Oy, Part 467,228
Friday, Jun 16, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
I remember the first time I saw this guy. I couldn’t believe he was head of the governor’s security detail. I immediately predicted trouble, and, unfortunately, I was all too right.
The former head of Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s bodyguards has been suspended without pay for three months over misconduct that includes arranging a state-paid personal trip to Chicago with a 22-year-old intern.
A hearing officer for the State Police Merit Board agreed with 23 of 48 charges against Lt. Thomas Ceja.
Here’s a list:
Among substantiated charges, Ceja:
· Arranged a state-paid trip to Chicago in June 2004 with a 22-year-old female intern, ostensibly to attend a meeting although the meeting was canceled before they left Springfield. They attended the symphony and dinner at a “ritzy” restaurant, and Ceja later submitted an inaccurate travel voucher for hotel expenses.
· Improperly socialized with the intern outside of the office.
· Gave a civilian Blagojevich aide access to a meeting that the Secret Service had declared off limits.
· Failed to file in a timely manner a written report on the theft of a loaded handgun and handcuffs from his vehicle during a June 2003 trip to Los Angeles.
· Ordered deletion of information from official logs about an August 2004 accident between two squad cars.
· Allowed a member of the governor’s staff to drive his car during a trip to Washington, D.C.
· Lied to state police investigators about his activities on three occasions (but was cleared of lying on three other occasions).
· Allowed subordinates to become deficient in their training.
That Secret Service thing caused a huge stink with the feds.
Morale ain’t the greatest at the State Police. I may let you in on a little secret next week.
- Inquiring Mind - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 6:02 am:
Is the guy married? I’m curious whether the guy’s just being unethical or both unethical and immoral.
- DOWNSTATE - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 6:09 am:
Why does this disgrace even have a job other than he could tell a few tales being that close to the Gov.
- Anonymous - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 6:16 am:
Quoteth the Rod:
“We will have no rules in my administration, no integrity, no concern for the taxpayer. Each individual hired under my administration will have access to the entire pot-of-taxpayer-gold to use at their personal leisure. Me too.”
- wndycty - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 6:40 am:
Anon 6:16-Don’t let the facts get in the way of a Rod cheap shot:
“State Police Director Larry Trent had recommended a four-month suspension for Ceja, a 22 1/2-year state police veteran who was chosen to run the executive protection unit in early 2003.”
Ceja was not hired during the Blago administration.
- Anonymous - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 6:59 am:
Wow, Rebecca. Just exactly when did Rod take over? He appointed this loser to that post. Wow.
“It was a command that he had absolutely no experience in dealing with…” Ceja’a attorney.
Blah-Blah “spokewoman Abby Ottenhoff said anyone hired for a job or given an appointment was qualified.”
Who do we believe, wndy? A Chicago Democrat Machiner or ANYBODY ELSE?
- wndycty - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 7:07 am:
Who is Rebecca?
- Anon - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 7:11 am:
ISP what a joke. Ceja demoted and making 107,000. A Captain and Lt. shown in a court of law to have interfered in a homicide investigation because it was politically sensitive both still on the payroll at over 100,000 each!
- Anonymous - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 7:25 am:
Better question, ma’am, is there anyone hired by this adminsistration in a management position that has a shred of a concern for ethics?
- Cassandra - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 7:42 am:
What all of this demonstrates is that it is virtually impossible to get rid of civil service employees in Illinois.
The civil service/personnel regs provide, in effect, lifetime employment regardless of performance.
This probably has little to do with ethics and a lot to do with seriously outdated civil service regulations pertaining to job protections. While they may have been needed back in the bad old days when all jobs were completely political (actually, in Chicago, they still are), there has to be some middle ground between rules which even protect screwups like Mr. Ceja and a completely politicized hiring system.
- Gregor - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 7:43 am:
Most importantly:
WHO is holding the precious “football” (hairbrush) NOW????
