Over the last six months, I have been put in a position that has been very uncomfortable for me with my role in the Council. This has affected all the decisions that I need to make to help the city of Joliet move forward,” Dickinson said in his statement at the meeting. “I feel I have been harassed, badgered, tormented and now blackmailed unfairly. This is over a personal relationship that I had a few years ago with another consenting adult. Photos were sent between us, for us and for us only.”

“This issue is being held over my head,” he continued. “The entire matter is being investigated by the Joliet Police Department. I have always been here for my constituents and I will be in the future.”

After the meeting, Mayor O’Dekirk came out and said in response, “I didn’t have much respect for Don as a councilman, but I did have respect for him as a person. I can’t believe he would stoop so low to file a false police report against me and make up a lie as far as trying to blackmail him with nude photographs.”

            Since the meeting, Dickinson has been unresponsive to requests for comment from multiple news outlets. Additionally, Dickinson took down his Facebook page even though he’s the most active Joliet elected official on social media. Before taking it down, Dickinson would post information to Facebook anywhere from ten to twenty times a day.

            While Dickinson has remained silent, O’Dekirk has not. O’Dekirk appeared on the WJOL 1340-AM news radio station and told morning show host Scott Slocum that Dickinson needs to be held accountable for the lies he is spreading.

            “I don’t have a naked photo of Don “Duck” Dickinson. I’ve never seen a photo of Don. I don’t ever want to see a naked photo of Don Dickinson or any other man,” O’Dekirk said during the live interview. “I don’t know why he would be compelled to not only lie about me, but then to put it in an official document, in a police report, filing a false police report… I just don’t know.” 

Image courtesy of Brock A. Stein


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