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* Tony Arnold and Dave McKinney at WBEZ…
A powerful former Springfield lobbyist and close friend of House Speaker Michael Madigan once sought leniency for a state worker in a disciplinary case by arguing that the worker “kept his mouth shut” about an unspecified rape downstate.
In the previously undisclosed, 2012 email, ex-lobbyist Michael McClain urged two top aides to then-Gov. Pat Quinn to avoid firing the worker, also telling them the man was politically “loyal” to Quinn and stayed silent about “ghost workers.” […]
The disclosure of the 2012 email — which WBEZ obtained recently through an open-records request — immediately prompted calls for an investigation from Gov. JB Pritzker and the top Republican in the Illinois House, who called the email’s contents “horrific.” […]
Newly obtained emails plainly demonstrate McClain’s unique level of access and influence. McClain urged Quinn’s aides not to let pending disciplinary action against the state worker “get out of hand.” A day later he thanked them for what he said was the abrupt postponement of a hearing in the case, saying, “Nothing happens accidentally.”
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 3:27 pm
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Holy … this is abhorrent.
Also, how many of these stories have been broken by McKinney now? I’ve lost count. The WBEZ team has been very, very impressive.
Comment by The Captain Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 3:33 pm
The revelations found in all these emails get more troubling, and more seedy.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 3:38 pm
Simply, Quinn can’t hide behind he didn’t know… this “personnel” issue was up to Quinn and the caliber of personnel Quinn placed in management positions….. and we see how it turned out.
Quinn re direct $55,000,000 of jobs, counseling and intervention monies to be used to help get him re elected…..
Comment by Tom Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 3:46 pm
Is there anything Mike McClain DIDN’T put in an email?
Comment by Lil Lebowski Urban Achiever Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 3:46 pm
===Simply, Quinn can’t hide behind he didn’t know===
That’s what you get out of this story? Seriously?
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 3:46 pm
McClain puts things like rape coverups in emails he knows (or should know) are subject to FOIA? Makes one wonder what else he would put in writing.
The feds have over 62,000 of Ed Burke’s phone calls. How many of McClain’s emails do they have?
Comment by Henry Francis Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 3:48 pm
Too bad the Federal Statute of Limitations for obstruction is only 5 years
Comment by Sue Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 3:48 pm
The fact that this was written in an email to a FOIA-ble account shows the utter impunity McClain has been operating under for years. Kudos to WBEZ for reporting.
Comment by Lottie O’Neill Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 3:51 pm
Even in this era of heightened sensitivity around sex crimes and other inappropriate sexual behavior, ending prison sexual assault is not given the same bandwidth as other issues.
Comment by Kevin Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 3:51 pm
A symphony of what public service should not be about . . . . . .good Lord.
Comment by Say What? Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 3:52 pm
If that is what he was comfortable putting in an email, I can’t imagine what he says on the phone or in person. There are so many paths to follow with this one email, and all of them are really ugly.
Comment by Montrose Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 3:52 pm
**Even in this era of heightened sensitivity around sex crimes and other inappropriate sexual behavior, ending prison sexual assault is not given the same bandwidth as other issues.**
How do you know it had anything to do with prison sexual assault? Are there prisons in Champaign?
Comment by NotBecky Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 3:55 pm
In what world is a person rewarded for keeping quiet about a rape? Corruption is worse than I thought, and I thought it was bad.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 3:57 pm
And Madigan trusted the judgment of this guy? For decades?
Comment by King Louis XVI Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 4:00 pm
Abhorrent, reprehensible, amoral, all good words to describe this. Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I don’t think there is an IDOC facility in Champaign. The Pritzker campaign and administration is in an awkward position, but at least they released the emails.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 4:06 pm
=== but at least they released the emails. ===
You give extra credit for following the law?
Comment by Birdseed Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 4:14 pm
So McClain had knowledge of an unreported rape, evidently did not himself report it, heaped praise on another guy for staying quiet about the rape, and cited that guy’s silence as justification for his continued employment with the state?
