Quinn: I Won’t Testify About Troubled Anti-Violence Program

Jim Anderson -- Illinois Radio Network

Gov. Pat Quinn says he is not going to testify before the commission examining the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative.

This is the anti-violence program the governor established in 2010 that the auditor general says was mismanaged.

Quinn says he didn’t do anything wrong – in fact, he says he did the right thing. “The moment I learned that it wasn’t going in the right direction, I did something about it. I take responsibility, and I repaired the program by abolishing the agency that wasn’t doing the job properly – it was abolished – the funding was taken away from that agency and given to one that did a better job,” Quinn said Thursday, while reiterating that the very idea of making anti-violence efforts is a sound one:

The Legislative Audit Commission will hear from seven subpoenaed administration officials, some current, some former, next month. The governor has not been subpoenaed or even invited, but a lawmaker not on the commission says Quinn is the one who could answer all the questions.

Republicans believe the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative was used as a $55 million political slush fund.