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For Immediate Release
Contact:
Steve Schoeffel
Steve@DanRutherford.org
Rutherford: Jesse White Violating State Law
Contracts to Wives of
Senior Staff Illegal Under Procurement Code
Springfield, IL – Dan
Rutherford, Republican Nominee for Secretary of State, called on Illinois
Attorney General Lisa Madigan to take action on the illegal hiring
practices of Jesse White who is giving no bid contracts to the spouses of
his senior staff.
The Illinois
Procurement Code (30 ILCS 500/50‑13
“Conflicts of Interest”) prohibits the spouse of an
employee of state government making 60% of the Governor’s
salary from being awarded any state contract. The Governor’s salary is
$150,691
and 60 % of that is
$90,415.
Published news
reports, “Family Business” by Greg Hinz, Crain’s Chicago Business
8/28/06 and “Rutherford Makes Issue of Hiring in White’s Office” by
Bernard Schoenburg, State Journal-Register 8/28/06, show that
Secretary of State Jesse White’s Chief of Staff, Thomas Benigno makes
$139,296, well over 60% of the Governor’s salary, and his wife, Benedetta
Benigno, was recently awarded a no bid state contract. It has also been
revealed that the wife of Secretary White’s Personnel Director, Steve
Roth, who makes approximately $103,500, was also awarded a no bid state
contract.
“The improprieties in
Jesse’s office are coming to light and they are wrong,” said Rutherford.
“Jesse White awarding no bid contracts to the spouses of his Chief of
Staff and Personnel Director is not only wrong, but it crosses the line
and is illegal.”
Rutherford sent a
letter to the Attorney General, asking her to take action on the serious
violations of the Illinois Procurement Code. He also requested
remedy to the violations and the timeline on which such action would be
taken.
In addition, the
Senator posted information about the violations on the Secretary of
State’s new website “ReportItNow.net” to alert Inspector General Jim Burns
of the corruption taking place in the office.
“One would think that
after White’s predecessor was convicted and sentenced to federal prison,
Jesse would run an office beyond reproach,” said Rutherford. “Jesse is
either knowledgeable of these illegal activities or he is asleep at the
wheel.”
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Letter to Attorney
General Madigan
Section of
Procurement Code
Salary Formula
Benedetta Benigno Buisness Card
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