Nepotism at its finest:
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White said Monday his decision to promote his daughter to a $112,000-a-year job and employ other relatives should not be compared to the corruption scandal that brought down his predecessor.
White said he did not pressure anyone to hire at least five of his relatives and sees nothing wrong with his office employing them as long as they are qualified for the jobs.
"If I did something improper to hire them, there would be something wrong with that," White said. "I did nothing improper."
White made the comments Monday before the Tribune editorial board in his first joint appearance with his opponent, Republican state Sen. Dan Rutherford of Pontiac. State Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan and her Republican opponent, Tazewell County State's Atty. Stewart Umholtz, also met with the board Monday.
White, a Democrat who is seeking a third term, said it is improper to compare his hiring to the licenses-for-bribes scandal that began when former Gov. George Ryan was secretary of state.
Last week, a Democrat operative who worked in the Secretary of State's office was convicted of ghost payrolling.
Of course, Secretary White certainly doesn't want his ghost-payrolling and nepotism compared to George Ryan's.
“If I did something improper to hire them, there would be something wrong with that,” White said. “I did nothing improper.”ÂÂ
Yeah, dipshit, they're your relatives. Therefore, hiring them is improper. Do you need me to draw you a picture?
Need distraction, Need distraction
Send out the tumblers
You don't see corruption, you underprivleged kids flying through the air
That's why he's not the same as George Ryan
It is corruption like this that is killing the democratic party why can we not put forth good honest candidates. I will not for Rod I believe he will be indicted and I hope judy wins because I think lisa madigan will destroy her in 2010. and I will not vote for stroger because of corruption that he can not or will not fix namely his family and friends on the county payroll. plus any democrat like claypool or mike quigley can win that office in 2010
I think White has handed the Illinois Republican Party an opportunity to take the SOS office, reform it, and mount a campaign for governor. This is too good not to pass up and exploited to the fullest. Blago promised changes and he simply is becoming mired in the same soup that ensnared Ryan. Didn't some of Ryan's problems stem from his time as SOS? Nice to know that Jesse has been keeping up the status quo.
Tony Peraica seems to be the only logical choice, and cleanest, to take over that position and implement real reforms within Cook County, but I'm not holding my breath.
Jesse White is an institution and he's going to take Rutherford to the House of Pain. What are you going to do when Jessemania and all of his tumbling Jessemaniacs run wild on you?
Maybe Rutherford could borrow a line from Blago: Jesse White -- He was George Ryan's Secretary of State
Do the politicians have to take the ethics training that most state employees take, or are they exempt from the rules since they're politicians?
Just an observation from a long term Illinois voter------ Illinois politicians either do not take ethics training or if they do, it is not effective.
I have submitted information to White's inspector general on an staff member of his who altered vehicle titles in June of 2006, this is almost October aND WHITE REFUSES TO ACT ON THE INFORMATION! His inspector General is asleep at the wheel..... JESSE WHITE has been in office two terms yet his staff ordered 250,000 envelopes with his name misspelled JESSIE WHITE, if Illinois does not wake up and gives this guy 4 more years what other hazzards lay ahead?
Talking with a current SOS employee over 30+ years they say this is the worst administration ever, White can attend parades but employee's never see him every time an incident takes place a hired lip is in the news, Why? Jesse stays away from the media as he is kept in the dark. Whith hope Satate Senator Dan Rutherford can gain control of this office and keep it from a major crash.
Concerned,
You did the right first move in taking it to White's inspector general, but since White refuses to act on the info, perhaps you need to give that information to someone who can use it to illustrate for other citizens White's incompetence.