The showdown between the U.S. Department of Justice and a legislative panel in Illinois over the investigation into the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative has come to a head as hearings are scheduled to begin in Chicago despite a request from federal authorities to postpone them for 90 days.
Chicago Tribune reporters Ray Long and Monique Garcia have more on the hearings that are scheduled to begin in Chicago:
A panel of lawmakers examining a troubled anti-violence program launched by Gov. Pat Quinn in 2010 is scheduled to meet this morning in what could turn into a contentious battle over how to move forward after federal authorities asked them to halt their probe.
Lawmakers had sought to hear testimony at the meeting from seven aides connected to the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative, but were contacted by the Justice Department last week and asked to delay the proceedings by 90 days so they don’t interfere with a federal grand jury probe.
That request was reiterated in a letter sent to lawmakers Tuesday by James A. Lewis, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois. Lewis said he asked the Justice Department to make the request “because we are genuinely concerned that interviews and testimony about the matter during this 90-day time period would pose several substantial risks to our ongoing criminal investigation.”
Long has more on the letter sent out by Lewis:
U.S. Attorney James Lewis, based in the central Illinois office a few blocks from the Capitol, made it clear that he wants a legislative panel to hold off 90 days before receiving testimony or conducting interviews of individuals connected with Quinn’s program, known officially as the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative.
Republicans on the Legislative Audit Commission, which has a hearing set for Wednesday morning in Chicago, and GOP governor candidate Bruce Rauner have sought to paint the botched anti-violence program as emblematic of Quinn’s leadership ever since the auditor general’s February report that questioned the initiative’s hasty rollout and poor oversight that led to misspending. The commission has subpoenaed several witnesses.
Sen. John Mulroe, D-Chicago, said he would sponsor or support a motion to follow Lewis’ wishes at Wednesday’s hearing, saying Republicans are trying to get “political mileage” on the issue “at the expenses of possibly interfering with a criminal investigation. It’s wrong.”
Republicans have countered the Democrats are trying to push the issue off rather than have it fester against Quinn all summer, but even waiting 90 days could reopen the issue only weeks before the November election.
For his part, Quinn is out of the state during the hearings but his office did comply with the request for email records regarding the anti-violence program.
From the Associated Press:
Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration has released thousands of emails to a panel of lawmakers investigating his troubled anti-violence program.
Senate Republican spokeswoman Patty Schuh says members of the Legislative Audit Commission received an estimated 2,000 emails linked to the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative on Friday and are currently reviewing their contents.
Schuh says the emails came at the request of the bipartisan commission.
Meanwhile, despite a recent poll that showed Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle having a large advantage over current Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel if she ran against him in 2015, Preckwinkle has eliminated any possibility of her running for mayor.
Writes the Chicago Tribune editorial board:
In a mere 196 words Tuesday, though, the Cook County Board president set a splendid example for Gov. Pat Quinn, his opponent Bruce Rauner, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Karen Lewis, the highest-profile of Emanuel’s possible challengers.
Preckwinkle didn’t sling mud at Emanuel. She didn’t orate with phony outrage about his work as mayor. Instead she used those 196 words of prose to talk about the reality of governing Cook County. About what she intends to accomplish after her unopposed run for re-election in November. She talked about reforming the county criminal justice system, transforming the health care system, stabilizing the pension system. About cutting budgets and containing taxes and creating new jobs.
Yes, all of these were fleeting mentions of what Preckwinkle called “unfinished business that I intend to address wholeheartedly.” But in 196 words, she evoked what the candidates for governor have not, and what the candidates for mayor may or may not:
Illinois and Chicago are in severe financial crises, their revenues and retirement funds utterly unable to meet their promises of future spending. The state and city governments will have to be restructured.
Any candidate running for office has to level with voters about how he or she will accomplish that. About how he or she will craft budget and tax policy. About how he or she will attempt to lead a broke and beaten government into lasting solvency.
With Preckwinkle officially out of the picture, it appears the top challenger to Emanuel is Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis, mentioned above in the Tribune editorial. Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass talked to Lewis who hasn’t committed to running against Emanuel just yet, but is strongly considering it as she vacations in Hawaii.
Next article: Poll shows Rauner’s riches, Quinn’s anti-violence fiasco cancel each other in 2014 Illinois governor’s race
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Brendan Bond is a staff writer at Reboot Illinois. He is a graduate of Loyola University, where he majored in journalism. Brendan takes a look each day at the Land of Lincoln Lowdown and it’s often pretty low. He examines the property tax rates that drive Illinoisans insane. You can findReboot on Facebook and on Twitter @rebootillinois.