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Murashko says he’s been cleared

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Illinois

* Former Rauner administration chief counsel Dennis Murashko…

Today, the Office of the Executive Inspector General notified me that the Office has concluded the investigation into the false, malicious, and defamatory complaint against me. The case has been closed as unfounded.

That’s the technical term.

In layman’s terms, the complaint has always been a lie. It was filed anonymously. The OEIG has given me no indication who is behind the complaint, which is as it should be. But the complaint, at least a copy I was shown by the press, is dated July 19, 2017, merely a week following tumultuous staffing changes in the Governor’s Office. As has been reported, unnamed former staffers and their associates wrongly believed that I was responsible for the Governor’s decision to replace the Chief of Staff on July 10, 2017. I don’t think the timing of the complaint is coincidental.

I had learned about the complaint when a reporter contacted me in the late evening hours of August 24, 2017. That was after the Governor’s Office had already announced I would be leaving. Indeed, I had submitted my letter of resignation on August 23 but was asked to stay through August 31 and help with a smooth transition.

On August 25, however, I was abruptly escorted out of the Thompson Center, moments after I had advised the Chief of Staff and Deputy General Counsel about the August 24 phone call in which I learned about the alleged OEIG complaint. There was no explanation given for shutting off my access and escorting me out. As I recall, the Office of the Governor did not have a policy to immediately terminate, suspend, or put on leave a staff member, no matter how senior, who is the subject of an OEIG complaint.

Why staff members decided to have me escorted out a week ahead of the scheduled departure I don’t know. What I do know is, because of their actions, there’s been this false link between the OEIG complaint and my resignation.

I am glad I can finally clear things up and state unequivocally that my resignation had zero to do with that baseless complaint.

Why I resigned has been the subject of much speculation, some of it pointing to my August 21, 2017 memo outlining sensible guidelines for the interactions between the Governor’s official and political offices. Governor Rauner said publicly that he had urged me to create the memo. I will just say this: The memo was necessary, and to this day, I stand by it 100%. I provided the memo to the staff and then resigned. If I were to do it all over, I would do the same thing.

It is now time for me to move on. I look forward to building my new business. And while the brand of politics that has led to the above is definitely not for me, I still cannot help but be immensely grateful for the amazing opportunity to serve our State. I became better for it. And in the long run, the rest just doesn’t matter.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Mar 9, 18 @ 2:33 pm

Comments

===The memo was necessary===

The necessity of this sentence is interesting.

What memo isn’t a necessity?

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Mar 9, 18 @ 2:49 pm
== I will just say this: The memo was necessary, and to this day, I stand by it 100%. I provided the memo to the staff and then resigned. If I were to do it all over, I would do the same thing.==

https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/hardball-tactics-alleged-in-lawsuit-against-bruce-rauner/

The lawsuit alleged that Rauner told Kirk in February 2001: “If you go legal on us, we’ll hurt you and your family.”

Kirk also alleged that Rauner, wary of a her possibly suing, relayed a similar threat to her a few days earlier through another board member, Thomas Gilman, a consultant and ex-top executive at Chrysler Financial.

“I will bury her,” Rauner is alleged to have told Gilman.

“I will make her radioactive,” Rauner allegedly told Gilman, according to the complaint. “She will never get another job anywhere, ever. I will bankrupt her with legal fees. I don’t know if she has a family or not, but if she does, she better think twice about this.”

Comment by crazybleedingheart Friday, Mar 9, 18 @ 2:50 pm
I can’t wait for all these people to go away.

Comment by Sonny Friday, Mar 9, 18 @ 2:52 pm
I am waiting to see what other memos from Diana are released from that time period. Those seem to clarify some of the decisions that were made at that time.

Comment by A Jack Friday, Mar 9, 18 @ 2:57 pm
==The memo was necessary ==

Pretty clear there.

==be immensely grateful for the amazing opportunity to serve our State==

No expression of any feelings towards working for Rauner. Or any of his fellow BTIA members.

Comment by Henry Francis Friday, Mar 9, 18 @ 3:01 pm
I’m wondering was this OEIG ruling signed by the acting OEIG or the previous one that abruptly resigned?

Comment by Claud Peppers Friday, Mar 9, 18 @ 3:13 pm
Was this hastily texted to you? Not that I’m part of the Grammar Alt-Right, but it doesn’t read like someone who was a Chief Counsel.

Comment by Real Goes Wrong Friday, Mar 9, 18 @ 3:16 pm
Seriously Dennis, I don’t know you, but if that is your response to the inquiry ending, you are a huge pile.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Friday, Mar 9, 18 @ 3:23 pm
==What memo isn’t a necessity? ==

I had a boss once who sent what many of us considered extremely unnecessary memos.

Comment by JoanP Friday, Mar 9, 18 @ 3:28 pm
Lifetime banishments are gonna be doled out to anyone I have to delete in this thread from now on.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Mar 9, 18 @ 3:29 pm
So what’s the real story here? Anyone? Dennis? Anyone?

Comment by Rutro Friday, Mar 9, 18 @ 3:34 pm
–I am glad I can finally clear things up…–

Not so you’d notice.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Mar 9, 18 @ 3:38 pm
Man I was hoping for more.
I went back and read the “memo”
Was he talking about Diana?
We’re there other political office folks
Doing improper things?
I was hoping for something juicy

Murashko seems pretty disciplined.
Anybody know what he was alluding too?

Comment by Honeybear Friday, Mar 9, 18 @ 3:48 pm
Why would anyone with a choice want to work for this Governor? You could even expand that question to state government in general.

Comment by Jim Bridger Friday, Mar 9, 18 @ 4:37 pm