© 2024 WNIJ and WNIU
Northern Public Radio
801 N 1st St.
DeKalb, IL 60115
815-753-9000
Northern Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
WNIJ's summary of news items around our state.

Illinois Eliminates IDOT Job Category After Hiring Scandal

IDOT

There no longer is any such position as an Illinois Department of Transportation "staff assistant," Gov. Bruce Rauner announced Monday.

An inspector general's report in 2014 found that previous administrations hired people into that role, which allowed them to skirt state hiring rules.

Then the workers often were moved into other jobs that would have been subject to merit testing. It was a way get people with clout on the state payroll.

Rauner says the inspector general is still looking for patronage hires in other departments.

"Changing that culture and trying to root out the folks who are there for the wrong reasons, it's hard," Rauner said. "Obviously there are employment protections in place under existing contracts and labor rules. Can't move very quickly. As you know, getting rid of the illegal IDOT hires took -- how long has it been? Several years."

Any remaining IDOT staff assistants have been laid off; their final day with the state was last Thursday.

The governor couldn't say how many individuals hired as staff assistants and moved to other government jobs are still on the Illinois payroll.

Amanda Vinicky moved to Chicago Tonight on WTTW-TV PBS in 2017.
Related Stories