On this fifth year anniversary of Rod Blagojevich’s conviction on 17 counts of corruption, his appointee Tammy Duckworth is celebrating by doing her very best impression of her imprisoned former boss by remaining silent.
On Friday, the people of Illinois paid for Duckworth to avoid testifying in her VA whistleblower retaliation trial. Given the disturbing allegations, her eagerness to settle at the expense of taxpayers was telling.
As The Washington Free Beacon reports:
Embattled Democratic Rep. Tammy Duckworth (Ill.) settled on Friday a years-long legal dispute surrounding allegations the lawmaker wrongly retaliated against employees during her tenure as the head of Illinois’ Department of Veterans Affairs.
The state was forced to pay $26,000 to settle the years-long case against Duckworth.
Duckworth, who is battling to unseat Sen. Mark Kirk (R., Ill.) this November, was accused of silencing state whistleblowers by humiliating them, giving them poor performance reviews, and eventually terminating the employees.
While Duckworth chose to hide behind her taxypayer-funded settlement of silence on Friday, she cannot hide from her close ties to Blagojevich moving forward. Back in 2006, Duckworth supported his re-election bid even though she knew he was under federal investigation:
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In August 2006, Even Though She Knew Of His Ethical Lapses, Duckworth Said She Supported Gov. Blagojevich’s Re-Election. “In a letter back to Roskam, Duckworth says she supports Blagojevich’s re-election. ‘But that does not mean that I give him, or anyone else, a pass on ethical behavior,’ she said in the letter. ‘Should he or his administration be proven to have engaged in illegal or unethical actions, they should suffer the consequences.’” (John Patterson, “Roskam Asks Duckworth If She Backs Blagojevich,” Chicago Daily Herald, 8/4/06)
- During His 2006 Re-Election, Federal Prosecutors Revealed They Had Been Investigating The Blagojevich Administration For More Than A Year. “At the same time, as Blagojevich began gearing up for his 2006 re-election bid, the clouds of scandal grew deeper. U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald acknowledged federal prosecutors had spent more than a year investigating fraud in state hiring that involved ‘multiple state agencies’ and developed ‘a number of credible witnesses.’ Federal prosecutors also were looking into a $1,500 check written to one of Blagojevich’s children by the husband of a recently appointed state worker. In the month before Blagojevich was re-elected, Rezko was indicted on corruption charges while his ally, Levine, pleaded guilty to wringing cash from firms seeking state business.” (“Timeline Of The Blagojevich Investigation,” Chicago Tribune, Accessed 6/24/16)
Months later – just after Duckworth lost her first bid for Congress, Blagojevich returned the favor by appointing Duckworth to run the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs:
- On November 21, 2006, Governor Rod Blagojevich Appointed Duckworth To Run The Illinois Department Of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA). “Enrolling more veterans in a state health care program is a primary goal for Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth, named Tuesday to head the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Gov. Rod Blagojevich asked Duckworth to take the post after she lost her bid to replace retiring GOP Rep. Henry Hyde in Congress.” (Deanna Bellandia, “Governor Picks Iraq War Vet Duckworth To Head Veterans’ Affairs,” The Associated Press, 11/22/06)
On June 27, 2008, Duckworth was rumored to be Blagojevich’s top choice to take over Obama’s vacated Senate seat if he won the presidency:
- In June 2008, Duckworth Was Rumored To Be Gov. Blagojevich’s Top Choice For Barack Obama’s Senate Seat If He Won The Presidential Election. “Pssst! Sneed hears rumbles that U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, who is this/close to Sen. Barack Obama, and U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel are talking up Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth as Obama’s replacement — if Obama is elected president. – Top tip: Sneed previously reported that Gov. Blago, who will choose Obama’s replacement, had also quietly been pushing Duckworth.” (Michael Sneed, “Duckworth Fans,” Chicago Sun-Times, 6/27/08)
On June 27, 2016, as Duckworth continues the Blagojevich legacy of Chicago corruption, it is abundantly clear why he wanted her to be Illinois’ next senator.