From the SJ-R:
Bernard Schoenburg: Case of fired IDOT workers vs. Blagojevich drags on
Published Sunday, April 13, 2008
The frustration that people feel with the administration of Gov. ROD BLAGOJEVICH goes beyond the political arena. It's in the legal field as well.
Take the case of 17 Illinois Department of Transportation employees who were dismissed by the Blagojevich administration in 2004. They sued in federal court, claiming they were let go either as perceived political opponents of the governor or to clear the way so supporters of the new governor could be hired.
Springfield lawyer CARL DRAPER, one of those who represents the fired workers, in early April filed a "fourth motion to compel" the governor's office to comply with subpoenas for documents.
For example, after a status hearing in the case before U.S. Magistrate BYRON CUDMORE in December, the governor's side delivered five boxes of documents, containing more than 15,600 pages, to Draper's team. But, Draper's motion states, "about 15,000 were blank, stating: 'REDACTED.'"
A lot was redacted even on the remaining 600 pages, he said. Often, only few lines of information could be seen on each page. "Less than about 2 percent of what they gave us actually had anything that we could read," Draper said.
The motion says the redacted pages generally deal with employment issues for other agencies. But Draper is arguing that the information is relevant "to the core issue of the Governor's control of employment at various agencies."
Draper also told of receiving at least partial spreadsheets showing politicians such as U.S. Rep. JERRY COSTELLO, D-Belleville; and Chicago Ald. RICHARD MELL, the father-in-law of the governor, had recommended candidates for jobs. Draper says his information is that other spreadsheets with other sponsors exist but have not been supplied.
In fact, such a document involving indicted Blagojevich fundraiser TONY REZKO became available on the Internet because of Rezko's federal corruption trial. Draper said he gave a copy to the governor's office as an example of the kind of document he should be getting from them.
Also on the wish list are documents that show communications between IDOT and JULIE CURRY, a former Democratic state representative from Mount Zion who was then a deputy chief of staff to the governor and is now a lobbyist.
Draper said he has an e-mail from IDOT's technology people that he has also shared with the governor's side to try to pry out more information.
That e-mail "mentions that organization charts relied on for the layoff were hand carried to Julie Curry's office for review," the motion states. "In another e-mail, there is mention that ten confidential binders were taken to Julie Curry for review. None of these organization charts or binders that were shown to Julie Curry have been produced by either of the Defendants or the Office of the Governor."
"What's frustrating," Draper told me, "is …it feels like we're having to do all of the governor's office work, telling them where in the governor's office the documents are."
Draper says that he gives the governor's side credit for what it has produced so far. On Friday, he said he had just received an e-mail containing about 100 pages — some with few words on them.
Draper said the case is "extending unusually long" for a lawsuit dealing with employment issues, but his clients are trying to establish something that's politically sensitive — a patronage scheme within the governor's office.
"We've grown accustomed to Mr. Draper's attempts to try cases in the newspaper instead of in the courtroom," said REBECCA RAUSCH, spokeswoman for Blagojevich.