Married Illinois pol drops smooch video after alleged ‘blackmail’ plot

A married Illinois politician released surveillance footage of herself kissing a powerful local mayor, beating her political enemies to the punch after they allegedly threatened to leak the video unless she quit her campaign.

Lyons Township Clerk Elyse Hoffenberg, 51, who is running as a Democrat for Cook County Commissioner, released the compromising clip “in the interest of transparency” after alleging opponents tried to use it to force her from the race.

The surveillance footage, first published by the Chicago Tribune, captures Hoffenberg and Bridgeview Mayor Steven Landek, 70, a former state senator and longtime Democratic leader, inside the closed Lyons Township clerk’s office in Countryside, shortly before 6:45 p.m. on July 13.

Hoffenberg appears to lean back during the smooch and smiles afterward before the pair continue talking and walk out of the frame.

But Hoffenberg insisted there was no romance during the caught-on-camera kiss.

Hoffenberg claimed the lip-smack was a ‘lighthearted, friendly and non-romantic moment among colleagues” and that immediately after it happened, she told Landek that the gesture was “inappropriate and unprofessional,” according to Patch.

Landek then apologized, she said.

Hoffenberg, who is married to lawyer Jeff Hoffenberg, 51, has turned her fury on her political rivals, alleging they tried to use the video for a blackmail plot.

“My political opponents attempted to extort me regarding this video, saying they would drop their threats to release it if I end my campaign,’ she told the Daily Mail. ‘I am certain that our community will find this kind of old-school politics of harassment abhorrent, and I won’t be bullied.”

She’s accused Republican Liz Gorman — who filed Freedom of Information Act requests for the video footage on Aug. 3 — of being the culprit behind the video leak, and said that Lyons Township supervisor Chris Getty, 43, a Democrat launching an independent congressional bid, was part of the plan to access the footage for damaging purposes, according to media reports.

Gorman, 61, denied trying to blackmail Hoffenberg, saying she never contacted her and never demanded anything in exchange for withholding the video, according to the Daily Mail.

Hoffenberg said the video won’t affect into her campaign, adding: “I am staying focused on my campaign to bring strong leadership to this community, and I look forward to continuing this work.”

Hoffenberg and Landek did not immediately return requests seeking comment.