Illinois Election Board chief on leave after extortion bid

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Springfield, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois State Board of Elections has voted unanimously to place its executive director on paid administrative leave after he reported being the target of an online extortion attempt.

The board said in a news release Monday that its eight members took the action involving Steve Sandvoss “out of an abundance of caution.” It says there’s no reason to believe that any election data or information has been compromised.

Sandvoss, a Rochester lawyer who has led the state agency since 2015, reported the extortion attempt occurred last week. He informed the Illinois State Police, which has begun an investigation.