* WBEZ back in January of 2020…
A powerful former Springfield lobbyist and close friend of House Speaker Michael Madigan once sought leniency for a state worker in a disciplinary case by arguing that the worker “kept his mouth shut” about an unspecified rape downstate.
In the previously undisclosed, 2012 email, ex-lobbyist Michael McClain urged two top aides to then-Gov. Pat Quinn to avoid firing the worker, also telling them the man was politically “loyal” to Quinn and stayed silent about “ghost workers.” […]
The disclosure of the 2012 email — which WBEZ obtained recently through an open-records request — immediately prompted calls for an investigation from Gov. JB Pritzker and the top Republican in the Illinois House, who called the email’s contents “horrific.” […]
Newly obtained emails plainly demonstrate McClain’s unique level of access and influence. McClain urged Quinn’s aides not to let pending disciplinary action against the state worker “get out of hand.” A day later he thanked them for what he said was the abrupt postponement of a hearing in the case, saying, “Nothing happens accidentally.”
The former employee McClain lobbied for was Forrest Ashby. Like McClain, Ashby lives in downstate Quincy.
* Almost two years later, Ashby is finally talking and he said McClain made up the whole thing…
In an interview, Ashby told WBEZ he knew nothing at all about the alleged rape or what it entailed, said he was “shocked” to learn of McClain’s reference to it and only learned about the assertion when McClain himself reached out as WBEZ was making the email public.
“I didn’t know anything about a rape in Champaign prior to that email coming out. Not in Champaign, but anywhere,” Ashby said. […]
“It’s been devastating to me,” he said.
Any friendship Ashby had with McClain has dissolved as a result.
“I don’t consider him a friend for doing something like that after he wrote it. I mean, it was not true what he wrote. I didn’t know about it,” Ashby said.
* More from the AP…
Fearing he’d be fired, he asked McClain for help, prompting the email to Quinn’s office. Ashby said when asked about the email, McClain had no explanation for it. He said it’s possible McClain didn’t remember writing the email, adding that “he meant well but there was some stupidity as he typed it.”
“I think he stretched it,” Ashby told the AP. “I think that he tried to make it seem like I was over there preventing stuff from happening, don’t fire him.” […]
But if the inspector general ever investigated, Ashby said no one has interviewed him. Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudeyyah confirmed that a referral was made to “the OEIG and law enforcement” and directed questions to “the proper authorities.” […]
FBI agents, however, did approach Ashby for answers. He later had several interviews with investigators from the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago. Questions focused on potential state government corruption and whether Ashby had any ties to utility company ComEd, which he said he doesn’t.
One theory I’ve heard that seems somewhate plausible is that McClain sent the email as a warning shot to the Quinn administration in order to get his guy out of trouble. The administration knew that the email could be found through FOIA, so if they didn’t protect McClain’s guy, McClain could tell a reporter how to easily obtain a juicy story about a potential rape coverup. Whether the story was true or not, Quinn would have to defend it, and that wouldn’t be pretty. Ashby received a one-day suspension.
* But if the story really is untrue, then John Sullivan got caught up in some needless controversy. WBEZ in 2020…
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker sought and received the resignation of a top cabinet official for not reporting a former lobbyist’s 2012 email defending a state worker facing disciplinary action who allegedly kept quiet about an unspecified “rape in Champaign.”
The surprise departure of state Agriculture Secretary John Sullivan was announced Monday by the governor’s office. […]
“This past weekend, Governor Pritzker’s General Counsel notified me that an August 2012 email from Mike McClain to Governor Quinn’s staff referenced my name as state senator and McClain’s advocacy on behalf of my constituent, Forrest Ashby,” Sullivan said. Ashby, who lives in Quincy, is the state employee for whom McClain was advocating.
“That information led me to conduct a review of my own personal emails from that same period of time. My search discovered a forwarded copy of McClain’s July 31, 2012 email reported by WBEZ. I shared this information with Governor Pritzker’s general counsel.”
