Republicans called the program a “political slush” fund meant to shore up votes ahead of the 2010 election. Quinn won by fewer than 32,000 votes against state Sen. Bill Brady, who sits on the commission. Quinn has dismissed the notion and said he moved to correct problems, including abolishing the Illinois Violence Prevention Authority, which oversaw the program. Still, Republicans raised the issue Wednesday, pointing to emails from Quinn’s former chief of staff Jack Lavin to campaign officials in 2010 about reaching out to African-American voters and highlighted one line that said the anti-violence program could help the campaign “on the jobs and anti-violence messages.” The email was among thousands of documents the bipartisan commission subpoenaed. Quinn campaign spokeswoman Brooke Anderson said the email clearly was “not government conversations.” It was from Lavin’s personal address and sent on a Sunday. She added that a campaign would “want to promote” what the governor was doing to fight violence, as it would other parts of his record. Lavin was expected to testify before the commission Thursday with two other former officials. Shaw said the governor’s office didn’t influence where funding went, saying the first time she spoke to Quinn about the program was at the news conference in 2010 when it was announced. “The governor’s office never told us who to give the money to, what communities to go in, what agencies should get that money,” she said. “The elections did not play in role in where that money went.” The state auditor general has said the program was hastily implemented and mismanaged. A February audit questioned expenditures claimed by service providers. Members of the commission — which signs off on audits — said numerous questions are unanswered. Critics have also questioned the role that Chicago aldermen played in the program, questioning their influence over which groups got funding. Shaw said aldermen in particular areas plagued by violence and poverty didn’t dictate who got the funding, but were asked for recommendations. A former alderman and former adviser to Quinn on Wednesday told the commission he had little involvement with the anti-violence program. Former Ald. Billy Ocasio said he had little to do with NRI aside from attending a few meetings. Ocasio says there was no mention of elections when it came to the program. Ocasio is a former 26th Ward alderman who was Quinn’s senior adviser on social justice issues. Sophia Tareen, Associated Press JACK LAVIN PAT QUINN BILL BRADY BRUCE RAUNER ELECTION 2014 by TaboolaSponsored LinksFROM AROUND THE WEB 14 Amazing Places of Norway Become True Destination for Travelers Web Nir 7 Workouts That Will Help Transform Your Body Womanitely Want To Learn Life’s Most Important Lessons? Watch These 20 TED Talks GoWeLoveIt.info Apple Takes The Lead In Supplier Responsibility, Accountability TalkMarkets Anyone Can Build A Great Website (Even You!) Lifegooroo Amazing, Hard-to-Believe, Perfectly Timed Photos – Taken at Just the Right … Amazingly Timed Photos MORE FROM THE WEBMORE FROM SUNTIMES Athlon Soars On Encana Buyout; FCB Financial Clears Entry (Investors) 10 Things to Consider When Choosing Cat Food (Amerikanki) Its Time to Start Building for the Environment, not against it (Arbtech.co.uk) What Every Real Estate Company Can Learn from Sobha (Nikulsan Digital Agency) Dakota Fanning Wore Red Suede Fringe (The Cut) Bill Clinton: No loose lips as Hillary ponders 2016 Mayor proposes crackdown on buildings without smoke detectors Emanuel fleshes out pre-election plan for expanded preschool Emanuel dances around demand that city compensate Burge victims Ebola ‘quite likely’ will land in Cook Co. by TaboolaPromoted Lin
Posted on: Thu, 09 Oct 2014 05:17:23 +0000
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