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* UPDATED x2 * “He was given to me”

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* Less than a month after he left the Chicago City Council, former36th Ward Ald. John Rice landed a job at IDOT. He denied using any clout, but his job application wasn’t filed until the day he was hired in the exempt position. From a February 10, 2012 New York Times article…

Brooke Anderson, a spokeswoman for Mr. Quinn, said in an e-mail this week that the governor — who lives in the 36th Ward, on the Northwest Side — did not get involved in “personnel decisions at the agency level.”

A spokesman for the transportation department said the decision to hire Mr. Rice was made by Michael Stout, who stepped down at the end of December as director of the department’s traffic safety division.

Mr. Stout said this week, however, that he “never hired anybody” and did not know who had decided to bring Mr. Rice onto the state payroll.

“He was given to me,” Mr. Stout said.

* But who gave him to Stout? From the Bruce Rauner campaign…

NEWLY REVEALED EMAILS SHOW QUINN’S OFFICE INVOLVED IN RICE’S HIRING A MONTH BEFORE HE APPLIED

Last Week, Michael Shakman Released An Email Dated October 27, 2011 In Which IDOT Officials Tell Quinn Deputy Chief Of Staff Sean O’Shea That They “Need Candidate Info” For Rice. “Sean, Attached is the updated epar spreadsheet (Rutan-Exempt). As you will see, John Rice is on the second page under ‘Need Candidate Info.’” (Mike Woods Email To Sean O’Shea, 10/27/11)

Attached To The October 27 Email Was A List Of Pending Rutan-Exempt Hires At IDOT, With Rice’s Name Listed Under The “Need Candidate Info” Category. (Mike Woods Email To Sean O’Shea, 10/27/11)

Rice’s Name Is Also At The Top Of The October 28, 2011 “Lavin List” Of Political Hires. (Lavin List, 10/28/11)

Quinn himself now admits that former deputy chief of staff Sean O’Shea and former chief of staff Jack Lavin handled patronage requests to IDOT. But the e-mail definitively answers a question that neither the Quinn office nor IDOT would address three years ago. The direction came from the governor’s two top guys.

*** UPDATE 1 *** From the governor’s office…

Rich - as we said in 2012 – the Governor was not involved in this personnel decision at the agency level. Regarding the list – it was for Rutan-exempt hires that had to be approved by the chief of staff. As you will recall – under the previous admin all hires were approved by the chief of staff. Under Gov Quinn – that was changed to only Rutan exempt – as is appropriate.

From the OEIG report:

Footnote 135 - Investigators also obtained documents from the Office of the Governor. Included were multiple versions of a document maintained by IDOT Titled ―Rutan-Exempt ePARs for IDOT…Lavin List…‖ (Lavin List). The Lavin List is a list of all IDOT Rutan-Exempt ePARs IDOT maintained reflecting Rutan-exempt candidates for hire that were pending approval by former Chief of Staff Jack Lavin or a Deputy Chief of Staff.

*** UPDATE 2 *** Rauner campaign…

The governor’s office continues to evade the key question: who directed IDOT to hire Ald. Rice? His name appears on a “Lavin List” one month before he even submitted an application and IDOT had emailed the governor’s office that they needed more information about him. Clearly this was not an IDOT-initiated hire.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 12:29 pm

Comments

Just a fact of life in this state. The only thing reporting on it will do is force Quinn/Madigan to be more slick about it. The voters simply don’t seem to care even as their taxes go up to pay for it.

Comment by Very Fed Up Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 12:40 pm
It doesn’t appear from the attached that Rice was hired as a Staff Assistant, so this doesn’t appear to be related to the IDOT issues in the IG report. I would assume that the Governor’s office would have a say in who is hired in deputy director level positions.

Comment by Juice Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 12:43 pm
He is the jobs governor…

Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 12:46 pm
This John Rice is no doubt related to a woman or some women. Maybe Carol Marin can play up that angle and come up with another flimsy story about how Rauner is actually attacking women by bringing the facts to light about Rice’s hiring by Quinn’s two top staff members. (I am being sarcastic).

Comment by Meanderthal Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 12:48 pm
I notice ex-Secretary Schneider is copied on that e-mail, fwiw.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 12:55 pm
“He was given to me” is how Illinois State government works. Yes it may have been an exempt position but it’s sad that “policy” positions are so loosely filled. May explain why Illinois State government policy is so exemplary.

