Big IL County Elections Director Holds Patent to Voting Tech Purchased by County

[autorank]

So when does this guy get an award? The most outrageous conflict of interest in elections
politicsd since Wally O'Dell."

DuPage election panel's director holds patent
to voting-aid technology purchased by county

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=post&forum=203

By James Kimberly | Tribune reporter
December 17, 2008

The executive director of the DuPage Election Commission holds the patent on an election product being used in DuPage and numerous other election jurisdictions.

But Robert Saar, who receives royalty payments from sales of AskED, said he has been advised by the commission's attorney that his dealings pose no conflict of interest. He estimates his royalties are $10,000 a year.

Saar said he co-invented AskED with David Davoust, a longtime friend and a computer contractor with the county's election commission. Davoust's company, Robis Elections of Wheaton, does not pay Saar royalty payments when AskED is sold to election jurisdictions in Illinois. Saar was not paid when AskED was purchased in DuPage.

Saar said he sought a legal opinion about the royalty agreement from the election commission's attorney, Pat Bond. According to a written opinion Bond prepared, Saar's relationship with Robis does not pose a conflict of interest because Saar does not have an ownership interest in Robis and because Saar is not earning money off the DuPage contracts. In an interview, Bond said Saar went further than necessary by declining royalty payments on products sold to other Illinois jurisdictions.

[AtLiberty]

1. For crying out loud...

There are a number of conflicts of interest, but here's one for starters:

Wouldn't the patent by a government official to be used for government purposes belong to the county? Shouldn't the tax payers receive the benefits instead of this guy?

If this election official wished to make money in the private sector, he should have quit his tax payer-funded position a long time ago.