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* Former Gov. Pat Quinn didn’t hold a press conference after unveiling his official portrait yesterday, but the Tribune was able to get a moment of his time to ask him about the IDOT hiring investigation…
The portrait unveiling came weeks after a report from a court-appointed watchdog charged with looking into patronage hiring at the Illinois Department of Transportation detailed how top Democrats clouted relatives and friends into positions during Quinn’s administration.
“As governor, I had nothing to do with hiring. I told all staff that the only thing we should deal with is double exempt jobs and that was the rule,” Quinn told the Tribune in an interview. Quinn repeated that he “took action” once learning about the improper hiring from the state’s ethics watchdog by replacing the head of IDOT.
So his staffers just did this on their own, eh?
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 11:29 am
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Sad but speaks volumes about his character.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 11:30 am
Oh Pat. You never change. And you never will. And that’s why nobody wants you to run for anything ever again.
Comment by Chicago Cynic Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 11:31 am
Wow. Line to work for him ever again forms to the right.
Also, as the holders of his highest office, citizen, perhaps it is our civic duty to post a rebuttal portrait next to his to acknowledge everything he would not?
Comment by Ron Burgundy Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 11:32 am
And that just ended any hope for a PQ for Gov 2018 bid. Who would work for him?
Comment by Anon Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 11:35 am
Remember, this is the guy who bumbled and stumbled his way through one and a half terms, causing us to be so upset that we voted for Rauner.
Comment by Can Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 11:36 am
“And that just ended any hope for a PQ for Gov 2018 bid.”
Every cloud has a silver lining.
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 11:37 am
Gov. Pat Quinn was an incredibly awful Chief Executive when discussing the details and levers of the job of Governor. At no time did I feel Quinn grasped the job beyond the gadfly options of press pops and grandstanding.
To bring this back to Quinn’s comment, it’s obvious that within Quinn’s poor job performance, I can see Quinn believing every word, all the while the micro-managing of people and things unhelpful to governing… this kinda-sorta fits the Quinn M.O. of blaming others and seeing no blame for himself or his role as the Governor.
Not surprised.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 11:39 am
Wait: Quinn is not throwing his staff under the bus here.
==I told all staff that the only thing we should deal with is double exempt jobs and that was the rule==
And Quinn’s staff believed that every position they were filling was double-exempt. They only found out that IDOT had been misclassified later, and then had to fix it. There is no reason to believe otherwise; the report provides no evidence to support the idea that anyone believed any of these jobs were improperly classified as double-exempt.
Comment by Moist von Lipwig Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 11:44 am
==Remember, this is the guy who bumbled and stumbled his way through one and a half terms, causing us to be so upset that we voted for Rauner.==
Thank you. This *is* an important reminder to people who too easily forget that often there is more to voters’ decisions at the polls than party name.
Comment by Responsa Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 11:51 am
I’d still take Pat Quinn over Rauner any day!
Comment by Me Again Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 11:55 am
That’s Dan Walker’s Patronage Chief Pat Quinn to you, buddy.
Comment by Fax Machine Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 11:56 am
Profiles in Courage: the Pat Quinn edition.
How can we miss Mr. Quinn if he won’t go (and stay) away?
Comment by thunderspirit Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 11:57 am
Needs to add a motto to his portrait. Take your pick:
“The Buck Stops… Somewhere, But Not Here”
“Governors Own (Except Me)”
Comment by Ron Burgundy Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 12:01 pm
= I’d still take Pat Quinn over Rauner any day! =
This, ladies and gentlemen, is our much-beloved 2-party system.
A choice between destructive ineptitude and destructive expertise.
Comment by Left Out Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 12:12 pm
Own it Pat, you had hacks all over the spectrum as have other Govs. It’s Not a bad thing, just say that you need these Key staff to enact your awesome policies. Its all about the spin and you never shied away from free presser.
Comment by the Cardinal Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 12:14 pm
Moist indicates there is another possible set of facts. I will wait for further developments.
FWIW strong Directors could turn down people sent from the Governor’s office.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 12:19 pm
===strong Directors could turn down people sent from the Governor’s office.===
Sure, if they want to end up in the unemployment line.