Comment by Sir Reel Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 1:00 pm
I wonder what Michael Shakman’s overall effect has been on this state in all his decades of advocacy on this issue that never seems to go away.

Has his advocacy made Illinois government any less corrupt?

Has he made Illinois voters more cynical about government?

Comment by hisgirlfriday Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 1:03 pm
I hit say it on that last post too soon, but my final thought on Shakman is just how its interesting how the more awareness he brings to this issue to try to get change for it, the less effective his advocacy actually is because voters become so darn numb to any hope of changing how things are done.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 1:06 pm
Has his advocacy made Illinois government any less corrupt?

If anything he may have slowed the growth therin…

Has he made Illinois voters more cynical about government?

That is would be like blaming Bartman for the Cubs woes the last 100…

You might as well ask has the US Attorney make Illinois voters more cynical about government.

Call me crazy but some jobs in government should not be handed out because you are someones cousin or you work for a candidate.

Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 1:11 pm
The position was Rutan exempt, where’s the story here?

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 1:26 pm
This is why the current blue party can’t get anything done. Everyone is out for themselves. First Schneider and then Stout. How did they get their jobs? Learn to fall on your sword.

Comment by The Colossus of Roads Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 1:29 pm
When a job applicant is “given” to an agency employee to hire, the appropriate response is “I don’t want nobody that nobody sent.” Solves everything!

Comment by Illannoyed Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 1:32 pm
So for those keeping track, that’s:

“He was given to me” vs. “I don’t know if she has a family, but if she does, she better think twice about this”

Comment by Snucka Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 1:34 pm
It was the agency that eventually made the suggestion that it might be advisable to rename “Lavin list” to something else i.e. - Rutan Exempt ePAR report. Shakman undoubtedly has hundreds more of these emails regarding Staff Assistants as well as other Rutan Exempt positions.

Gov’s office should never have run from their right to appoint certain positions. They need a new attorney.

Comment by Far and Wide Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 1:34 pm
- some jobs in government should not be handed out because you are someones cousin or you work for a candidate. -

Yep, and out of the ~50k state jobs about ~49k are subject to Rutan. The other ones aren’t.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 1:40 pm
Welp, at least Rauner is being his own owl now…

“who…who…who…who”

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 1:46 pm
“Quinn himself now admits….”
When the sentence starts out that way, it says something. It really says corruption is institutionalized here and I shouldn’t have to explain it anymore. In the sty, even dirty places look clean. Oy.

Comment by A guy... Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 1:49 pm
And he continues to back himself into a corner. I hope that if Rauner wins he doesn’t plan on ever sending a person to an agency to hire.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 1:49 pm
==It really says corruption is institutionalized here==

Actually I do need a bit of an explanation as to how sending a guy to be hired for an EXEMPT position is corrupt.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 1:51 pm
Demo, you’ve been watching this. He goes in EXEMPT and then they’re transferred to other positions. Lather, rinse, repeat. You can defend this all you want, but your heart couldn’t possibly be in it. It doesn’t have to be this way man, and you know it.

Comment by A guy... Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 2:13 pm
It is an EXEMPT position. Sheesh.

Comment by Mcleaniac Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 2:18 pm
A guy, where are you seeing that Mr. Rice is now in a Rutan covered position?

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 2:19 pm
==…sending a guy to be hired for an EXEMPT… ==
Demoralized, in most hiring situations (public or private) a job seeker sees or hears about an opening, applies for it, tries to make a good interview, and then hopes that someone who knows him will give a good recommendation or that someone with clout will make a call or pull some strings. This does not look or sound like what occurred here. It looks bass ackwards to most people.

Comment by Responsa Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 2:22 pm
=== Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 2:19 pm:

A guy, where are you seeing that Mr. Rice is now in a Rutan covered position?===

I’m not. I’m calling attention to a pattern that has been in place.

Comment by A guy... Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 2:30 pm
Whether it was Lavin, Schneider, Woods, Hughes or Stout — ultimately all report to Quinny, who is obviously clueless as to what has been going on at this agency, er, State! Come on, what has happened to doing the right thing (always) for the common good?

Comment by Gone, but not forgotten Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 2:34 pm
“It is an EXEMPT position. Sheesh.” and
” The position was Rutan exempt, where’s the story here?”

