Quinn slush fund scandal: Day care center got cash for non-existent inmate program

Chicago Sun-Times Building

This is why it's called ILL-inois.

In the fall of 2010, Gov. Pat Quinn, a Chicago Democrat, pushed through an anti-violence program that was nothing but "street money" for his fellow Dems to turn out the minority vote to get himself elected to a full term as governor.

Quinn succeeded his two-time running mate Rod Blagojevich, another Chicago Democrat.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Thousands of state anti-violence grant dollars from Gov. Pat Quinn's scandal-tainted Neighborhood Recovery Initiative went to a south suburban nonprofit to help re-integrate freed teen and young adult prison inmates back into society.

It was a noble idea except for one thing.

The nonprofit that the state paid with anti-violence grant money to handle re-entry services in Thornton Township actually was operating out of a day care center in south suburban Dixmoor.

On top of that, it was later learned, there was really no re-entry program at all — nor any proof that the organization, Project Hope, Inc., did anything for the $15,770 it received from Quinn’s administration to perform re-entry services, state records show.

The decent people of Illinois--yes, we exist--have a better choice for governor this autumn on Election Day--Republican businessman Bruce Rauner.

To follow Rauner on Facebook, click here. To follow him on Twitter, click here.

To contribute to the Rauner campaign, click here.

Technorati tags: Illinois Chicago Illinois Politics law legal Democrats chicago politics