4 years, 3 months ago by Scott Hardy
Asked to resign over the weekend, amidst fallout of 2012 Mike McClain email
Former State Senator John Sullivan of Rushville has resigned as head of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, after being asked to do so by Governor JB Pritzker.
In a statement Monday, Pritzker said he accepted Sullivan's resignation over the weekend. A statement from Pritzker said that he asked for Sullivan's resignation because Pritzker is "disturbed" that then-Senator Sullivan knew of the July 31st, 2012 email sent by Quincy native and former state Representative and lobbyist Mike McClain, shortly after it was sent. That email was sent to staff members of then-Governor Pat Quinn. In it, McClain alluded to a rape in Champaign that had been covered up, and other irregularities that a state worker had kept quiet about. Pritzker went on to say that Sullivan "did not handle it appropriately, including not alerting the inspector general or other authorities." Sullivan was named to head the Ag Department by Pritzker, just after the Chicago billionaire won election in November 2018.
Pritzker says that his administration has passed on all the information Sullivan shared with them to the inspector general's office, and that his office will continue to assist in the ongoing investigation.
