JACKSON CO.—A resignation that prompted a considerable amount of backlash from local supporters turned into an investigation that turned into a fine as of yesterday, according to reports from the Illinois Attorney General’s office.
In January of 2011, we reported that Saline County native Danny Clayton, working as an assistant regional engineer in the Carbondale office of Illinois Department of Transportation (Dist. 9), was walked off the premises by agents from the Attorney General’s office (who have their own police force, incidentally).
At the time, nary a word was revealed as to what exactly prompted the removal. However, sources very close to the investigation advised Disclosure at that time (01.24.11) that an IDOT employee had blown the whistle on Clayton and some ongoing corruption taking place at the office.
The situation escalated the next day, January 25, 2011, when former Congressman David Phelps, of Eldorado, also removed himself from his position at the agency that he’d held since 2002, after losing his Congressional district seat to John Shimkus following census redistricting in 2000. The position, it was said, was “created” for Phelps in 2002 by new governor Rod Blagojevich, since the Phelps family, rabid Democrats, had been influential in politics for years. The announcement of Phelps leaving his job by Disclosure was also greeted with heavy backlash…until February 3, when Phelps himself announced that he was “retiring,” and assured that it had nothing to do with Clayton.
Be that as it may, it was announced yesterday that Clayton had been fined following an investigation into misconduct alleged against him, dating back to 2009. Here’s what the Pantagraph had to say about it:
A former top state transportation employee has been fined $4,000 in connection with a summer job hiring scandal at the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Danny Clayton, who was removed from his $102,000 post as assistant regional engineer in the agency’s District 9 Carbondale office nearly two years ago, was found by the state’s executive ethics commission to have violated state ethics law.
At issue were allegations that Clayton tampered with tests used to grade potential employees of a 2009 summer jobs program. Investigators suggested Clayton may have altered scores or asked applicants to take tests a second time to boost their results.
Clayton also was found to have attempted to convince a co-worker to lie about the scandal to investigators.
That employee, Michael Bigler, blew the whistle on Clayton and told investigators he was being pressured by Clayton to cover up the tampering.
So despite all the whining and scratching and haranguing we got when we first reported this story in January 2011, our sources were solid. But the bottom line is this: A FOUR THOUSAND DOLLAR FINE? What about charges? Official misconduct, maybe; or at least something very specific to tampering with state tests (which, incidentally, there IS a law about). But no; not under this administration, one of the most corrupt Illinois has ever seen. Instead, Clayton has probably gone on to some other teat-job, and may in fact already have paid the fine from this one. Good ol Illinois.
We’re interested in talking to anyone who might have been “assisted” by Clayton’s disingenuousness, because they’re not the ones who are in trouble. We’d also be interested in talking to anyone about Phelps’ role in this, if any (like he wouldn’t have had one, but, you never know). He’s gone on to become a Saline County board member, thanks in large part to the spurious voting in Eldorado, and now Saline is stuck with THAT for the next four years, as the climate of corruption in Illinois continues unabated. Shoot us an email if you know anything; or, if you’re brave, post it here.