* Remember this blog post from last December 14th?…
I’ve seen the Pritzker campaign’s FOIA request and would suggest they amend it to include communications from the governor’s current chief legislative liaison Darlene Senger, the GOP comptroller candidate who sent an e-mail last night advising the administration to try to tie this Illinois Veterans’ Home scandal to US Sen. Tammy Duckworth.
* Well, WBEZ filed its own FOIA request after I posted that tidbit and four months later they finally received the documents…
Shortly after WBEZ published the original investigation on Dec. 12 of last year, one Democratic state lawmaker called for an audit examining the fatal Legionnaires’ outbreaks at the facility. The governor’s deputy chief of staff, Darlene Senger, floated a novel — if highly politicized — idea to shift blame for the deaths of the elderly Illinois Veterans Home residents.
“We can maybe tie this back to Duckworth,” Senger wrote in an email obtained through an open-records request. Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a disabled Iraq War veteran, ran the state agency that oversees the Quincy home under former Governors Pat Quinn and Rod Blagojevich.
Senger, of course, is now running for comptroller against incumbent Democrat Susana Mendoza. We can expect this to be a campaign issue.
* Sun-Times…
Asked for comment on the email, Rauner spokeswoman Rachel Bold said “Our office has focused on the veterans at the Quincy Veterans Home and their health and safety. We are engaged in ongoing large-scale remediation efforts, while providing top quality skilled nursing care and planning for the future of the home and its residents.”
* Back to WBEZ…
“There is no doubt that the lack of proper funding for veterans over the last decade has exacerbated the problems we currently face,” [Senger] said in a prepared statement. “If we choose to ignore the past, systemic failures to fund our veterans’ programs, then we are destined to continue to face these challenges in the future and that was the point of my comment — we need to understand how and when these problems started in order to find long-term solutions.” […]
“I’m shocked that anybody would be focused on political gain when you should be focused on veterans’ health. Bottom line,” Duckworth said in an interview. “This is the frustration that I have. Why are we wasting time on this kind of stuff instead of troubleshooting and what do we need to do to prevent another outbreak?”
Go read the whole thing.
* Pritzker campaign…
The newly-published email attempting to blame combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth for the Quincy Veterans’ Home crisis makes one thing clear: Bruce Rauner is willing to blame anyone but himself for his failures.
While stumbling through crisis after crisis, Rauner has repeatedly tried to evade responsibility, pointing fingers at state workers, his own employees, and countless others for his constant failure. With his history of ducking accountability, one question has to be asked: “Who does Bruce Rauner think is to blame for the Legionnaires crisis?”
“Bruce Rauner has a pathological refusal to take responsibility for his failures,” said Pritzker campaign communications director Galia Slayen. “After his administration tried to blame a war hero for the deaths of 13 Veterans and spouses, Rauner needs to be held accountable for his latest crisis.”
…Adding… DGA…
Senger’s email is the latest evidence of the Rauner administration’s effort to pass the buck on Quincy instead of addressing the crisis that killed 13 veterans. Just a few weeks ago, Rauner’s administration released a 35-page memo that, in part, tried blaming previous administrations for the deadly outbreak. Rauner’s team was also caught trying to shape press coverage while residents were dying, attacking journalists’ integrity, accusing home workers of lying, and stonewalling legislative inquiries.
“Bruce Rauner has reached a new low in his desperate attempt to deflect blame – now his administration is falsely attacking a combat veteran for their own mismanagement,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Rauner needs to show leadership and take responsibility for his administration’s failures at Quincy.”
* Related…
* Rebuild veterans home plagued by Legionnaires’ disease, Rauner task force says
* $230M Quincy residence hall key to remedy for Legionnaires’
* VIDEO: Darlene Senger talks race for Comptroller, consolidating with treasurer office
- Retired Educator - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 9:41 am:
We all know there has been a cover up. We all know there are many people to blame. Now what we need to do is find a very quick solution. What we don’t need is some pie in the sky 3 year plan, that will actually last a lot longer.
- Anon0091 - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 9:46 am:
Bruce Rauner’s hole just keeps getting deeper and deeper. And the Pritzker camp is spot on - their inability to accept responsibility is almost pathological. The problem is that “we did everything right” just doesn’t jibe with “can we blame Duckworth?” For what? Doing everything right? What a pathetic excuse for a leader.
- Perrid - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 9:47 am:
Maybe, maybe Duckworth and others have a nonzero piece of the blame, but they at least can plead ignorance, where Rauner and co. had people dying on their watch and punted (and I think even that is generous) for 2 years. I agree with Duckworth, who cares whose fault the original epidemic was, I care about the [lack of a] response to it.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 9:51 am:
How can any person who believes they are basically honest support Rauner?
- Huh? - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 10:00 am:
How many people died or got sick during Duckworth administration of veterans home? Asking for friend.
- Head scratcher - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 10:00 am:
I have a sign on my office that reads: “Dance like no one is watching; email like it may one day be read aloud in a deposition.” Government employees must email like it could be FOIAed.
- Norseman - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 10:00 am:
Bravo to Rich for his early scoop on this issue.
=== … no doubt that the lack of proper funding … ===
So is Senger supportive of higher taxes to ensure the proper funding of veteran and other vital services for the state’s vulnerable people?
