Quinn

LEGISLATORS CALL FOR CRIMINAL PROBE AFTER AUDIT OF QUINN'S ANTI-VIOLENCE PROGRAM

SPRINGFIELD - Speaking about the auditor general's report of Gov. Pat Quinn's Neighborhood Recovery Initiative of the Illinois Violence Prevent Authority, State Sen. Tim Bivins (R-Dixon) noted, “This is the kind of information that indictments are made out of.”

“Obviously, there has to be an investigation,” said Bivins, a former Lee County sheriff. “There’s more than enough probable cause here, when you use tax dollars to have people march in a parade for you.”

The report alleges more than $50 million in taxpayer-funded, possibly campaign-related waste.

State Senator Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington), the co-chairman of the legislature’s auditing body, said the audit findings are so serious they need to be submitted to the Executive Inspector and potentially the U.S. Attorney for further investigation of potential criminal actions.

“There are so many problems identified by the Auditor General that it is hard to pick out the most serious charges,” Barickman said. “But one has to be that the Governor broke state law by circumventing the legislature’s authority to appropriate funds.”

“This is a damning and very thoroughly researched report,” says State Sen. Matt Murphy (R-Palatine).  “If this rises to the level of criminal conduct, recognized by the U. S. attorney, I don't know how you don’t say it’s impeachable.”

With the last two Illinois governors having gone to prison, Murphy said the report should refute any notion that Illinoisans should cut incumbent Gov. Pat Quinn any slack as a nice guy with a big heart.