While Bruce Rauner redacts and refuses to release emails that shed light on why it took “so long” to “take action” on the 2015 Legionnaires’ outbreak, a new report uncovers some of what Rauner was hiding.
One missing email chain was about correspondence from a son who “condemned the state for withholding information about Legionnaires’ at the home as his father lay dying.” But those emails were not among the 442 printed emails delivered to lawmakers jumbled and out of order. “It looks like they literally just threw them up in the air,” Senator Tom Cullerton told WBEZ.
“This is a blatant cover up and our Veterans and their families deserve the truth,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “From redacting vital information to jumbling public records, Bruce Rauner is more concerned with his public image than the wellbeing of Illinois Veterans. While legislators investigate his fatal mismanagement, this failed governor is trying to throw them off instead of coming up with concrete solutions to end the Legionnaires’ crisis.”
A WBEZ analysis of nearly 450 pages of emails found that government lawyers blacked out portions of more than half the documents recently turned over to a legislative panel investigating the state’s inability to contain the waterborne illness. Repeated outbreaks at the home since 2015 have contributed to the deaths of 13 residents and sickened dozens more.
The way the government lawyers wielded their figurative black markers to redact hundreds of Legionnaires’-related emails has some lawmakers fuming and government transparency advocates crying foul.
WBEZ had previously obtained some Legionnaires’-related emails from the public health department in Adams County, where the Quincy home is located. The Rauner administration later handed over some of those same emails to the legislative committee investigating the outbreaks — with significantly more redactions.
By cross-checking the two groups of documents, it’s possible to see some of what Rauner’s office didn’t want lawmakers to see.
In some cases, lawmakers received documents so heavily redacted that they were virtually useless. Furthermore, lawmakers simply did not receive some emails written by administration officials that WBEZ knows to exist.
Taken individually (except for the Tom Cullerton thing), I’m not sure the article makes a good case that the administration’s black-outs were particularly egregious. The overall impression, however, is certainly not good.
GovJunk at his best.
Show of hands….how many folks spent how many hours on this cover-up? Guessin dozens and hundreds.
We have same question about the brainstorm that led to the exec. order on renaming the house across from Don Tracy Plaza.
Not only was Rauner “not in charge” he clearly had no real use for governing and overseeing the state agencies he was responsible for. His singular focus on the destruction of labor consumed him and reduced all other issues and responsibilities to mere distractions. That will be his legacy.
After reading the stories, at the very least, the BTIA(TM) kids got hopped up on Yoo-Hoo and had a party out of creating intentional obfuscation.
No electronic file, the paper emails delivered in random chronological order. The effort certainly wasn’t made in the interest of transparency. Or professionalism.
To the Pritzker Camp; this is the issue that should be talked about every day until November. Everyone is a veteran, or has some in their family. This for you, is a gift from a complete failure as a Governor. Don’t blow it.
Well, if Adams County didn’t see the need for redactions on the same emails that The administration released with heavy redactions - WBEZ references cross checking the same emails - then I would say there *is* an egregious violation.
Its a campaign commercial for JB that virtually writes itself. The solemn voice intones. “Here’s what Bruce Rauner wants you to know about the outbreak of Legionnaires disease that killed our veterans and his response to this crisis.” The veteran holds up the heavily redacted email.
What Cullerton complains of is a tried and true tactic in FOIA responses, subpoena responses, etc. The goal is to obfuscate, to delay, and to annoy the person asking into dropping the matter entirely.
First… - @misterjayem -… that’s restaurant-quality, Hall of Fame worthiness.
To the Post,
The duality of Rauner not being in charge and the blatent covering up of emails that could exonerate or show a real lacking of leadership, why would we trust Rauner to be honest to the concerns and well-being of the veterans when the emails we have seen have only the concerns and well-being of Bruce Rauner.
Let’s not forget Diana Rauner’s emails and her concern about messaging, not about the governing, so why should these heavily redacted emails be different than others seen that seem only worried for Bruce Rauner.
The shame may be that the grossly inept and the danger the Administration put people’s lives in could be seen by the emails driven from the perpetual concern… of Bruce Rauner… and yet again not about the governing or the lives of others that brought about this crisis.
