Ives Blasts Rauner Admin’s Attempt to Shift Blame for Deadly Quincy Legionnaires’ Outbreak

Watch Ives on CLTV

State Representative and veteran Jeanne Ives went on CLTV to blast Governor Bruce Rauner’s continued mismanagement of the state-run Quincy Veterans Home, where 13 people died from repeated Legionnaires’ outbreaks. Two-and-a-half years after the initial outbreak, the Rauner administration finally presented a plan to rebuild the home, but Ives took Rauner to task for not calling for Donald Trump’s assistance:

Reporter: “So, do you think this is something the state can and should pay for? You know, [Senator] Durbin working to get federal money, is it something that we might get that fed…Some have called on the Governor to call Trump and say help us.
Ives: “Well, that would be me because I called on the governor months ago to call Donald Trump and ask for assistance immediately. And to have that entire structure torn down and rebuilt. And I’m kinda shocked that he has not done that, made that call just yet.” 

Ives was then asked about an administration email suggesting linking the deadly Legionnaires’ outbreaks to combat veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth. Asked about the email, Rauner said he did not want to “dwell on the past,” but Ives put the blame squarely on Rauner:

Ives: “But you don’t blame shift when you have 13 deaths and then you fail to actually move those veterans out of an unsafe condition. Nobody should be blaming that on anyone other than the Rauner administration.”

“Even Republicans are holding Bruce Rauner accountable for his failed response to the Quincy Veterans Home Legionnaires’ outbreaks,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Rauner and his administration have tried to deflect blame onto everyone except themselves, but it’s Rauner’s failures that are impossible to ignore.”