Politics & Government
Settlement in Tammy Duckworth Workplace Lawsuit Is a Done Deal: Attorney General
The state claims the case is closed, even though the plaintiffs say they're not accepting the settlement offer, the Daily Herald reports.
The workplace retaliation lawsuit that has been dogging U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-8th District) for years has now turned into a case of the unsettling settlement.
Last month, a lawsuit accusing Duckworth of workplace retaliation while she ran the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs was thought to be resolved after the two female plaintiffs—employees at Anna Veterans' Home—accepted a $26,000 settlement from the Illinois Attorney General's Office, which represented Duckworth because she was a state employee at the time. The lawsuit claims Duckworth retaliated against the women in 2007 for speaking out against their supervisor.
But the women—Denise Goins and Christine Butler—told the Daily Herald on Wednesday they were rejecting the state's offer after hearing the way members of Duckworth's campaign characterized them in the press after the settlement was announced. The women have not signed the agreement, and they expect to go to trial next month. The case is still on the docket for Aug. 15.
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RELATED: Women Reject Settlement in Tammy Duckworth Workplace Lawsuit: Report
Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office, however, isn't taking their "no" for an answer. Communications director Maura Possley told the Herald on Thursday that the state views the case to be closed, even if the paperwork hasn't been signed.
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Ultimately, a judge might have to decide whether the lawsuit will go forward or if the plaintiffs are bound to accepting the state's settlement, the Herald reports.
It's been a busy week for Duckworth, who is looking to unseat incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk in November. The congresswoman spoke Thursday at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia where she called out GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.
"By the way, Donald Trump, I didn't put my life on the line to defend our democracy so you could invite Russia to interfere in it. You are not fit to be Commander in Chief," she said, a reference to Trump's controversial remarks Wednesday encouraging the country's government to try to dig up and release more damaging emails concerning the Democratic Party and its presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton.
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