Corruption in Jesse White's Office

Posted November 18th, 2005 at 01:24 PM by IlliniPundit
in

Via IllinoisPundit, from the Springfield Journal-Register (with no permalink permalink below):

Cecil Turner, director of physical services for Secretary of State Jesse White, was fired Thursday from his $97,932 job overseeing operations in various state buildings.

Three janitors who work for the secretary of state in Springfield - Dana Dinora, Steve Boyce and David Medvesek - were suspended without pay pending discharge Thursday, according to White spokesman Randy Nehrt. Each of the three is paid $41,676 annually.

FBI agents, Secretary of State's Police, and an inspector general's official escorted Turner from the Howlett Building, where he works, Thursday morning.

Spokesmen for White did not discuss the reasons for Thursday's actions.

Turner, however, said he was told by the FBI agents that they suspected he was covering up for janitors who were being paid for time they weren't working. Turner denied the allegations.

Turner is also a high-ranking Democrat in Sangamon County, so there's no blaming this one on George Ryan.

If there were political betting odds, I would eagerly put ten bucks on a big underdog in State Senator Dan Rutherford running for Secretary of State.  I just don't think Rutherford is as much of a long-shot as the Conventional Wisdom says he is...

UPDATE:  Article is permalinked here. 

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On November 18th, 2005 at 10:38 PM, Josh R (not verified) said:

Dan Rutherford is terribly bright, credible, and a hell of a campaigner. I think he would bring a long overdue reform to the Sec. of State's Office. I am a partisan democrat, but I'm thinking seriously of voting for Rutherfrod. I think if he meets more open minded dems, this could be a much closer race than White is expecting

On November 19th, 2005 at 03:27 PM, Not Quite Clueless (not verified) said:

Josh:

I think your key word there is reform. There is an "old-school" mindset and way of doing things in Illinois government that you're going to find with pretty much anyone who's been involved for quite awhile. The whole "pay for play", jobs/contracts for supporters, has long been an unspoken acceptable norm. This is why I would hesitate to vote for anyone campainging their "experience."

You can't build a new house, fill it with your old furniture, and expect it not to smell like the old house.