Quinn's Chief Of Staff Resigns Due To Alleged Ethics Violations

By aaroncynic in News on Aug 23, 2010 4:00PM

Jerry Stermer, Governor Quinn’s chief of staff resigned yesterday in the face of possible ethics violations. The Sun-Times reports Stermer used a state email address for campaign business. Stermer reported the violation to former Executive Inspector General James A. Wright, who was removed from office the same day the Governor was briefed about Stermer’s emails. In a statement, Stermer said he “used my state email account to send three emails that the Office of Executive Inspector General later found to be prohibited under the state's Ethics Act.” He added “I do not want to be a distraction for the governor, the work of his administration and - most importantly - for the people of Illinois.”

The emails were sent last year in a discussion over statistics about the Governor’s budget cuts during his Gubernatorial primary campaign against Dan Hynes. Media consultant John Kupper of the firm AKPD, who were fired Friday because of what they called “incompatible professional communications,” wanted to show that Governor Quinn had “implemented more budget cuts than any other governor.”

Stermer isn’t the first Quinn staff member to leave this year. Aside from the Inspector General, Quinn’s legal counsel moved back to the private sector and two of the Governor’s chief spokespeople moved on this year as well. The governor’s office has yet to say who will take Stermer’s place.