This is yet another case of malfeasance, dereliction of duty and demonstration of a total lack of respect, not only to our veterans, but to all the citizens of Illinois.
These cute tricks will not work and this story will remain in the news until the General Election.
Not good news for Gov. “I’m not in charge” Rauner.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 10:02 am:
I think this could be tied to Rauner’s nursing homes and the fatal and destructive mismanagement of not being in charge. As Pundent says, Rauner’s singular focus is knocking down labor. Governing is less important to him than “transformative” national RtW for public employee unions.
The underlying story was bad. The spectre of a cover-up makes it much worse. There are great visuals to accompany this in attack ads, great quotes, and no easy explanation for their actions.
I’m confused. The Guv has told us repeatedly that they handled this perfectly. They did the right things at the right times. He wouldn’t change anything in the way they handled this.
So why not show all that?
Don’t hide your light under a basket. Let it shine.
Pritzker outfit needs to campaign like they are 5 points down all the way til the end. Endless hammering on the 10 most egregious lies/fatal mistakes/repulsive phony-isms. He is the worst. Ever. Politicians that stick with this scourge are beyond hope.
==That requires a lot of time and effort by state employees on the taxpayer dime.==
Well…it depends. In many (most?) cases it’s actually easier to just throw all the documents in a box and call it “good enough”. Organizing them takes time and effort, and if you can shift that burden to the requester, you’ll have more time for your real priorities, like House Republican campaigns.
The amount of false outrage in this thread is hysterical. I wonder why some of you feel the need to give advice to a campaign staff that is made up of Former HRC organizers. they got this. they don’t need your half witted advice.
Tell that to the 13 victims, the families, and the countinued victims that are still getting sick… that the alleged covering up by redaction… and being angered… is false outrage.
===I wonder why some of you feel the need to give advice to a campaign staff that is made up of Former HRC organizers. they got this. they don’t need your half witted advice.===
When you have your own blog, you can tell commenters how you want them to comment. Rich has had this blog for “a while” now, you should let him decide on commenters’ comments.
I suppose that you are not related to a veteran or that you have never had a family member in a “home” that failed miserably to minimally care for them so as to protect them from avoidable and deadly consequences.
–The amount of false outrage in this thread is hysterical.–
False outrage at the outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease at the IVHQ in 2015 and inaction to date to ensure IL’s veterans are not exposed to Legionella, or false outrage at the excessive and unnecessary redaction by agency staff, making a good portion of the emails useless?
There’s a lot of disrespect going on here between the various branches of IL state government - these emails weren’t FOIAd by a reporter [McKinney got his copies from Adams Cty Health Dept], or a member, say, of one of the victims’ families, but by members of the IL GA who sit on the Veterans Affairs Committee. Not a good start to solving this.
Yesterday I suggested the Pritzker campaign could do a regular feature, “This month in the IVHQ Scandal”; maybe there’s enough material to make it a weekly thing. [note I’m not presuming to advise Pritzker’s staff.]
It’s time for this to go national and stay national until something happens.
I’m nominating the Adams County Public Health Department for whatever Golden Horseshoe Award there may be for “Rays of Sunshine”. Rauner cannot outrun this, even in his biker costume. The lawsuits start up in the courts soon, and this ability to compare emails side by side may play a very telling role in those proceedings. Melaney may well want to bury her head in the sand somewhere when that all comes crashing down. I wouldn’t want to be in her “spin” position. Are we having fun yet, BTIA???
Iggy; with whatever respect you think you deserve. Don’t go away mad, just go away. The commenters on here for the most part have informed opinions. I suggest you do a little research then get back to us.
Blago is in the can for whatever. Rauner and his cohorts have a possible cover up going of deaths at a veterans home.
- Trapped in the 'burbs - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 11:04 am:
Well played @misterjayem. Rauner has proven to be incapable to govern. For anybody wondering the difference of voting between two rich guys, Rauner has created a strong argument to vote for anybody other than him.
Local control wins again. Thank you Adams County Health Department. Of course that department probably has better things to do with its time than redact emails.
