JB Pritzker Statement on New Bombshell: "Rauner's Office Contributed To Delay In Quincy Legionnaires' Notice"

Press Release

A new report on Bruce Rauner's fatal mismanagement of the Quincy Veterans' Home revealed "a pattern by the state of slow-walking and soft-pedaling bad news" on the deadly Legionnaires' outbreaks.

"That pattern began with Rauner's office early on," says the new WBEZ report. Newly uncovered state record show "the governor's office itself played a direct role in the six-day lag" in 2015 and delays of "weeks and, in some cases, months in 2016 and 2017." That's despite the fact that Rauner and his administration praised their response and defended the delays, with his public health chief even lauding the agency's 2015 response as one of the administration's significant achievements that year, claiming they "successfully navigated" the crisis that killed 12 Veterans.

"We've long known that Bruce Rauner fatally mismanaged the Quincy Veterans' Home, but now we're presented with the shameful truth that the governor's office was directly involved in the cover-up that cost Veterans their lives," said JB Pritzker. "Instead of informing Veterans, their families, and the dedicated staff providing critical care, Rauner's office kept quiet and hoped no one would ask questions about the deadly bacteria. Lives were at stake, but this failed governor was more worried about bad press coverage than keeping our nation's heroes healthy and safe. This unconscionable negligence cannot be tolerated, especially at the highest levels of government. Bruce Rauner failed our Veterans, and he must be held accountable."

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