Latest Post | Last 10 Posts | Archives
Previous Post: Morning shorts
Next Post: Debate coverage, Lipinksi, etc. *** Updated x2 *** Tribune Endorsements ***
Posted in:
* First up, some good news about a long-overdue strengthening of this state’s whistleblower laws…
Until last week, the law only applied to whistleblowers in state government and a handful of Illinois municipalities. Now, the Whistleblower Reward and Protection Act offers protections and rewards for people who identify fraud in all forms of government — from counties to the CTA and the local Water Reclamation District. […]
The law, pushed by Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, offers incentives for whistleblowers and also can serve as a powerful deterrent. If the government proves fraud, the contractor must repay the government three times the damages plus fines. The contractor must also pay legal fees both for the whistleblower and the government.
And we’re not talking about petty cash. In a recent case initiated in Illinois by the Goldberg Kohn law firm, the Illinois attorney general’s office and federal authorities, the insurance company Amerigroup was found liable for $334 million for discriminating against pregnant women. The Vietnam veteran who identified the fraud is eligible for between 15 percent and 30 percent of that money.
* And then there’s this…
Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan’s office asked a Cook County judge Tuesday to remove a law firm with close ties to Gov. Rod Blagojevich from the criminal case of a one-time Blagojevich friend charged with stealing $2 million from the state.
Blagojevich’s office and Madigan have repeatedly clashed over the governor’s use of private law firms to represent state agencies or his administration. Madigan’s office argues that only the attorney general has the authority to represent state agencies in court or hire outside firms for that work.
The development is the latest twist in the case of Anita Mahajan, who is facing fraud charges that her firm, K.K. Bio-Science, billed the Department of Children and Family Services for drug tests it did not perform. […]
Bruce Meckler said lawyers for his firm were in court Tuesday only because Mahajan’s lawyer was demanding records from the firm related to its work for DCFS in the Mahajan case last fall.
“We were there representing our law firm, which had been subpoenaed,” Meckler said.
Kinda tangled, if you ask me.
You can find lots of background on the Mahajan case here.
* And let’s wrap things up with a pithy metaphor: “Leaky plumbing damages governor’s Springfield mansion”…
According to documents filed with the Illinois Auditor General, there was a water leak in the governor’s private quarters on the upper floors of the mansion in November.
The leak damaged the ceiling of the mansion ballroom and threatened a walnut-paneled library next to the ballroom. Because of the leak and the resulting repairs, mansion director David Bourland shut off the water in the governor’s private apartment. […]
The cost to fix the problem: $20,986.
That’s not nearly as expensive as his legal bills.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jan 16, 08 @ 9:15 am
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
Previous Post: Morning shorts
Next Post: Debate coverage, Lipinksi, etc. *** Updated x2 *** Tribune Endorsements ***
WordPress Mobile Edition available at alexking.org.
powered by WordPress.
Or his daily commute from Chicago to Springfield.
(wanted to be first with that)
Comment by the commuter once known as So Ill Wednesday, Jan 16, 08 @ 9:18 am
I hope this does not disrupt the 1860 Presidential Ball scheduled for the Mansion on February 9. It is the only kickoff event for the Illinois Bicentennial celebration to date.
Comment by Siyotanka Wednesday, Jan 16, 08 @ 9:23 am
The gov probably left a tap dripping the last time he stayed there.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Jan 16, 08 @ 9:36 am
Will he lose his damage deposit?
Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Jan 16, 08 @ 9:37 am
I have a problem with the whistle blowers participating in the spoils. I can see them getting some reward or compensation for damages to them but you have to think their testimony against an old boss, co-worker or contractor, and reasoning for blowing in the first place, may be tainted if they see big bucks out there. If the fraud is that bad, they would be an accomplice if they didn’t turn in the wrong doers. Protection from retailiation is one thing, but benefiting from it is another.
Comment by Been There Wednesday, Jan 16, 08 @ 9:39 am
The governor’s mansion is damaged because of a lack of use. I can believe that.
