ECWd‘s – State Treasurer
In numerous recent interviews and debate settings, State Treasurer Dan Rutherford has denied there is anything to the allegations of sexual harassment of his employees to include pressure to campaign for him on state time. Even after a federal law suit was filed against him, denial has been the stance. Denial backed with allegations that Bruce Rauner was behind it, without a shred of proof, which he finally admitted during the recent debate in Springfield.
As usual, we did what we do best, filed a Freedom of Information request. We asked for all severance agreements over the last two years and all resignations for the last year.
Someone is lying!
On one hand we have Dan Rutherford with a bully pulpit at his disposal to tell the world he did nothing wrong and he expects people to believe him while at the same time we have him spending tax dollars for an investigation that now he won’t release?
What’s the other side of this that no one has covered?
How about 25 resignations in the last year?
Over half of those happen in the last several months!
I wonder how many other state offices had 25 resignations in such a short time frame, let alone 6 resignation from one office, which was the Unclaimed Property Division?
What was going on in the Unclaimed Property Division?
Granted, some of those resignations appear to be for valid reasons like advancement to another position or simply worked so long it’s time to quit. However, reading the dates and content, it’s pretty clear to anyone with just a tidbit of common sense there was a problem in those offices.
As if the resignations don’t paint a picture of a problem for Dan Rutherford, let’s look at his comments in a recent video interview found here in the second video on the page:
“We will walk away and keep it under wraps- now that smells.”
He chose to attack the person making allegations against him but his comment says a lot about the double standard that is clearly present with Dan Rutherford. He stands before the microphone at his choosing and tells people how something smells because the person claimed that they would walk away and keep it under wraps.
What smells is the agreements we received that Dan Rutherford approved for two employees, which state:
“Callaway & Medina- agrees that she shall keep confidential any and all information relating to treasure, its operations, including its clients, personnel information, and any other confidential information of Treasurer that she acquired or may have acquired while employed by Treasure. The details of this agreement and shall not discuss or reveal to any person or party, other than his attorney, accountant, spouse, or as required by law, without the prior written consent of both Treasurer & Callaway, the terms of this agreement.”
For starters, why on earth is it OK for the State Treasurer to enter into an agreement that outlines the person walks away with certain benefits and must keep it under wraps but it “smells” when someone presents him with a very similar arrangement?
For an administration that claims to be open and transparent, it sure smells!
As an example of how the agreement is about as hypocritical as anything I have seen, how is it that state FOIA law requires such an agreement to be open to the public view, which is how we got this, yet the people signing them can’t discuss the terms of what is in the agreement that you can all read? Does that make any sense to anyone?
Our tax dollars should not be used to suppress information from the public! The only reason to create such an agreement is because someone has something to hide and by all indications its Dan Rutherford, the guy wanting your vote for Governor.
We The People are not stupid so maybe its high time more folks stepped up and share what they know on these matters. There’s a lot of great employees in our state government and many who need to share the truth to expose the ongoing corruption in our system of Illinois Politics.
Consider this a call to action for anyone that knows anything about this scandal. Feel free to use our tip line and let us know the rest of the story and know you can do so in complete confidence that the source will not be disclosed.