The story is and has been that the Rutan rules are being manipulated and ignored. Improperly declaring a position as “exempt” does not make everything OK. In the hiring of these folks, it’s more about the pay scale than anything else; a real position? - nah. qualifications? forgetaboutit. Having experienced such “gifts”, I know that it’s not about filling an agency need.

Comment by Mister M Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 2:35 pm
Does Bruce and Chip understand that Rutan exempt means that Quinn and his people can LEGALLY hire whomever they want? That’s the law!

Comment by THE LAW Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 2:54 pm
So what is this “epars” thing that gets mentioned every now and then with regards to this story?

Comment by Patron Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 2:55 pm
My goodness, just wait. If Rauner wins, there will be a line of underemployed Republican politicos stretching around the block from the Governor’s office looking cash in on their support for Rauner by demanding Rutan-exempt jobs. I recall being at a GOP meeting where the husband of a certain Cook County officeholder got in his cups and bragged that they would be handing out the local jobs in the Rauner Administration.

Comment by Percival Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 2:59 pm
“Does Bruce and Chip understand that Rutan exempt means that Quinn and his people can LEGALLY hire whomever they want? That’s the law!”

Not if the “exempt” classification is improperly given that is not a “high ranking policy-making or confidential” position.

Comment by Mister M Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 3:07 pm
@Responsa:

Give me a freaking break. This kind of stuff happens all the time in the private sector.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 3:23 pm
“So what is this “epars” thing that gets mentioned every now and then with regards to this story?”

I believe it is the E-ncourage P-atronage A-void R-utan S-ystem.

Comment by Jack Handy Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 3:25 pm
ePAR is the state system that the hiring approval process goes through. It has nothing to do with patronage. It’s simple bureaucracy. That’s it.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 3:27 pm
@Responsa:

Give me a freaking break. This kind of stuff happens all the time in the private sector.

In fact, one strategy is to send your resume to a company even when there are no openings listed on the possibility that they’re thinking of creating the position, and hey whaddyaknow, here’s a guy that’s exactly what we’re looking for. I got my first real job that way.

Comment by Skeptic Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 3:36 pm
===Skeptic - Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 3:36 pm:

@Responsa:

Give me a freaking break. This kind of stuff happens all the time in the private sector.===

Yeah, sure it does. Private sector has had layoffs and pay freezes for several years straight. A few exceptions, but not many. Productivity has had to increase exponentially. There’s no incentive to hiring anyone’s dumb brother-in-law. I’ve seen nepotism and favoritism in private industry, but even those people need to get up to speed or get canned or capped. This kind of hiring, um, no.

Comment by A guy... Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 3:55 pm
==This kind of hiring, um, no.==

You go with that. I’ve seen otherwise.

Never gonna agree with you on this @A guy. But that’s ok. You are entitled to be wrong. lol

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 3:56 pm
This really isn’t defensible, regardless of name or party. “Oh, but it’s EXEMPT!” Yeah, that makes it better. “Oh, but that’s Illinois politics and that’s how things get done here!” Yeah, that makes it better. Those mindsets will really move this State forward. It’s that mindset that traps us with all the inefficiencies we have. Anyone who has had to work around/with the State knows what a cancer the whole system is. There are relatively high functioning state governments around us. Why don’t we deserve one?

Comment by Shemp Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 3:57 pm
ePAR= Electronic Personnel Action Request

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 4:04 pm
“This kind of stuff happens all the time in the private sector.”

So, what’s the statute that makes such actions in the private sector illegal? Which of those private businesses can put you in jail if you refuse to support those actions with your money?

Do you *really* not see the difference? Seriously?

Comment by Chris Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 5:11 pm
It’s exempt. No one has implied that it shouldn’t be or was improperly manipulated in some way. No story for anyone that knows anything

Comment by steve schnorf Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 7:43 pm
oh, and Chris (obviously not on the list of people who know anything) it’s not illegal in the private sector or in the public sector. Duh!

Comment by steve schnorf Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 7:44 pm
Why do these people continue to use email for this stuff? Are they clueless?

Comment by dr. reason a. goodwin Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 8:47 pm
By definition a rutan exempt position can be filled with a patronage hire. so a patronage position was filled with a patronage hire?

when does the water is wet story come out.

Comment by Ghost Tuesday, Oct 14, 14 @ 9:32 pm