Federal prosecutors are probing yet another Illinois governor, incumbent Democrat Pat Quinn, as reports emerged Thursday that the Department of Justice had asked state officials about his Neighborhood Recovery Initiative Program, which has also been probed by state and local investigations.
Quinn’s predecessor, Rod Blagojevich, is in federal prison; Blagojevich’s Republican predecessor, George Ryan, was recently released.
Quinn’s program was ostensibly meant to combat violence in Chicago in the midst of a crime wave. However, the money spent on the program–which originated with the federal stimulus of 2009–was allegedly used to fund patronage jobs.
The governor defended his program: “Any time there is a problem in state government, I roll up my sleeves,” Quinn said.
Quinn faces a strong challenge in November from Republican Bruce Rauner.
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