Duckworth is being sued for improperly firing whistleblowers as Rod Blagojevich’s Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs:
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On September 17, 2009, Christine Butler And Denise Goins, Illinois Department Of Veterans’ Affairs Staffers, Filed An Amended Lawsuit Alleging Duckworth And Patricia Simms Threatened And Harassed The Two Employees For Filing Complaints Against Simms. “The suit stems from Duckworth’s time at the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, which she led from December 2006 until early 2009, when she left for a federal veterans affairs post under President Barack Obama. In the suit, two workers at the Anna Veterans’ Home in far southern Illinois claim they received poor evaluations and were targets of harassment after filing complaints against the facility’s acting director, Patricia Simms, who is named as a defendant with Duckworth.” (Monique Garcia and Duaa Eldeib, “Walsh, Duckworth Skirmish Over Lawsuit,” Chicago Tribune, 10/11/12)
- "The employees filed complaints alleging mistreatment and abuse of veterans at IDVA facilities during Duckworth’s tenure." (Tom Schuba, "VA Whistleblowers Accuse Duckworth Of Ignoring Veteran Abuse, Corruption," NBC Chicago, 3/7/16)
Duckworth’s alleged response to a whistleblower’s attempt to shed light on the mistreatment and abuse of veterans during her tenure?
If you do your job and keep your mouth shut and concentrate on job duties, you will keep your job.
Next Thursday, those VA whistleblowers are taking Tammy Duckworth to the one place she can’t silence them: the Union County Courthouse.
"Tammy Duckworth’s own chief deputy contends that she used her post at the IDVA as a way to merely advance her political career," said NRSC spokeswoman Andrea Bozek. "Ironically enough, the forthcoming lawsuit for her troubling behavior at the IDVA possesses the capacity to end it."
"Next Thursday, Duckworth will head to court for improperly firing VA whistleblowers who were courageously doing their job. Fittingly, in November, Tammy Duckworth will be properly fired by the people of Illinois for failing to do hers."