Comment by Cubs in '16 Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 12:23 pm
Sounds like Ryan Croke and Linday Anderson may be more responsible for the questionably legal patronage hiring than some would like to admit. Hopefully they have not continued such egregious actions at UIS and the University of Illinois system as a whole.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 12:41 pm
Bet this is the tip of the iceberg in hiring scandals under Quinn. Are they going to look into every agency? Still a lot of inept Quinn hires in place…..check out DHS and others….
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 12:46 pm
Pat Quinn is the embodiment of the Peter Principle.
Along with Bruce Rauner.
The next 18 months cannot go fast enough.
Comment by Biscuit Head Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 12:50 pm
===The next 18 months cannot go fast enough===
Could be 66.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 12:51 pm
Cubs in 16. I knew a Director who turned down three suggested hires. He left, but years later.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 1:11 pm
–Sounds like Ryan Croke and Linday Anderson may be more responsible for the questionably legal patronage hiring than some would like to admit. Hopefully they have not continued such egregious actions at UIS and the University of Illinois system as a whole.–
Well I doubt that’s a concern, since their boss who gave them the power to do what they did is gone.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 1:14 pm
@Bull Moose:
That’s surprising. All of the Directors I’ve worked under couldn’t react fast enough when the Gov’s office said “jump”. I applaud that Director’s integrity.
Comment by Cubs in '16 Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 1:17 pm
Not cool and not believable.
Let Rauner be the whiny victim buck-passer.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 1:22 pm
Lindsay Anderson ran into problems when she was chair of IBHE too. I hope for the UofI’s sake that she has her act together finally.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 1:27 pm
How about a mourning shroud to cover that fanciful portrait.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 1:37 pm
-Well I doubt that’s a concern, since their boss who gave them the power to do what they did is gone.-
That relies on the assumption that the ‘boss’ approved of Croke and Anderson’s behavior. Regardless, a character flaw is present if Croke and Anderson merely complied with Quinn’s orders.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 1:46 pm
–That relies on the assumption that the ‘boss’ approved of Croke and Anderson’s behavior.–
Or, they acted and imposed their will on others based on his apparent authority. Remove that apparent authority and remove them from those positions, as was done in 2014, and the problem should take care of itself.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 1:51 pm
“Quinn repeated that he ‘took action’ once learning about the improper hiring from the state’s ethics watchdog by giving all state employees furlough days.”
Fixed it.
Things like this make me think I did the right thing by voting for Rauner.
Comment by Whatever Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 2:10 pm
Quinn got all kinds of difficult and significant legislation passed thru the GA, despite personality differences with the Speaker.
Madigan seemed to have a special affinity for recommending people for IDOT jobs.
If any governor cannot speak without passing the buck, and sounding weak, then better to keep silent
Comment by walker Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 2:18 pm
This is how machine politics works. At the end of the day, you need MONEY or WORKERS to win campaigns. I am certain that Quinn’s administration was no different and possibly better than others. Do we have comparative stats?
Comment by State worker Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 3:15 pm
His college roommate was legal counsel at IDOT during the latter half of the ordeal but had no idea rutan exempt hiring was happening. Cute PQ.
Comment by Farandwide Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 3:17 pm
C’MON FOLKS!
Didn’t you notice that in Quinn’s official portrait how many of the folks in those group shots had bus tracks across their faces?
Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 4:09 pm
Reminiscent of him appointing Ryan Croke to thank the staff at the end of his term. Solid.
Comment by Boone's is back Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 4:46 pm
Anonymous - Ryan Croke is a good, honest, and ethical person. I have known him for 10 years, at least — but you would know the kind of person he is after talking with him for 10 minutes. To suggest that he is involved in any kind nefarious undertaking at U of I is simply laughable. As an alum, I am very proud that he is representing my university.
Comment by Soccermom Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 4:50 pm
The weasel tells another lie.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 5:29 pm
Go away Pat. Just. Go. Away.
Comment by Shytown Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 5:38 pm
Soccermom, take PQ and Croke and all of you take a long walk into the IDOT lake. Maybe there you will find truth and clarity.
Comment by IT guy Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 7:05 pm