DanRutherford@DanRutherford.org

STATEMENT BY SENATOR DAN RUTHERFORD ON THE INDICTMENT OF SECRETARY OF STATE’S OFFICE OFFICIAL CECIL TURNER

The federal indictment of Cecil Turner is a wake up call and the tip of the iceberg regarding the seriousness of the problems in the Secretary of State’s Office.

I question the judgment of Mr. Turner’s hiring in the first place.  He was a convicted felon for an egregious previous scam involving stealing federal checks from the mail, forging signatures and cashing the stolen checks.  Jesse White was warned when he hired Cecil Turner but dismissed concerns.*

Knowing that background, Secretary of State White was asleep at the wheel while Cecil Turner engaged in scams all over again.  

This is not good government and is a continuation of the old way of doing business on the taxpayer’s dime.

At the beginning of all scandals, those involved have attempted to minimize their significance.  This is precisely what the Secretary of State is attempting to do in this instance.

The federal indictment of Cecil Turner is the most recent example of serious problems existing in the Secretary of State’s Office.

Jesse White is a good man but his hands off management and willingness to hire people based on political connections who are convicted felons clearly demonstrates that the people of Illinois need to take a good hard look at the breadth and depth of the problems in his office.

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* The State Journal Register on November 18, 2005, reported on what David Druker one of White’s spokesmen said on the subject, “When Turner was hired, Druker said White was comfortable with Turner despite his criminal record.”