- Rabid - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 10:05 am:
Rauner superstars, not what you know, but how to place the blame
- Griffin - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 10:08 am:
==I agree with Duckworth, who cares whose fault the original epidemic was==
Whew.
Because you feel that Governor Rauner is handling the current situation poorly, you can’t be bothered to care that residents have potentially been dying for well over a decade without so much as an attempt to test for it?
Whew.
- Pieroge tirebiter - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 10:08 am:
Has this Administration announced it’s election theme song is going to be Shaggy’s “it wasn’t me”?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 10:08 am:
Senger’s Lack of character is… wow.
The idea no one in the Rauner Administration didn’t push back in that lack of character… double wow.
The idea that the deaths of 13 veterans is seen as a PR problem to point blame on another no where near the tragedy… one of the saddest timelines focused on blame not the victims that has been uncovered in quite some time.
- Jocko - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 10:11 am:
I’m looking forward to uncovering Darlene’s e-mail blaming veterans for showering regularly or failing to clean their humidifiers. /s
- Soccermom - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 10:12 am:
Wow. I guess when Rauner called Senger his “wingman” he meant “accomplice untroubled by conscience.” Maybe Rauner should publish a glossary so we’ll have a better understandin’ of what he’s talkin’ about goin’ forward.
True story: I got a phone survey call from Rauner last night. They asked me to rate my opinion of Rauner from 1 (he’s the best) to 5 (he’s the worst.) And I was like, “Does this thing go up to 11?”
- SSL - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 10:14 am:
The email reveals a twisted mindset. Please focus on fixing what is your responsibility to fix, not who else you can blame.
Personal accountability is out of style I guess.
- Macbeth - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 10:19 am:
It’s clear to me that politics are more important than governance in the Rauner administration. The same goes for the Trump administration, BTW.
The similarities between Rauner are Trump are … well, pretty striking.
In Rauner’s case, though. I suspect he’s got buyer’s remorse: buying a state political party and not getting his anticipated outcome. So there’s a lot of frustration. In Senger’s defense, I suspect she was — is — under a lot of pressure to deflect any and all blame away from Rauner … or else.
So, yeah, there’s that.
- Stand Tall - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 10:21 am:
This like the HUD problem in Cairo did not develop overnight, they were years in the making. Rauner also should man up and accept blame for not getting out in front on the situation and yes he should own up that his administration failed to respond fast enough. Both parties want to point fingers and it is usually the citizens that rely on government that pay the price.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 10:29 am:
So you’re a political hack, a “deputy chief of staff” to the governor of Illinois, drawing a fat paycheck on the taxpayer dime for no good reason, and you get the news that old vets in your care are dying on your watch.
What to do?
If you’d paid attention in Sunday school and the lessons stuck, you’d probably do your job, and move heaven-and-earth to fix the problem of the dying vets.
But if you’re just a walking-talking vulgarity, you’d “leverage the crisis” of the sick-and-dying in an attempt to slur a true American hero.
Well done, Senger, you’re the true Superstar of BTIA(TM). I’m sure the Boss is proud. Based on his actions, in office.
- Lester Holt’s Mustache - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 10:46 am:
Just the idea is bad enough, but putting this in an email? NOT the brightest move
- DuPage Bard - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 11:02 am:
So when Darlene loses her Comptroller race will she blame that on Duckworth?
- Anonin' - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 11:03 am:
Guessin’ we don’t need to worry about Darlene meetin’ her end of April fundraisin’ goal. This campaign is DONE. Wonder if GovJunk replaces or just drags the corpse along for 7 long months?
Perhaps ErikaAG will comment on her running mate? maybe Slip&Sue too. Don’t be shy folks.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 11:06 am:
This is a cover up, plain and simple. The cover up is almost always worse than the crime . (so to speak) and you would think and Ivy League guy with the BTIA would know better.
You would think a smart, successful, Ivy League guy and his BTIA would, upon discovery of a problem, begin to address said problem and not simply play games.
This is how a failed governor acts. Worse, it is how failed human beings act.
- Henry Francis - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 11:19 am:
What was Rep. Darlene Senger’s record on funding for veterans homes when she was in the legislature?
I checked her ilga page and couldn’t find any bills concerning veterans where she was a primary sponsor.
I found some where she was listed as one of many sponsors relating to license plates for veterans, and some property tax relief for veterans.
- @misterjayem - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 11:55 am:
Despicable.
– MrJM
- Soccermom - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 12:08 pm:
Here’s a pro tip, Darlene and BTIA(TM)
http://memeshappen.com/meme/the-most-interesting-man-in-the-world/dance-like-no-one-is-watching-e-mail-like-it-may-one-day-be-read-aloud-in-a-deposition-56849/8
- Old and In The Way - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 12:14 pm:
Surprised she didn’t blame Madigan. Senger’s alwys been a hack. She fits right into the Rauner modus of fixing the blame rather than the problem. And the blame is always on someone else. Sad.
- Demoralized - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 12:25 pm:
This is par for the course for a Governor who plays the victim all the time and isn’t to blame for anything.
- cc - Wednesday, May 2, 18 @ 3:42 pm:
I think that there should be someway to find all persons from the highest to lowest in government criminally responsible for these deaths for failure to perform the basic duties of each of their position.