Rauner: No Political Hiring if I’m Elected Governor

Jim Anderson -- Illinois Radio Network

Bruce Rauner says he’s going to stiff Republican county chairmen and others in the party power structure when it comes to patronage, if he’s elected governor.

The people helping Rauner try to win the election – county chairmen and other party organization bigwigs who’ve been out in the cold for 12 years in terms of state government being a job opportunity for party supporters – can expect nothing in return, Rauner said, in terms of jobs for anyone they might recommend.

“We are going to bring in people who are in the government for the right reasons, who are highly qualified for their positions, and if someone is not qualified, the answer is a clear no. And I want Michael Shakman and his federal hiring monitor right in there with me to make sure every department of government follows through,” he said.

Shakman is a lawyer who sued over patronage in Chicago and Cook County four decades ago. He’s suing now over the placement of political hires at the Illinois Department of Transportation in non-political positions.

Rauner says the people who help his campaign shouldn’t be doing it because they think they’ll be rewarded if he wins, and he wants Republican officials to hear this and believe it.