Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » What’s up with that Murashko story?

Thursday, Sep 7, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

Even as Gov. Bruce Rauner has worked to quell questions surrounding staffing upheaval in his office, his former general counsel — perhaps the most sensitive position under the governor — is at the center of a brewing controversy.

The attorney, Dennis Murashko, was the subject of a complaint alleging he had misused the powers of his office, sources with direct knowledge of the accusations told POLITICO.

But Murashko also authored a memo to the governor raising the question of whether the administration was properly keeping politics out of the office, sources with knowledge of that memo say. […]

Several sources talked to POLITICO about the nature of the allegations, including that Murashko was accused of using his position to dole out plum duties to someone with whom he had a personal relationship.

Reached by POLITICO, Murashko denounced the series of allegations in strong terms, saying it “has zero truth to it.”

“I’ve never been made aware of any OEIG investigation, nor have I done anything to warrant an investigation or even a complaint about my service in state government,” Murashko said to POLITICO in a statement.

I was sent an unsigned Murashko-related complaint in mid July, but haven’t been able to verify the contents. The letter to the OEIG alleges he used his authority for “retaliation, intimidation, abuse of power and inappropriate office behavior.” It’s quite something, but, again, it was unsigned because the person said he was a state employee “so I do not want to sign this complaint for fear of retaliation.” The letter has been circulating for a while now. I know of at least one other reporter who has had it since July.

There’s speculation from inside that the memo Murashko wrote about politics in the governor’s office might have been drafted to somehow protect himself from the OEIG beef. Then again, that memo was reportedly signed by another attorney in his office, who then reportedly took his name off the memo later, perhaps under pressure.

I’ve reached out to Murashko about the memo and other stuff, including whether he was escorted out of the office a day after his resignation was accepted, but well before he was scheduled to actually resign. I haven’t yet heard back.

* Gov. Rauner was asked about this story earlier in the week and he said he wouldn’t comment about “rumors” and claimed he kept politics out of his government office.

14 Comments

- 47th Ward - Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 11:39 am:
===claimed he kept politics out of his government office.===

The Governor said that? Well then, you can take it to the bank.

- Arsenal - Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 11:40 am:
==The Governor said that? Well then, you can take it to the bank.==

The politics are all handled off site, by his immigrant grandfather.

- Flynn's mom - Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 11:43 am:
@Arsenal…..very funny.

- Moderate Condor - Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 11:52 am:
Sounds like a real pleasant work environment, but not enough detail to understand what is alleged to be going on. Could just be a disgruntled colleague.

- JC is just saying... - Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 11:56 am:
Uhmmm…you paid IPI and Proft to dole out your messaging and then you brought IPI into your administration and sent Proft out to be the defacto political arm of the GOP and your administration…hmmm, on the heels of the grandparent issue, I tend to have serious doubts about your denial of keeping politics out of your office. Oh wait, that’s right it’s Madigan’s fault that darn Madigan.

- Anonymous - Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 12:24 pm:
==whether he was escorted out of the office a day after his resignation was accepted,==

There seem to be plenty of witnesses to that

- My New Handle - Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 12:36 pm:
“Disgruntled employee[s]” many times are not gruntled for a good reason.

- RD55 - Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 12:46 pm:
With IPI Frat boys and girls involved with this the Gov might need a lot of duck tape to keep this from getting messy. I wonder if he has any left from his commercials?

- Norseman - Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 12:56 pm:
Arsenal and 47 well done. LOL

- JS Mill - Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 1:07 pm:
But wait…..Rauner is governor transparency and totally opposed to cronyism. He said that during the campaign.

So all of this must be a bunch of malarkey.. no way it is true /s

- Precinct Captain - Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 2:03 pm:
More and more like Trump everyday

- wordslinger - Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 3:39 pm:
This is just lousy journalism. There may be a story here, but Politico doesn’t have it yet.

It’s all vagueness and boilerplate filler.

- DuPage Bard - Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 4:24 pm:
Reporters don’t waste time when the story is sitting there. The Gov and crew, including prior counsel, are hiding something. This is what the Gov has been doing since day one. Taking care of people then running them over first opportunity. Obviously his counsel has some problems but also covered his back to make sure that he won’t be under the bus alone.

- Anonymous - Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 5:14 pm:
==Well… if the author of the draft is a he, and (assuming) works/worked in the general counsel’s office…==

You’re jumping from A to Z with no basis to connect them from B thru Y. The only reference to another attorney was a “he” who signed off on (then retracted) the memo.

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