Update: Cogensia said on Friday that Brad Rukstales has been terminated by the company's board of directors. Original story below.
The CEO of a suburban tech company was among dozens who were arrested this week after pro-Trump protestors stormed the U.S. Capitol building Wednesday.
Brad Rukstales, the CEO of Schaumburg-based marketing tech company Cogensia, was arrested and charged with unlawful entry after entering the U.S. Capitol during Wednesday's violence in Washington, D.C.
On Thursday night, Rukstales said in an interview with CBS Chicago that he entered the building, telling the news station that he was "in the wrong place at the wrong time and I regret my part in that.”
He added in a written statement that it was "the single worst personal decision of my life; I have no excuse for my actions and wish that I could take them back.”
Cogensia released a statement on Thursday saying in part that Rukstales' actions were his own and he was "not acting on behalf Cogensia nor do his actions in any way reflect the policies or values of our firm."
Cogensia placed Rukstales on a leave of absence while it assess the situation further. Joel Schiltz, the company's SVP and chief operating officer, is leading the company in the interim.
Founded in 2002, Cogensia is a data-driven marketing tech firm for restaurant and highway toll-collection companies. The company has less than 50 employees, according to LinkedIn.