Mrs FormerParatroopers grandfather was a resident of the Quincy home for many years. He passed to the final formation in the late 1980s, and I am outraged as a citizen and as a veteran at the Governor’s inaction and attempted cover up. Whether it it a veterans home, elderly care facility or an orphanage the government’s purpose through the citizens is to care for those who cannot care for themselves.
The Governor failed, people died. Personally I believe he deserves to have charges against him for those who died after he was aware of the situation.
So if the outrage bothers you, you know what to do.
Part of the cover up is how many state workers have left and how Rauner hasn’t replaced them which makes these agencies unable to perform quality work.
Rauner has cost this state more than what people realize. Good experiences state employees have left and because of Rauner’s agency headcount rule he will hire a appointee over a union employee. Which caps the headcount.
This is something I’ve heard is happening at multiple agencies. The problem is our state has become ineffective because of his tactics.
- annonin' - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 9:46 am:
GovJunk at his best.
Show of hands….how many folks spent how many hours on this cover-up? Guessin dozens and hundreds.
We have same question about the brainstorm that led to the exec. order on renaming the house across from Don Tracy Plaza.
- Pundent - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 9:47 am:
Not only was Rauner “not in charge” he clearly had no real use for governing and overseeing the state agencies he was responsible for. His singular focus on the destruction of labor consumed him and reduced all other issues and responsibilities to mere distractions. That will be his legacy.
- @misterjayem - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 9:48 am:
To be fair, Rauner ██████████████████ ████████████████████████████████████████.
– MrJM
- wordslinger - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 9:49 am:
After reading the stories, at the very least, the BTIA(TM) kids got hopped up on Yoo-Hoo and had a party out of creating intentional obfuscation.
No electronic file, the paper emails delivered in random chronological order. The effort certainly wasn’t made in the interest of transparency. Or professionalism.
- Highland Il - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 9:50 am:
Mr. Goldberg is redacted as well.
- Retired Educator - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 9:53 am:
To the Pritzker Camp; this is the issue that should be talked about every day until November. Everyone is a veteran, or has some in their family. This for you, is a gift from a complete failure as a Governor. Don’t blow it.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 9:53 am:
Well, if Adams County didn’t see the need for redactions on the same emails that The administration released with heavy redactions - WBEZ references cross checking the same emails - then I would say there *is* an egregious violation.
Whatever, what word said
- Tommydanger - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 9:54 am:
Its a campaign commercial for JB that virtually writes itself. The solemn voice intones. “Here’s what Bruce Rauner wants you to know about the outbreak of Legionnaires disease that killed our veterans and his response to this crisis.” The veteran holds up the heavily redacted email.
Campaign gold.
- Arsenal - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 9:55 am:
What Cullerton complains of is a tried and true tactic in FOIA responses, subpoena responses, etc. The goal is to obfuscate, to delay, and to annoy the person asking into dropping the matter entirely.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 9:59 am:
First… - @misterjayem -… that’s restaurant-quality, Hall of Fame worthiness.
To the Post,
The duality of Rauner not being in charge and the blatent covering up of emails that could exonerate or show a real lacking of leadership, why would we trust Rauner to be honest to the concerns and well-being of the veterans when the emails we have seen have only the concerns and well-being of Bruce Rauner.
Let’s not forget Diana Rauner’s emails and her concern about messaging, not about the governing, so why should these heavily redacted emails be different than others seen that seem only worried for Bruce Rauner.
The shame may be that the grossly inept and the danger the Administration put people’s lives in could be seen by the emails driven from the perpetual concern… of Bruce Rauner… and yet again not about the governing or the lives of others that brought about this crisis.
- Roman - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 9:59 am:
Technically, not a FOIA violation. But they’ve definitely been less than forthcoming with the committee, which has only made things worse for them.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 9:59 am:
===if Adams County didn’t see the need for redaction===
Different shop.
- illini - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 10:01 am:
This is yet another case of malfeasance, dereliction of duty and demonstration of a total lack of respect, not only to our veterans, but to all the citizens of Illinois.
These cute tricks will not work and this story will remain in the news until the General Election.
