Aurora Mayor Seeks Resignation of Indicted School Board President

Aurora Mayor John Laesch demanded the resignation of Annette Johnson, the president of the East Aurora School District 131 board, following her indictment on fraud charges this week. Laesch, a former board member, told reporters he submitted evidence to prosecutors showing that businesses connected to Johnson received over $43 million from the district between 2018 and 2023. He characterized the alleged conduct as unethical and a violation of her oath of office.

A grand jury returned the indictment on Tuesday. It charges Johnson with two counts of honest services mail fraud and one count of honest services wire fraud. Prosecutors allege she used her position as board president to influence a specific procurement deal in 2021. On November 1, 2021, the board voted to approve a $2.7 million purchase of wearable air purifiers. Johnson voted in favor of the transaction without disclosing a personal economic interest, according to the charging document.

The indictment details that a company Johnson helped lead received a $1.3 million payment from the air purifier reseller. The check was labeled as a commission. Johnson later voted to approve an additional $201,000 payment for extended warranties on the devices. The document states that her companies paid her $7,500 in 2021, an amount she did not list on her statement of economic interest filed with Kane County.

Laesch said a whistleblower contacted him in 2024 with information about Johnson’s ties to eight companies. Records provided by the mayor show those entities earned $43.1 million from the school district from 2018 to 2023. He stated he passed all gathered evidence to federal investigators and the Kane County sheriff’s office. Laesch expressed hope for justice for the families in District 131 and the East Aurora community.

School district officials issued a written statement acknowledging the seriousness of the allegations. They affirmed that Johnson is entitled to a presumption of innocence and said the district will continue to cooperate with authorities. Johnson and her attorney did not respond to requests for comment regarding the indictment or the mayor’s call for her resignation.

The indictment describes a network of dealings involving three companies led by Johnson and a romantic partner. Johnson’s statements of economic interest remained blank from 2012 until 2024. That year, an Aurora resident challenged her eligibility for office, alleging a financial conflict with vendors connected to the Elk Grove-based DJ Payne Corporation. The board ruled it lacked authority to challenge the validity of her statements and dropped the matter.

In 2025, Johnson listed DJ Payne Corporation for the first time on her economic interest statement. The company’s website currently lists Johnson as part of its sales team. The district continues to process its budget while federal and local investigators review the financial records spanning the last decade of Johnson’s tenure as board president.