Everything reported previously – the alleged steering of payments to Kevin Quinn, his attempt to manipulate the governor’s choice of chief of staff, his lying about no longer working for ComEd, etc. – all seems so very inconsequential.
Comment by Bud's Bar Stool Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 4:21 pm
===You give extra credit for following the law?===
Why do you think McClain would say such things on government records? Ignorance of the FOIA?
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 4:22 pm
We are spirits in the payroll world.
Comment by City Zen Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 4:25 pm
Faith based outreach AND rape coverup. What a guy. What a horror.
Comment by Amalia Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 4:33 pm
So many threads to pull in this story. The one I’m trying to wrap my head around is that, apparently, Mike McLain, Jerry Stermer, Gary Hannig, and Forrest Ashby were all apparently aware of cover-up of a rape in Champaign county — and the cover up of said rape was apparently a badge of honor. Words utterly fail. This is so gross.
If I ever got an email like that, I would have had the lawyers in my office immediately calling the OEIG, the State Police, or both.
Comment by ILPundit Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 4:35 pm
I am trying not to rush to judgement, but, really, Mike? Really?
Also…
= “The campaign was not aware of this email from 2012, which is nearly five years before the campaign even began, and we would have had no way to discover this email,” =
Ummm… = The disclosure of the 2012 email — which WBEZ obtained recently through an open-records request =
Setting that aside, you do not need the email. The email did not put this guy on the campaign’s payroll. For crying out loud, the alleged incident happened during a Democratic administration. Did somebody think to check this guy out with one of several party faithfuls at DOC in 2012?
= he went through the same vetting procedure as every other staff member.” =
And some cabinet and board & commission picks, apparently. This is hardly the first time the vetting process has embarrassed the candidate and administration.
Finally…
The Captain is 100% right. = The WBEZ team has been very, very impressive. = Isn’t it amazing what can happen when a news outlet recruits and pays for talent?
Comment by Bertrum Cates Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 4:42 pm
“If I ever got an email like that, I would have had the lawyers in my office immediately calling the OEIG, the State Police, or both.”
Yep.
Comment by Lil Squeezy Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 4:43 pm
- The Pritzker campaign and administration is in an awkward position-
How? Do the right thing and get to the bottom of whatever the heck is going on here. There is no room for party politics here….
Comment by Alfred Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 4:52 pm
I’m seriously fantasizing about what the actions of the rogue army from Dietland would be because of such an email.
Comment by Amalia Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 4:58 pm
In my head, I’m hearing a voice that sounds like Hans Gruber or Alan Rickman screaming the name “McClain.”
Or maybe it’s not in my head.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 5:02 pm
And the guy worked for GovJunk before retiring. Hmmmm.
Comment by Annonin' Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 5:04 pm
Anybody in that email chain, who saw or read it in any disciplinary meeting or hands it passed through should be criminally investigated for obstruction of justice.
If they are still employed by the state they should be put on leave immediately pending discipline.
ILPundit has it exactly right.
Comment by Leave a Light On George Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 5:04 pm
The one thing that is abundantly clear is that the Gov’s office is going to get a ton more foias.
Comment by dirksen Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 5:09 pm
Does McClain’s brother Kevin still work at ILETSB?
Comment by Excitable Boy Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 5:12 pm
At some point in everyone’s professional career, something is going to cross your desk that faces you with the choice: do the right thing and lose your job or do nothing and keep your job.
You just hope when your day comes you make the right choice.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 5:21 pm
I’m sure Madigan had no inkling whatsoever what type of man McClain was, and the type of things he was doing. If he had, he would have immediately disassociated himself from McClain. I expect a statement will be forthcoming to that effect.
Comment by SSL Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 5:32 pm
@SSL:
I assume you are joking?