Not good news for Gov. “I’m not in charge” Rauner.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 10:02 am:
I think this could be tied to Rauner’s nursing homes and the fatal and destructive mismanagement of not being in charge. As Pundent says, Rauner’s singular focus is knocking down labor. Governing is less important to him than “transformative” national RtW for public employee unions.
- Sue - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 10:06 am:
Gonna be a long and ugly 7 months
- ILPundit - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 10:07 am:
The underlying story was bad. The spectre of a cover-up makes it much worse. There are great visuals to accompany this in attack ads, great quotes, and no easy explanation for their actions.
In political terms, this is pretty bad
- Henry Francis - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 10:08 am:
I’m confused. The Guv has told us repeatedly that they handled this perfectly. They did the right things at the right times. He wouldn’t change anything in the way they handled this.
So why not show all that?
Don’t hide your light under a basket. Let it shine.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 10:08 am:
Pritzker outfit needs to campaign like they are 5 points down all the way til the end. Endless hammering on the 10 most egregious lies/fatal mistakes/repulsive phony-isms. He is the worst. Ever. Politicians that stick with this scourge are beyond hope.
- Jocko - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 10:14 am:
So much for Bruce’s campaign pledge to bring unprecedented transparency to state government.
- Lt Guv - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 10:16 am:
Ugliest thing since the days of Blago.
- Aldyth - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 10:16 am:
Misterjayem has a marvelous and succinct way with words.
- Winnin’ - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 10:17 am:
Whether it’s his money or the state’s money, Rauner does not have a good track record around nursing homes or adult care facilities.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 10:19 am:
–The goal is to obfuscate, to delay, and to annoy the person asking into dropping the matter entirely.–
That requires a lot of time and effort by state employees on the taxpayer dime.
- Arsenal - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 10:26 am:
==That requires a lot of time and effort by state employees on the taxpayer dime.==
Well…it depends. In many (most?) cases it’s actually easier to just throw all the documents in a box and call it “good enough”. Organizing them takes time and effort, and if you can shift that burden to the requester, you’ll have more time for your real priorities, like House Republican campaigns.
The redactions, OTOH…
- Texas Red - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 10:26 am:
=Retired Educator -
The smart play for JB would be to let the press get to the bottom of this first. Otherwise the issue get tainted as purely political.
- Iggy - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 10:26 am:
The amount of false outrage in this thread is hysterical. I wonder why some of you feel the need to give advice to a campaign staff that is made up of Former HRC organizers. they got this. they don’t need your half witted advice.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 10:31 am:
–The smart play for JB would be to let the press get to the bottom of this first. Otherwise the issue get tainted as purely political.–
He’s responding to news stories. So, great success.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 10:31 am:
===…false outrage…===
Tell that to the 13 victims, the families, and the countinued victims that are still getting sick… that the alleged covering up by redaction… and being angered… is false outrage.
===I wonder why some of you feel the need to give advice to a campaign staff that is made up of Former HRC organizers. they got this. they don’t need your half witted advice.===
When you have your own blog, you can tell commenters how you want them to comment. Rich has had this blog for “a while” now, you should let him decide on commenters’ comments.
- illini - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 10:39 am:
=== false outrage ===
I suppose that you are not related to a veteran or that you have never had a family member in a “home” that failed miserably to minimally care for them so as to protect them from avoidable and deadly consequences.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 10:40 am:
===I wonder why some of you feel the need to give advice to a campaign staff===
Same commenter on a thread about a poll of the Republican gubernatorial primary showing a tightening race…
https://capitolfax.com/2018/03/13/ives-claims-shes-within-10-points-of-rauner/#comment-12923298
- Swift - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 10:41 am:
I have my suspicions Pritzker’s opinion of FOIA redactions will change next January.
- dbk - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 10:46 am:
–The amount of false outrage in this thread is hysterical.–
False outrage at the outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease at the IVHQ in 2015 and inaction to date to ensure IL’s veterans are not exposed to Legionella, or false outrage at the excessive and unnecessary redaction by agency staff, making a good portion of the emails useless?
