Showing posts with label judicial watch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label judicial watch. Show all posts
1:05 PM
judicial watch lawsuit postscript
Unknown
blagojevich , house of representatives , jones , judicial watch , state senate
As reported earlier, Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit against the governor, senate president and state senate for open records violations. Judicial Watch claims that information is being withheld about pork-barrel spending which is often hidden inside the budget as "lump-sum" appropriations. Specific details about the projects and how much each project costs are not available to taxpayers.
Freedom of Information Act requests filed by Judicial Watch were ignored by Blagojevich and Jones. Requests made to the State House of Representatives were NOT ignored and hence they were not named in the suit.
Please note that SB1601, sponsored by Republican Senator Gary Dahl would stop this practice. But the bill got stuck in rules by the Democrat led committee and went nowhere.
Freedom of Information Act requests filed by Judicial Watch were ignored by Blagojevich and Jones. Requests made to the State House of Representatives were NOT ignored and hence they were not named in the suit.
Please note that SB1601, sponsored by Republican Senator Gary Dahl would stop this practice. But the bill got stuck in rules by the Democrat led committee and went nowhere.
8:23 AM
judicial watch files lawsuit
Unknown
americans for prosperity , blagojevich , emil jones , illinois senate , judicial watch
Judicial Watch has filed lawsuits against Governor Rod Blagojevich, the Illinois Senate and State Senate President Emil Jones. The lawsuits were filed in Sangamon County Circuit Court in Springfield. The suits are part of an investigation by Judicial Watch which involve private deals between Governor Blagojevich and Democrat lawmakers. Judicial Watch is also reviewing public spending in general in Illinois.
Open record requests filed with the Governor's Office and the State Senate on February 20 and March 25, 2008 were ignored, prompting the lawsuits. The lawsuits were necessary, according to Judicial Watch, to force compliance with Illinois open records law.
Judicial Watch and Americans for Prosperity launched an investigation of public spending policies in the State of Illinois after multiple press reports documented "secret side deals" between Governor Blagojevich and Illinois lawmakers "for items ranging from police cars and tornado sirens to millions of dollars for after-school programs..." (The Chicago Tribune estimated these pork barrel projects cost Illinois taxpayers at least $70.8 million in 2006 alone.)
A detailed review of public spending practices in Illinois is being conducted by Judicial Watch and Americans for Prosperity, including member initiatives and/or earmarked appropriations, about which substantial questions have been raised," Judicial Watch wrote in its original open records request filed with the Illinois Senate.
I have said that if elected I would call for a major, independent accounting firm to conduct a thorough audit of Illinois government spending. This might well be happening now with the Judicial Watch investigation.
Open record requests filed with the Governor's Office and the State Senate on February 20 and March 25, 2008 were ignored, prompting the lawsuits. The lawsuits were necessary, according to Judicial Watch, to force compliance with Illinois open records law.
Judicial Watch and Americans for Prosperity launched an investigation of public spending policies in the State of Illinois after multiple press reports documented "secret side deals" between Governor Blagojevich and Illinois lawmakers "for items ranging from police cars and tornado sirens to millions of dollars for after-school programs..." (The Chicago Tribune estimated these pork barrel projects cost Illinois taxpayers at least $70.8 million in 2006 alone.)
A detailed review of public spending practices in Illinois is being conducted by Judicial Watch and Americans for Prosperity, including member initiatives and/or earmarked appropriations, about which substantial questions have been raised," Judicial Watch wrote in its original open records request filed with the Illinois Senate.
I have said that if elected I would call for a major, independent accounting firm to conduct a thorough audit of Illinois government spending. This might well be happening now with the Judicial Watch investigation.