Former Quinn Chief Turns Over Emails To Lawmakers

Lawmakers investigating Gov. Pat Quinn's troubled anti-violence program are reviewing subpoenaed documents during a two-day public hearing.

Emails from the Chicago Democrat's former staff connected to the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative and 2010 campaign are among the thousands of pages given to the Legislative Audit Commission.

The group is reviewing an audit blasting Quinn's program.
 
Republicans called the program a "political slush fund'' that helped Quinn in a close election.

GOP lawmakers Wednesday highlighted one September 2010 email from Quinn's former chief of staff to campaign officials saying the program would help "on the jobs and anti-violence messages.''

And Barbara Shaw, who headed the agency in charge of the program, says it was expanded into the south suburbs at the governor's direction.

But during hours of testimony, Shaw continually said Quinn's office did not otherwise interfere.

"He did not say, or his staff did not say, you will find this organization, that specific community in the south suburbs," she said.

Quinn's Republican challenger Bruce Rauner called it "shocking.''

But Shaw told commission members Quinn's office never played a role in deciding where money went.