Rauner Taking Heat from Fellow Conservatives Over Veterans’ Home Scandal

Rauner Admin’s Response Attacked by Primary Opponent and Featured on Fox News

Governor Bruce Rauner was last seen in public two weeks ago when he refused to say if he had a moral responsibility for deaths at the Quincy Veterans’ Home, and the questions about the Legionnaires’ outbreak are only growing. Now, it’s coming from his fellow conservatives.

Rauner’s primary opponent, State Rep. Jeanne Ives, took him to task for his administration’s questionable response. Ives’ blistering statement followed a tough Fox News special report on the Legionnaires’ outbreak and how Rauner’s administration waited 6 days to inform the public. Fox News interviewed one family who found out their mother died after finally learning of the outbreak. Ives, Rauner’s primary opponent, asked:

“Managing state agencies is one of the critical jobs of the Executive Office. Bruce Rauner promised to turn Illinois around. But on his watch, state services have deteriorated…If he can’t manage a 200-acre veterans home with 250 residents, how can he manage the state?”

Under Rauner, the state’s bill backlog grew by $10 billion, the credit rating dropped to the worst ever for a U.S. state, and jobs are still leaving. Plus, the staff turnovers and the vetoes and the refusal to compromise.  Ives’ question answers itself.

“Bruce Rauner’s version of leadership is to avoid the tough questions and hope a scandal fades away,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Even conservatives agree that Rauner has to explain his administration’s questionable response to the Legionnaires’ outbreak. Rauner owes it to the public to be open and honest about what his administration knew and what they did about it.”