Comment by Levois Wednesday, Jan 16, 08 @ 10:00 am
Wow, people always need to remember to prep the vacation when they wont be back for awhile.
Comment by Concerned Voter Wednesday, Jan 16, 08 @ 10:09 am
If someone had been living there and noticed the leak, would the cost have been $175?
Comment by North of I-80 Wednesday, Jan 16, 08 @ 10:15 am
I know Fako is one of the best pollsters. He always seems to have large enough samples with the enough various demographics. And I notice that the age groups scale toward older people. But why does he ask for the youngest person at home?
Also, the negative persuasive questions are really, really negative. I’m a proponent of expanding gaming but even I might have answered that those items would pesuade me.
Comment by Been There Wednesday, Jan 16, 08 @ 11:12 am
I am torn on the whistleblower laws. They often are very useful for finding fraud and corruption. However the financial incentive encoruages a lot of baselss litigation brought by firms that specialize in trying to find a whistle blower case. They file evrything they can think of in the hopes of ringing the bell or getting lucky on one of them. The State faces the costs of the litigation and being sucked into discovery resposnes which can be very expensive.
Whistleblower provisions should be balanced with provisions allowing recovery against claims which do not have cometent evidence to support them. The system which allows large punishments, fees and fines against a losing defendant needs balanced out. Right now its a big lottory ticket system with no penalty for questionable cliams, putting large burdens on defending the case. They should allow recovery of all costs and attorney feees for the prevailing party, including the defendents, if plaintiff can not show reasonable evidence existed to beleive wrong doing had occured (as distinguished from success).
Comment by Ghost Wednesday, Jan 16, 08 @ 11:12 am
I appreciate when pollsters ask questions that way because it’s how a campaign could frame the issue. That’s how you see if a message can work against an opponent.
Food for thought.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jan 16, 08 @ 11:15 am
Rich I agree and know that it is good for use against an opponent. But I think the questions were pushed too far to be discussed for any other reason except for an opponent.
Comment by Been There Wednesday, Jan 16, 08 @ 11:38 am
Sorry Rich. I just noticed I was posting to the wrong thread.
Comment by Been There Wednesday, Jan 16, 08 @ 11:39 am
The GA should zero-out appropriations for the Governor’s Mansion in the next budget, then let the Governor explain why he needed to do an AV to include funding. It’s nickle and dime stuff, but it would be humorous if someone in the house or senate actually had the virility to initiate that — perhaps someone on JCAR who doesn’t have any capital projects awaiting the green light from Rod.
The larger question is, however, was there someone on the Governor’s staff who was staying in the private residence who may accidently have caused the problem? Maybe the problem was not caused by a lack of use per se, but rather unauthorized use of a tax-supported facility.
Nevermind. No one cares about that stuff anyway…
Comment by dc Wednesday, Jan 16, 08 @ 3:11 pm
Rezko co-defendant tentatively allowed to visit dad in Algeria.
Say good bye Big Tony, he won’t be returning.
Lucky Rod!
Comment by Opie Wednesday, Jan 16, 08 @ 9:21 pm
Rebecca must have left the tub running last time she overnighted there at the mansion.
More seriously, regardless of who the governor is at the time, it’s a state landmark and historic site, worth every bit as much to keep up as the Dana-Thomas house a short walk away. It’s one of the oldest remaining governor’s mansions in the nation, and of course stuff like this is going to happen from time to time. It’s public property and deserves good maintenance and stewardship. I’m sure since it’s been running on bare minimum since Rod’s first term, that that doesn’t help matters.
We have warm memories of attending events there during Edgar’s time, it is a lovely place and I should think any chief executive would love to live there and have such a nice retreat so close to the hustle and bustle of the Capitol. I bet if Quinn takes over he’ll walk to and from work like he does now.
Comment by Gregor Wednesday, Jan 16, 08 @ 10:11 pm