FREE SPEECH: IT'S OKAY TO DISAGREE!

Date: 02/21/2024 11:49 AM CST

Subject: Fwd: Elgin Township Trustee Alex Lopez Fears Free Speech

February 16, 7:15pm, I hear a knock at my front door. It was a detective from the Elgin police department.

I was informed that I am under investigation for threatening a public official. The official is Alex Lopez of Elgin Township. The detective pulled highlighted copies of my emails out of his satchel and began to ask the meaning of what I had said.

My words speak for themselves. The emails are public records, and I am attaching them for anyone to view.

This week I have been informed by a contact in the township that Alex Lopez has threatened to call the police before when I attended public meetings not because of anything I did, but because he disliked what I said during public comments.

This is clear intimidation by trustee Lopez for my political views. We have been in the same room many times, perhaps thirty times. I have never threatened him. He never expressed fear at my presence. He hates what I have to say.

 

His complaint was so unserious that the police closed the case February 17, the following day, a Saturday. In fact, the threat to Mr. Lopez was so unclear to the detectives that they had to ask him repeatedly why he felt threatened. They followed up out of duty and because of liability concerns. There was never any threat.

 

Alex Lopez is a disgrace to the office he holds. He should resign for harassing the public and wasting police resources to settle a score that I did not know we had at the time.

Enoch Essendrop

Elgin IL resident

RECAP of email exchanges between Mr. Lopez and Mr. Essendrop

Alex Lopez Feb 16, 2024 at 2:05 PM To: Enoch Essendrop

Thank you for your correspondence, Mr. Essendrop.

On Fri, Feb 16, 2024 at 11:12 AM Enoch Essendrop wrote:

Honorable Lopez,

Apparently my clear questions were confused with a standard Miss America pageant questionnaire. Looks like you have a decent shot of winning. I apologize for the mix up.

Thank you for acknowledging my right to communicate. The magnanimity does not go overlooked. Looking forward to seeing you at the next township meeting.

Sincerely,

Enoch Essendrop

On Thu, Feb 15, 2024 at 3:02 PM Alex Lopez wrote:

Thank you for your correspondence, Mr. Essendrop. I am genuinely pleased when constituents such as yourself engage with their elected officials and exercise their right to ask questions – one of the many, many reasons I love this country of ours. Alex Lopez, Elgin Township Trustee

Honorable Lopez,

I am a friend of Eric Stare’s. We do not agree on everything. I take issue with how he raises issues, at times, but I am proud to call him a friend nonetheless. He really has a big heart and a strong, sincere desire to serve.

All that aside, I do have questions for you regarding your actual stance on the issue of funding priorities. Would it accurate to say that you want all residents of our community served? Even people who are not here legally pay taxes through their property taxes via rents and mortgages. It is not a fair point to make a broad assumption that those who are here “illegally” do not pay taxes as some do. I acknowledge this error that some make.

That being said, would it also be fair to say that you believe our social services are being strained by an influx of poorer migrants who are necessarily using resources that would otherwise be utilized by legal residents? If you do believe that, at what point are you willing to say there has been too much illegal migration (or inappropriate asylum seeking?

Now my final question, and one I am genuinely curious about, do you believe that America is “too white?” Thank you. Have a great day. Enoch Essendrop