- Budget Watcher - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 8:03 am:
Most state employees would have been shown the door for de-frauding, lying, and gross misconduct. There almost has to be something more to the decision to suspend him rather than terminate. I usually think Cassandra is too harsh on state employees, but in this case…wow!
- Here Today Gone Tomorrow - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 8:17 am:
Please tell me why this guy is still a state employee? Why was he not fired, others have done FAR LESS and they have been fired by the Governor. Evidently, the Governor’s office randomly picks and chooses who stays and who goes and the agency where the person is employed. They definitely have their “hands off” favorite ones!
- roy slade - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 8:23 am:
Both Cassandra and Wdycity are lacking for common sense and judgement. Cassandra- all of the above are in positions that could be terminated due to their conduct. I guess it possibly may have something to do with “what he knows/ saw/ would speak about”.
Wdycity- yes, he was hired prior to the blagovich administration. But, the gov appointed him to the position (and demoted the previous State Troopers who had experience and training in executive security)- and he did it to “control access and information” of his activities.
The ISP have historically been free of patronage- especially in the trooper catagory. They are college educated, professionally trained law enforcement personnel. When one of their own “breaks and bends” the rules, as this man has done- it only pisses off the rest of the troops.
- Beowulf - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 8:50 am:
If Mr. Ceja is still allowed to come back and continue in a position of law enforcement in our state of Illinois, it will say “tons” as to how Rod Bagojevich operates. This Ceja guy should be fired on the spot. No severance pay or back pay should be granted. I am surprised he isn’t thrown in jail.
- State Money Watcher - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 8:52 am:
Has the Governor asked that Lt. Thomas Ceja reimburse the state for expenses or will he also walk away from this?
- Ravenswood Right Winger - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 9:18 am:
Was the 22 year-old intern a hottie?
- DOWNSTATE - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 9:21 am:
Think about this guy has heard all the deals Blago and crew have made.He has done enough that he could be fired.When this all quiets down he will be re-assigned to a job equal to what he was doing.Is this one of the guys that made a little trip to Florida for the Gov.He knows way to much for Blago to throw under the bus.
- Randall Sherman, Secretary/Treasurer, Illinois Committee for Honest Government - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 9:29 am:
The buck stops at the top. What does it take for the U.S. Attorney to go after this sorry excuse of a Governor at full speed?
- Wheres the leadership??? - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 9:51 am:
Knowing Ceja, he has always been a good cop and it would not suprise me if he was taking orders from up above that got him in this mess. It does not sound like the Tom Ceja I know.
I don’t know the intern, but I can tell you he has a smokin hot wife.
- NW burbs - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 10:01 am:
Rich Miller wrote, “Morale ain’t the greatest at the State Police. I may let you in on a little secret next week.”
Rich, morale ain’t the greatest with many state agencies — if not all at this point. The early retirements and political appointments have sapped a great deal of the morale right out.
- just watching - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 10:02 am:
wow all ceja gets suspendede for three months. On the other hand if you were a faithful employee of the state that has done a good job for years even decades and your job had anything to do with an agency legislative office and you ever pulled a republican ballot you got fired. this group never ceases to amaze me.
- Wildcat - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 10:18 am:
I know quite a bit about exec security from previous adminstrations. Believe me, there were plenty of screw ups in previous administrations, though this seems to top the ones I know of. The internal power struggle amongst the exec security folks is always very interesting - as is the battle for OT (they make a ton of extra money in OT).
As to the fact he wasn’t hired by Blago, that’s true, but he was placed in that position by Blago. Nice try wndycty.
This guy shouldn’t have a job anymore, but I’m guessing the union will battle that. Gotta love unions…ridiculous.
- Anon - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 10:27 am:
Did a former Ryan staffer (don’t want to mention names)from EPA not only get fired, but charged and convicted of a felony for falsifying a voucher — which essentially was for a trip to Chicago to see a play and overnight? Why isn’t Ceja charged with a crime?
- Anon - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 10:33 am:
Shock Shock…..messing around with the intern. Some would almost wonder if that’s not why they are hired. Quite a few in the Admin. pick one to date every year. Just not surpised at this point.