Comment by ILPundit Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 5:46 pm
Yellow Dog
I assume what you are saying is jobs come and go but nothing is worse than losing your integrity and your moral compass. Apparently McClain felt a paycheck and access to MJM was worth more than his integrity or moral compass
Comment by Etown Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 7:19 pm
I can’t see Jerry Stermer being part of anything like this, but I’ve been surprised before.
Also, Annonin, you may want to sit this one out.
Comment by Pippa Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 7:29 pm
Excitable Boy -
Kevin McClain retired 4 years ago. As someone else here often says, “Try to keep up.” …
Comment by Anyone Remember Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 7:36 pm
- As someone else here often says, “Try to keep up.” -
Sorry, I just dabble in IL politics. But it seems keeping up with all of McClain’s antics and connections would be a full time gig.
Also, bite me.
Comment by Excitable Boy Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 7:58 pm
Nevermind the OIEG or the Departmental IG’s, investigating crimes is a job for law enforcement, not bodies or departments having ZERO criminal enforcement powers. Going forward, anyone reporting a crime involving State employees or agents contacting the OEIG or an IG office should be referred to the State Police, or the police agency where the crime was committed.
Comment by revvedup Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 8:34 pm
He left the state payroll as a full-time worker in 2018. But Ashby almost immediately landed a new gig — as a $5,000-a-month political consultant to Pritzker’s campaign for governor in that year’s election, state records show. McClain recommended Ashby for the job, the Pritzker campaign said this week.
Comment by Dot dot dot Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 8:34 pm
This explains the preemptive Caprara article trying to distance Ptizger from McClain.
Would be good to know how deep he was in the campaign/transition.
Comment by Dot dot dot Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 8:36 pm
WBEZ is breaking all the stories. Tony Arnold has quietly and steadily become one of the best political reporters in Illinois.
Comment by Nat sound Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 8:47 pm
===This explains the preemptive Caprara article===
Um, no. The Sun-Times FOIA was only for emails from 2019. Go soak your head.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 9:57 pm
As I was taught early in my career: email stands for Evidence Made Available In Litigation. Type wisely.
Comment by Ccapilla Tuesday, Jan 7, 20 @ 11:03 pm
==Does McClain’s brother still work at ILETSB?==
Objection, relevance.
Comment by SAP Wednesday, Jan 8, 20 @ 12:17 am
- Objection, relevance. -
If you bothered to read the story you may have noticed that is the agency currently with a contract with Mr. Ashby. It seems McClain may have some influence there.
Comment by Excitable Boy Wednesday, Jan 8, 20 @ 7:26 am
— “…the Gov’s office is going to get a ton more foias.” —
Given the references in the article to the AG and Sherriffs (sic) “loving this guy”, I would expect FOIAs to be flying all over the place.
Comment by Name Withheld Wednesday, Jan 8, 20 @ 8:26 am
If you read the entire WBEZ story, poor Pat Quinn strains credulity when he denies knowing about the ghost employees sponsored by Emil Jones, Sr. Chicago State would be one such example.
Comment by Practical Politics Wednesday, Jan 8, 20 @ 8:36 am
What is equally surprising here and is underreported, is that Gary Hannig and Jeremy Stermer apparently knew what rape McClain was referring.
And after receiving this e-mail from McClain they agreed with him.
Comment by Just Me Wednesday, Jan 8, 20 @ 9:03 am
“He has kept quiet on Jones’ ghost workers”
Which Jones, I wonder.
Comment by Nick Name Wednesday, Jan 8, 20 @ 9:27 am
It’s enough to make you cry and puke at the same time.
Comment by A Guy Wednesday, Jan 8, 20 @ 10:28 am
Well Mc Clain’s brother was appointed Director of the Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board after some party maneuvers. His only experience was some contractual lawyer work for the board prior to that. An individual with over 20 years of experience at the board offices was passed over because of out side influences.
Comment by honestcop Wednesday, Jan 8, 20 @ 2:58 pm