Gov. Pritzker Hired 35 People On Madigan's 'Clout List': Report

CHICAGO — Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan provided nearly 80 recommendations for appointments to Gov. J.B. Pritzker's administration, WBEZ reported, with nearly half of the people suggested by the Democratic Party chair getting picked by Pritzker for positions in state government.

In the months following Pritzker's November 2018 election, Madigan provided nearly 80 job requests over the course of 17 updated lists, a WBEZ investigation found. A total of 35 of them wound up getting appointed to taxpayer-funded roles and are now getting paid more than $2.5 million annually, according to the radio station.

The names of those recommended by Madigan but not hired by Pritzker were redacted from the correspondence provided to WBEZ in response to a public records request. The governor's office cited the privacy exemption in the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, suggesting releasing the names of people who sought new jobs could have a negative effect on their existing employment.

Representatives of the governor's office pointed out everyone on Madigan's lists was well-known, some were already being interviewed by the transition team and some were also recommended by other people. All the positions are exempt from restrictions on politically motivated appointments.

Jordan Abudayyeh, Pritzker's press secretary, described the report as a "cheap hit piece" for "insinuating people only got jobs because they 'enjoyed Madigan's blessing.'" She said that was an "easy narrative that has been reported administration after administration."

Here are the kinds of people on @WBEZ “clout list” — Gov. Jim Edgar & former reps from both parties: Republicans Davis Harris & Steve Andersson and Dems Barbara Flynn Currie & Naomi Jakobson. ANYONE who's worked in Springfield could put these names on a list. No clout needed. 3/X pic.twitter.com/Q1Cr6UOsUA
— Jordan Abudayyeh (@JordanAbudayyeh) June 11, 2020

"Almost all the people included on the Speaker's lists are lifelong public servants, former elected officials, extremely qualified candidates and well known in their own regard. The Speaker was just one person, among many, who recommended candidates for our administration and for inclusion on various boards and commissions. Every hire and appointment in the Pritzker administration goes through a rigorous vetting process and are interviewed for positions to ensure they are qualified before they are hired," Abudayyeh said in a statement.

The WBEZ investigation found Madigan recommended "far more people who got hired" by the Pritzker administration than any other Illinois politician.

The Republican minority leaders in the Illinois House and Senate recommended 12 people for appointment. Only two were chosen. However, a pair of former GOP state representatives who sided with Madigan against former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner at the conclusion of a yearslong budget showdown in 2017 were recommended by the Democratic leader and hired by Pritzker to six-figure posts, WBEZ reported.

But the administration did appoint a former judge recommended by indicted ex-state representative Luis Arroyo (D-Chicago) to the board of the Chicago Transit Authority, and Berwyn Ald. Cesar Santoy got appointed to the board of the Illinois Tollway after he was recommended by state Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Cicero) before Sandoval pleaded guilty to bribery and tax evasion. According to the governor's office, Pritzker's pulled Santoy's nomination request after his name and company were cited in a federal search warrant for Sandoval's Springfield offices last year.

Pritzker's spokesperson said the first-term governor had assembled the most diverse administration in state history, making a point to bring together people from a range of industries, areas and backgrounds.

"The notion that the Speaker compiled a list of well-known people, some of whom were already being interviewed by our team before their inclusion on any list and were then hired in our administration, somehow impacts the Governor's ability to remain independent is just deeply misguided and ignores the fact that the people listed are the same people many others could have easily named and were named as qualified candidates," Abudayyeh said.

In 2017, the 2 GOP reps in this photo w Mike Madigan bucked then-GOP Gov Rauner to side w Madigan in a famous budget vote.

Today we reported Madigan recommended the 2 - ⁦@Illinois_Steve⁩ and David Harris - for state jobs when Rauner lost to Pritzker.

They got hired pic.twitter.com/7sfRORwIE8
— Dan Mihalopoulos (@dmihalopoulos) June 12, 2020

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