State Workers' Suit Against Duckworth Spills Into Senate Bid

JONESBORO, Ill. (AP) €” A civil lawsuit alleging ethics violations has become an issue in a Democratic congresswoman's bid to unseat first-term Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk in what is expected to be one of the country's most competitive 2016 Senate races.

The complaint alleging workplace retaliation was filed by two employees of a southern Illinois veterans' home against Tammy Duckworth. The Chicago area congresswoman at the time led the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs.

The suit was dismissed by a federal judge in 2008 as a "garden variety workplace case." It was refiled in state court and dismissed again, but then narrowed and brought back a third time.

A judge has scheduled a hearing on the complaint for Tuesday, with a tentative trial date set for April, one month after the Senate primaries.