- Walking Wounded - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 10:53 am:
“Ordered deletion of information from official logs about an August 2004 accident between two squad cars” Wow, anyone ever hear of the term “Official Conduct?” This guy gets three months suspension and no criminal investigation?
He’s got to have some big time information on someone of importance. Maybe Public Official A?
Even if Ceja was following orders, he’s an embarrassment to law enforcement.
- Walking Wounded - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 10:54 am:
Make that Official Misconduct.
- Been There... - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 11:17 am:
I agree with Annon 10:27–why wasnt this referred for prosecution. The facts are more egregious here the incidents more numerous. The EPA employee not only LOST her job she was also prosecuted–AND ordered to repay the money.
What’s not noted in the articles is that this selection and promotion to head the detail was at the behest of the Blago leadership team at the time. Apparently he worked on the campaign, at least that is what I hear.
- Been There... - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 11:40 am:
By the way his lawyers comments that he had no experience in management and executive security makes it all the more outrageous that team Blago insisted on his promotion to this position.
- Cal SKinnner - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 12:58 pm:
This guy won’t be the first body guard to receive preferential treatment after protecting a governor.
- One Man Can Make A Difference - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 1:40 pm:
- Randall Sherman, Secretary/Treasurer, Illinois Committee for Honest Government - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 9:29 am:
The buck stops at the top. What does it take for the U.S. Attorney to go after this sorry excuse of a Governor at full speed?
I agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
However, this is what you call accountability. Thanks to the ABC 7 I-team, Chuck Goudie, who broke the story which resulted in much accountablity and more to come.
Why does it takes so long for the government to act on criminality when it’s in the paper everyday. These investigations lag on for year after year after year, all the while, people suffer while the government take it time to investigate, determine whether there is criminality and indict.
With all of the news articles about corruption in the Office of the Governor, one would reasonably think that U.S Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald would have acted by now.
Or he might be too busy with the one indictment in CIA leak case in which he is Special Prosecutor.
Word to Patrick Fitzgerald: It is time to come back home and clean your own house!
- Papa Legba - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 3:16 pm:
I wouldn’t worry about P Fitz. He will get the job done. He is just being very thorough and getting all of his ducks in a row so nothing he presents gets shot down. Hey, the second largest FBI Corruption Unit isn’t in Illinois just for deep dish pizza.
- WARDOG - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 3:39 pm:
Ceja as exec. Protection commander was most of the time be seen in Deputy COS Operations Brian Daly’s office. That is who he was taking most of his orders from. Larry Trent is only a PR man with no power to do what he would like to. Blago got rid of a lot of good executive protection people who knew what they were doing and had the proper knowledge and training and replaced them with a bunch of no-brainers. Today, you have a good mixture of black, hispanic and gay people running executive protection. Lord have mercy!! Good men and women have left a lot of good positions because they could no longer stand the hypocrisy of this administration. Oh if the walls could talk.
- B Hicks - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 3:59 pm:
“Believe me, there were plenty of screw ups in previous administrations, though this seems to top the ones I know of.”
So, is former Governor Thompson to blame for this classic?
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/joliet/prisons/speck/speck5.html
- Anon - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 7:22 pm:
Is it impossible for a democrat to be a corrupt crony deserving of a press conference announcing immediate dismissal? Or, what?
The more I read about ISP, the more I respect what ISP could be if it were not ISP.
- anon - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 7:35 pm:
Suspension hell !!!! Fire his Ass !!!! Just another “glowing example” of our “do as I say” & not “do as I do” Ethics anyone ??? Great job Bladgo !!!
- Minion - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 9:03 pm:
agreed. another example of very poor judgement by the Governor and his East Coast advisors.
- girl friday - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 9:27 pm:
Ceja should be FIRED ASAP. In addition, the two other Illinois State Police officers (Lt. Col. Diane Carper and Capt. Steven Fermon) who retaliated against their subordinate should be fired also ASAP. State law requires the immediate dismissal of policy-making officials who violate a state employee’s civil rights.
