A Will County election worker was awarded nearly $46,000 in one of the first judgements in Illinois based on a civil doxing law, her lawyer announced.
On Thursday, a Will County judge ruled in favor of Ellen Moriarty, awarding her a $45,901 judgement following a trial that was brought under Illinois’ Civil Liability for Doxing Act.
“This verdict is important not just for Ellen Moriarty, but for anyone who has been targeted by false online attacks,” said attorney Joe Giamanco, counsel for Moriarty and managing partner of Giamanco Law Partners, Ltd. in a statement. “People cannot manufacture or spread fake content, try to destroy someone’s livelihood, and then expect to walk away without accountability. Keyboard warriors should pay attention to this verdict and think twice before they go on the attack.”
The law, that took effect at the start of 2024, creates a civil cause of action for anyone harmed by doxing. Under the statute, “doxing” includes intentionally publishing another person’s identifiable information (including social media profiles) without consent with the intent to harm or harass someone and that leads to harm of that person, including economic injury, mental anguish, fear of serious bodily injury or death, or a substantial life disruption.
“No one should be targeted and harassed for exercising the right to participate in government and ask questions of elected officials,” Giamanco said. “This case should serve as a warning: if you attempt to dox, harass, and falsely target another person, there can be serious legal and financial repercussions.”
Moriarty’s case arose from a Facebook post that falsely claimed she made a statement praising the July 2024 attempted assassination of President Donald Trump. Michael Gondek, the defendant in the trial, shared the image and it was subsequently re-shared dozens of times, Giamanco said, causing Moriarty serious harm.
Her lawyer presented evidence during the trial that the image was not authentic and Gondek testified that he has a professional background in graphic design and is an expert in photo manipulation.
Giamanco also presented evidence that Gondek had been engaged in ongoing attempts to get Moriarty fired from her position with the Will County Clerk’s Office and that Moriarty was targeted because of her participation in government, including speaking at public meetings and questioning elected officials.
Christina Clausen, chair of the Will County Republican Party, testified during the trial about how the image ended up in a text message chain that included various political figures, including former Homer Township Supervisor and current Will County Board member Steven Balich. Clausen testified that Gondek sent the image to the group and claimed it was authentic, and said no one questioned the legitimacy of the image.
Gondek testified that he was also told to resign by Balich from his position as appointed Homer Township Collector shortly after the lawsuit was filed but he claims he never actually resigned and had planned to run for trustee along with Balich and the other Homer Township officials.
“This case was about truth, accountability, and protecting a citizen from being deliberately targeted with false and harmful material,” said Giamanco. “Ellen Moriarty was unfairly harassed, wrongfully blamed for a fake image, and subjected to a campaign that never should have happened. The court’s ruling makes clear that this kind of conduct has consequences.”
The verdict is believed to be one of the first, if not the first, reached in a trial under the Civil Liability for Doxing Act, Giamanco said.
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