“The summer of 2012 was a stressful time for me. I was in the middle of a state Senate reelection campaign, as well as preparing for and undergoing cancer surgery in Baltimore, MD. I was already well aware of McClain’s efforts to keep me informed of his advocacy on behalf of Ashby, and l simply did not read the entire forwarded email.”
McClain always told people to never put anything in writing and we’ve since discovered through FOIA and the feds that he violated his own advice numerous times.
It would’ve been helpful, though, if Ashby had spoken up at the time the stuff hit the fan.
- Arsenal - Thursday, Dec 2, 21 @ 10:22 am:
Love John Sullivan, and always thought that he shouldn’t be held too responsible for an e-mail McClain sent him the summer he was at the Mayo Clinic for treatment.
But, OTOH, isn’t it in Ashby’s best interest to deny knowledge of this?
- Donnie Elgin - Thursday, Dec 2, 21 @ 10:32 am:
Amongst the finger-pointing, there is some truth…
“Nothing happens accidentally.”
- Peanut Gallery - Thursday, Dec 2, 21 @ 10:46 am:
Agreed about Sullivan. I have a lot of e-mails I don’t read completely, and for less of a reason than being treated for cancer in the middle of a campaign.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, Dec 2, 21 @ 10:52 am:
===One theory I’ve heard that seems somewhate plausible is that McClain sent the email as a warning shot to the Quinn administration in order to get his guy out of trouble. The administration knew that the email could be found through FOIA, so if they didn’t protect McClain’s guy, McClain could tell a reporter how to easily obtain a juicy story about a potential rape coverup. Whether the story was true or not, Quinn would have to defend it, and that wouldn’t be pretty. Ashby received a one-day suspension.===
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/criminal-justice/ct-comed-bribery-probe-jay-doherty-texts-mayor-lightfoot-20210930-y53gl3ypknf5ppxpfuwnlfpkay-story.html
The emperors never had any clothes.
- RNUG - Thursday, Dec 2, 21 @ 10:57 am:
First rule of government; never out anything in writing you don’t want someone else to read.
However, those can be CYA emails.
I had one manager high up in the management chain that often tried to do everything by phone with no paper trail. And they often bypassed the chain of command to reach down to whoever they thought they could influence on things like procurements. I know I used to PO them because I would immediately documente anything questionable in an email back to them that began Per Our Conversation … eventually they learned to not call me about things like that.
- Almost the Weekend - Thursday, Dec 2, 21 @ 11:00 am:
Ridiculous about Sullivan, especially after keeping Linda Chapa LaVia. Governing by Twitter outrage at its finest.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Dec 2, 21 @ 11:01 am:
===Sullivan, especially after keeping Linda Chapa LaVia.===
That’s says so much. Lots even.
Lots.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Dec 2, 21 @ 11:05 am:
Amongst the finger-pointing, there is some truth…
“Nothing happens accidentally.”=
There generally always is.
Just ask Daren Bailey about his buddy Larry Ligas. If you can get him to comment that is. Usually very chatty, but not on this.
- NIU Grad - Thursday, Dec 2, 21 @ 11:21 am:
My theory on the email initially was that he wasn’t using that word literally, especially since other emails showed his level of vulgarity and lack of maturity. I figured he was using that word to describe some other political action that Ashby took.
If he meant it literally, I figure he would have dropped a name to make it a true threat.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Dec 2, 21 @ 11:29 am:
More and more McClain looks like Frankie Five Angels if the Feds ever got him to flip.
Saying things… could say he made up things for leverage, used Madigan’s name for his own leverage and power… and his possible flipping would be of that same M.O.
“Mike Madigan did this, Mike Madigan did that…”
===One theory I’ve heard that seems somewhate plausible is that McClain sent the email as a warning shot to the Quinn administration in order to get his guy out of trouble. The administration knew that the email could be found through FOIA, so if they didn’t protect McClain’s guy, McClain could tell a reporter how to easily obtain a juicy story about a potential rape coverup.===
I mean, if one wanted to paint McClain as one who seemed to be doing others’ bidding, moves like that seem to point to someone doing things for their own leverage and power… including using the idea of a “friendship of closeness” to leverage the alleged strengthens McClain own leverage when dropping a name.
- Lord of the Fries - Thursday, Dec 2, 21 @ 12:11 pm:
This…. doesn’t mean there wasnt a rape or a coverup…..
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Dec 2, 21 @ 12:42 pm:
===This…. doesn’t mean there wasnt a rape or a coverup===
Champaign County State’s Attorney looked at this. The OEIG also supposedly looked at this. Nothing in 2 years.
- Bears Grief - Thursday, Dec 2, 21 @ 1:09 pm:
The noteworthy item from the AP piece is the feds approached Ashby to…..ask if he’d ever done no show work for ComEd?
- Langhorne - Thursday, Dec 2, 21 @ 1:21 pm:
RNUG—You reminded me of working on a major high-dollar project, that involved a lot of contact w non-agency big shot insiders. My boss attended one meeting and that was it. He told me to brief him orally once a week.
We reached a point where a significant decision had to be made, that I was unwilling to do at my level. So I went into my boss’s office to get a decision. He kept telling me to just do what I thought. I could feel the branch swaying. I actually followed him from hisOffice, down the hall, down the elevator, to the sidewalk in front of the agency before I got him to make the decision. I also did periodic updating memos, to cover my ***.
- Annonin' - Thursday, Dec 2, 21 @ 1:25 pm:
Seems to be a need to wonder why Mr. Ashby to unembargo his interview? Was that Q and A dropped for time? Why did no one follow up with all the probes? Seems like these stories could have a used a little more research.
- The Real Downstate - Thursday, Dec 2, 21 @ 1:46 pm:
The Office of the Executive Inspector General / the Governor’s legal team should be honest and transparent about any investigations into this matter. If they’ve conducted investigations and cleared Ashby and Sullivan of wrongdoing, or not, the public should be made aware.
- McGuppin - Thursday, Dec 2, 21 @ 1:57 pm:
John Sullivan, a fine man and public official, got an absolute raw deal here. Whomever advised the Gov to make him a fall guy should be ashamed.
- Loop Lady - Thursday, Dec 2, 21 @ 2:17 pm:
McClain is talking…Madigan still walking…
- NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham - Thursday, Dec 2, 21 @ 2:54 pm:
==Whether the story was true or not, Quinn would have to defend it, and that wouldn’t be pretty.==
Considering this was at the height of his contract fight with AFSCME (and the pay raise cancellation furor), Quinn would have probably reacted by announcing prison closures and/or massive AFSCME layoffs in Mt. Sterling and Galesburg, both in Sen. Sullivan’s old district. And maybe throw in Canton prison for good measure (despite being in Koehler’s district at the time, but likely having a lot of Sullivan constituents working there). That or saying, “Let’s layoff AFSCME members and replace them with inexperienced youngsters who worked on my campaign.”
- Johnie Rotten - Thursday, Dec 2, 21 @ 3:39 pm:
=== If they’ve conducted investigations and cleared Ashby and Sullivan of wrongdoing, or not, the public should be made aware. ===
Don’t hold your breath. The governor’s office wasnt exectly reluctant to back up the dump truck on McClain and anyone tied to him.
Which is fair, if you follow the rules of Old School Politics.
But this team for this governor was seated on the promise to put an end to Old School Politics.
And if an innocent man was put out to pasture and they know it, they ought to restore Sullivan’s good name.
- RNUG - Thursday, Dec 2, 21 @ 9:14 pm:
- Langhorne - I never had a problem making a decision or recommendation (since Directors and Deputy Directors liked to retain the final decision). I did have a problem with changing specs just to favor one vendor over another.
I remember one committee I chaired to award a huge bid with political implications and connections. Every company had partnered with a local influencer. First thing I did was look at the partners list on every bid. EVERY one of the companies had partnered with the same local heavyweight. That made our job easy because we could ignore any political implications since the political influencer would not have any reason to try to meddle; he was going to get paid regardless (banned punctuation).