Also, what is the status of the lawsuit that the state police has against the Governor for changing the vacation policy?
- anon - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 10:46 pm:
The personnel director at EPA was convicted of a crime for falsifying a travel voucher for a trip to Chicago. Why is this different, and why wasn’t the investigation forwarded to the States Attorney or AG for prosecution?
- anon - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 10:53 pm:
Liiiiiissssaaaaa, Liiissssaaaaa……?????? Lisa? Where are you? Why do I hear crickets chirping?
- cynically anonymous - Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 11:16 pm:
It would appear that this career ISP individual who was selected to head the governor’s security detail is just one of the many, many, many examples in this administration of the adage that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Career employees at every state agency under the governor are being forced to take ethics tests annually while watching all the highly qualified individuals who have been around three years or less falsify time records, travel vouchers, give contracts to their cronies, and generally screw the taxpayers at every turn. No wonder morale sucks.
- proud state copper - Saturday, Jun 17, 06 @ 4:56 am:
Tom Ceja is a disgrace to every man and woman who now wears or has ever worn a state police uniform. Per Illinois State Police policy, the discipline matrix for lying specifically calls for termination. Ceja should have been fired and prosecuted for Official Misconduct, period.
- anon in central illinois - Saturday, Jun 17, 06 @ 4:06 pm:
10-4 “proud state copper”!!! His career should be 10-42 right now doing it 10-39 & 10-18 . They’re obviously dealing with a 10-96 !!!! Doesn’t matter when he was hired {as some have alluded}{probably trying to blame George Ryan for that too !} he screwed up now ….. get rid of him !!!
You ISP guys should know what I’m talking about & my kudo’s to the Illinois State Police … they are a fine organization with qualified & dedicated officers. Too bad this guy has to screw it up & give an excellent group of people trouble !!!!
- Smitty Irving - Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 5:59 pm:
The EPA employee - wasn’t she prosecuted in the Sangamon County courts? If so, Ceja has NOTHING to worry about - in cases involving cops, the Sangamon County State’s Attorney could not convict Hitler. Can Lisa Madigan go after him in the courts? The Auditor General has subpoena power - can’t he do an invesigation into the misuse of state funds? Since there was travel all over the state, isn’t there a State’s Attorney ANYWHERE in Illinois who can do something?
- anon - Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 6:31 pm:
Nothing will be done further with Ceja. His suspension is nothing. He buys it all back with vacation and holiday time and goes onward. He still makes $ 110,000 a year. Yes, the intern was a Hottie. He will hold his job because he knows explosive stuff on the Governor. One hand washes the other, you take care of me, and I take care of you. As for Carper and Fermon, they hold stuff on their command too. ISP fires the lowly trooper, but does nothing towards their own command. Sounds familiar……. who you know / who you blow.
- anon in the real illinois - Thursday, Jun 22, 06 @ 6:21 am:
You know Illinois is really becoming the “modern day” Huey “King Fish” Long Louisiana, or at least more pronounced or obvious than in recent memory. Read about this guy sometime or better yet watch one of several movies about him, squint your eyes & you’ll think you’re in Spfld {oh !! wait I mean ‘Shicaga’ as in this administration that is apparently the seat of power}Roddy “King Fish” Bladgoveich …got a ring to it …doesn’t it !?
- Anon - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 8:48 pm:
Since this is the Capitol blog, don’t any of you have any connections with the Feds to get them to start looking into the criminal activities of the ISP Command? Sounds like everyone is sick of the ISP playing by their own rules - how about it? Make something happen, instead of just commenting on a blog.
- ddd - Saturday, Feb 17, 07 @ 11:39 pm:
I think Lt. Thomas Ceja deserves some credit….he has done so much. He is a military veteran and an honorable policman. These newspapers will say anything to get people to read the article…how do we know this is all true. What is this junior high….stop the rumors.