There’s a lot of disrespect going on here between the various branches of IL state government - these emails weren’t FOIAd by a reporter [McKinney got his copies from Adams Cty Health Dept], or a member, say, of one of the victims’ families, but by members of the IL GA who sit on the Veterans Affairs Committee. Not a good start to solving this.
Yesterday I suggested the Pritzker campaign could do a regular feature, “This month in the IVHQ Scandal”; maybe there’s enough material to make it a weekly thing. [note I’m not presuming to advise Pritzker’s staff.]
It’s time for this to go national and stay national until something happens.
- Anon221 - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 10:50 am:
I’m nominating the Adams County Public Health Department for whatever Golden Horseshoe Award there may be for “Rays of Sunshine”. Rauner cannot outrun this, even in his biker costume. The lawsuits start up in the courts soon, and this ability to compare emails side by side may play a very telling role in those proceedings. Melaney may well want to bury her head in the sand somewhere when that all comes crashing down. I wouldn’t want to be in her “spin” position. Are we having fun yet, BTIA???
- Retired Educator - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 10:53 am:
Iggy; with whatever respect you think you deserve. Don’t go away mad, just go away. The commenters on here for the most part have informed opinions. I suggest you do a little research then get back to us.
- DeseDemDose - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 11:03 am:
Blago is in the can for whatever. Rauner and his cohorts have a possible cover up going of deaths at a veterans home.
- Trapped in the 'burbs - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 11:04 am:
Well played @misterjayem. Rauner has proven to be incapable to govern. For anybody wondering the difference of voting between two rich guys, Rauner has created a strong argument to vote for anybody other than him.
- Rufus - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 11:06 am:
“That requires a lot of time and effort by state employees on the taxpayer dime.”
… and we are worth every penny of that dime, which, by the way, is the amount of the yearly wage that Gov. Rauner wants to implement.
- Leigh John-Ella - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 11:30 am:
Local control wins again. Thank you Adams County Health Department. Of course that department probably has better things to do with its time than redact emails.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 11:32 am:
=Gonna be a long and ugly 7 months=
Tell that to the families of the victims.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 11:39 am:
==false outrage==
Being outraged over this situation is certainly not “false outrage.” It’s legitimate outrage. Speaking of half witted . . .
- wordslinger - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 11:42 am:
–The amount of false outrage in this thread is hysterical.–
You’ve got some sense of humor.
- Pundent - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 12:36 pm:
=For anybody wondering the difference of voting between two rich guys, Rauner has created a strong argument to vote for anybody other than him.=
Yep. Regardless of wealth or party affiliation governors got to govern. Same as it ever was.
- FormerParatrooper - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 12:37 pm:
Mrs FormerParatroopers grandfather was a resident of the Quincy home for many years. He passed to the final formation in the late 1980s, and I am outraged as a citizen and as a veteran at the Governor’s inaction and attempted cover up. Whether it it a veterans home, elderly care facility or an orphanage the government’s purpose through the citizens is to care for those who cannot care for themselves.
The Governor failed, people died. Personally I believe he deserves to have charges against him for those who died after he was aware of the situation.
So if the outrage bothers you, you know what to do.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 1:06 pm:
Is this really a surprise. U can’t trust a word he says. I’ve been saying since elected he will end up in Jail right alongside blago.
- Rabid - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 1:42 pm:
Exhibit A and B for the prosecution
- cc - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 1:43 pm:
Hilary.Rauner.Coverups
Watergate.
In this case, it is the crime of neglect, and the denial and the coverups. What is next?
- RNUG - Thursday, Apr 5, 18 @ 2:17 pm:
== ===if Adams County didn’t see the need for redaction===
Different shop. ==
… with different priorities.
- Anon - Friday, Apr 6, 18 @ 6:30 am:
Part of the cover up is how many state workers have left and how Rauner hasn’t replaced them which makes these agencies unable to perform quality work.
Rauner has cost this state more than what people realize. Good experiences state employees have left and because of Rauner’s agency headcount rule he will hire a appointee over a union employee. Which caps the headcount.
This is something I’ve heard is happening at multiple agencies. The problem is our state has become ineffective because of his tactics.