July 15, 2014
SPRINGFIELD, IL (ECWd) –
Attorney General Lisa Madigan was the Co-Chair of Governor Pat Quinn’s Illinois Violence Prevention Authority (IVPA), which means she was a key player in the actions taken by that group, and I think most will agree has some explaining to do based on just a brief review of the records.
The program has come under scrutiny after the release of the Auditor General’s report. (Click here for full report)
“Maziarz explained that IVPA lacked supporting documentation on specifically how lead agencies were selected since they allowed local elected officials to make those decisions. Additionally, there appeared to be no conflict of interest due diligence by IVPA to ensure that the individuals making the lead agency decisions had no relationship with the organizations they decided on for NRI. (Click here for auditor general report document)
With Lisa Madigan being in charge as Co-Chair of this program, one must ask how it is that millions of dollars of Federal and State money was dispersed with no supporting documentation on how recipients were selected. These selections were made by “local” elected officials. Specifically, it was Chicago Aldermen deciding where funding for a state program went, not state officials. Is that not a reckless failure to perform her mandatory duty by law? By law, because she is assigned to that position by statute. How can this happen?
It happens when you are not at the wheel!
In this case the records reflect that Lisa Madigan did not attend a single meeting of the IVPA Board of Directors in 2010, 2011, and 2012 even though she was the Co-Chair in charge of the IVPA! (Click here for Board Attendance records)
Think that’s Bad?
Between the two Co-Chairs they attended a whopping 1 meeting in three years!
- Why hasn’t Lisa Madigan been given a subpoena in this investigation?
- If subpoenaed would she plea the fifth, as we suspect all the others will?
The other figure that has been subpoenaed is the Executive Director of the IVPA, Barbra Shaw. I suspect she will plea the fifth, especially with what the records are pointing to.
As a teaser to this treasure trove of corruption found in our document review, it is clear Ms. Shaw has some answering to do as well.
According to records reviewed in detail it appears there might be a reason Barbra Shaw was asking about criminal attorneys just 5 days after the resolution was passed to authorize looking into the problems with the IVPA program. (Click here for auditor general report document reflecting this concern)
“Rosanna Ander, Executive Director – University of Chicago Crime Lab said she had conversations with the Governor’s Office and IVPA Executive Director Barbara Shaw regarding the evaluation of NRI. She said the Crime Lab was interested in conducting the evaluation because they are interested in learning what works and what does not work with these types of violence prevention programs. Ander said she contacted Shaw and offered to have the Lab
conduct the evaluation at no charge. She said Shaw declined her offer.”
Why would anyone turn down Pro Bono work being offered from the University of Chicago Crime Lab?
Corruption is going to go on under any administration. What worries me is the corruption that’s totally legal:
* Madigan won millions in settlements with the banks but the trust under care of her and Mr. White is only handing it out to white neighborhoods. The others, he argues, are bad investments, not worth anybody’s money.
* Illinois has legalized medical marijuana which is great for cancer patients with no appetite, and also for the appetite of doctors who accept a wink as a symptom of disease just to cash another paycheck. It’s time to legalize it fully and remove the profits from the DEA-backed Sinaloa cartel.
* Madigan pushed back against the gun lobby when they pushed their interpretation of the 2nd amendments through the Supreme Court. But she could have fought it much harder, at least appealing the ruling.
Do you know one shooting in Chicago was stopped by a concealed carry holder? If only the bad guys have guns – they win.