The Chicago Tribune reports:
Gov. Pat Quinn on Wednesday installed as his chief operating officer an appointee of ousted predecessor Rod Blagojevich who also has close ties to convicted fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko.
The decision to name longtime friend Jack Lavin as one of his top aides raised eyebrows with some who said it might send a message of politics as usual in Illinois.
"Certainly he comes with some baggage that we have to be very sensitive about at this moment in our state's history, but personally I want to work with everyone right now to make sure we get through the very serious problems we're facing," said Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno of Lemont. "I can only hope the governor has fully vetted his association and knows full well that they won't in any way, shape or form interfere."
Lavin served as Blagojevich's director of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity after