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Fired employees claim First Amendment violations

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Illinois

* A September, 2016 press release…

Governor Bruce Rauner today announced the state has reached a conclusion in the IDOT patronage hiring scandal that began under previous administrations. IDOT gave the remaining staff assistants layoff notices today.

“Our administration has put an end to the illegal patronage hiring that started under Blagojevich and continued under Quinn,” Governor Rauner said. “Since taking office, we have worked for taxpayers to ensure proper hiring at all of our state agencies. This is an additional step to restore citizens’ faith in state government so it works for them and not the political insiders.”

* Some of them are suing…

Attorney Don Craven says the eight workers suing Rauner eventually made their way into non-political jobs, but that didn’t save them.

He says their firing was political.

“This allegation is that these people were fired by IDOT because they’re Democrats and they refused to become affiliated with the Rauner administration,” Craven says. “That’s precisely what the first amendment says you can’t do — you can’t fire people because of their political affiliation.” […]

Asked for comment, the Rauner administration did not directly address the allegations in the lawsuit. Spokeswoman Patty Schuh says the administration has been “working hand-in-hand with the [Office of the Executive Inspector General’s] hiring monitoring unit and the court-appointed special master to clean up the corrupt political system created by previous governors.”

* From the lawsuit…

Defendant Rauner made comments that expressed his political animus to those individuals who supported Democrats or public-sector unions. Some of those comments were directed at some plaintiffs. […]

The real reason for the termination of these Plaintiffs was that they were employed by the prior administration (under then Governor Patrick Quinn who was a member of the Democratic Party) or that they refused to become affiliated with the Rauner Administration.

* Pretext…

Despite the long-standing policy of IDOT to review and update job descriptions of employees, at no time after their reassignments did supervisory personnel, or personnel in the Bureau of Personnel verify the accuracy of Plaintiffs’ job descriptions or update the job descriptions to more accurately reflect the work being assigned to each Plaintiff.

Defendants then used the job descriptions, which were intentionally allowed to become outdated as the pretense to terminate the employment of these Plaintiffs.

Discuss.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Aug 6, 18 @ 1:43 pm

Comments

Only in Illinois government can someone illegally get a job and then complain they were mistreated when they were fired.

What about the people who were denied a true opportunity for those jobs? What about the taxpayers who were denied the best performers? Where do those groups go for their relief?

Comment by Just Me Monday, Aug 6, 18 @ 1:50 pm
If the lawsuit is anywhere near accurate then Rauner’s team showed a much higher level of competence in this “frame job” than they have shown in virtually any other theater.

Comment by Perrid Monday, Aug 6, 18 @ 1:55 pm
The Office of the Executive Inspector General has determined that these people gained IDOT employment unethically.

I don’t care how they burrowed within IDOT to hide this. I don’t care what they’ve done to prove their value. They’re there unethically, and their actions reveal to us that they clearly know this.

Now they’re suing the decision?

They’re political people playing political games with our money. Get out.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Aug 6, 18 @ 2:00 pm
Hey when IDOT brain trust figures this all out could you put them on mowers and start cuttin’ highways and by ways? They finally did the Coal City exit about 10 days ago. Come one GovJUnk lets get it in gear.

Comment by Annonin' Monday, Aug 6, 18 @ 2:08 pm
In general. Political hires just don’t get it
They truly believe they are owed these jobs
They walk in parades make calls. Walk the neighborhoods etc
These jobs are their payback
It will get worse after the election

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Aug 6, 18 @ 2:12 pm
They were fired for political reasons only because another administration hired them.

Comment by Real Monday, Aug 6, 18 @ 2:12 pm
They may have a case if they are currently in a Ruatan protected position. Wonder what the unions are saying.

Comment by Huh? Monday, Aug 6, 18 @ 2:16 pm
=“Our administration has put an end to the illegal patronage hiring that started under Blagojevich and continued under Quinn,” Governor Rauner said. =

“That is why I have hired Leslie Munger and Ken Dunkin.” to mention only a few.

Comment by JS Mill Monday, Aug 6, 18 @ 2:17 pm
The unions protect them
Several in my office. ‘Interviewed’ for a rutan position so they are safe now

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Aug 6, 18 @ 2:19 pm
I hear Mark Janus told them to “hang tough”.

Comment by don the legend Monday, Aug 6, 18 @ 2:20 pm
the legal argument is, as I understand it, “we stole our jobs fair and square.”

Comment by jim Monday, Aug 6, 18 @ 2:33 pm
Wasn’t it 3 years ago at this time when Rainer laid off the museum folk and others?

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Aug 6, 18 @ 2:43 pm
The employees did NOTHING unethical or illegal, they were offered a Rutan exempt job and accepted it. IDOT chose to use these employees in an unethical manner, the employees did what they were told to do by IDOT

Comment by Pyrman Monday, Aug 6, 18 @ 3:07 pm
Again, it must be August and Illinois when political hires complain about losing their jobs and this makes the news. Will the horror never end?

Comment by NeverPoliticallyCorrect Monday, Aug 6, 18 @ 3:22 pm
Lesson: Always demand a current job description.

Comment by Arhur Andersen Monday, Aug 6, 18 @ 3:33 pm
Wouldn’t they be. Considered at will employees

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Aug 6, 18 @ 3:51 pm
Was Rauner thinking of the taxpayers with his his own political hires as well as the Deloitte IT contract? As far as the topic at hand goes, if you obtain a political job you need to realize there’s a chance you can lose it if a change in Administration occurs.

Comment by The Dude Abides Monday, Aug 6, 18 @ 4:12 pm
Pot meet Kettle

Comment by justpeachy Monday, Aug 6, 18 @ 4:27 pm
In reading the details of some of the “new” jobs, like “assistant to the assistant director” (wasn’t that Dwight’s title on the Office?) they sound almost as contrived as the old staff assistant jobs.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Aug 6, 18 @ 4:42 pm
Republicans. Democrats.
Democrats. Republicans.
Same old same old.

Comment by blue dog dem Monday, Aug 6, 18 @ 7:59 pm
Bon Jovi - Lost Highway
The More Things Change, The More They Remain The Same.

Comment by cc Monday, Aug 6, 18 @ 10:30 pm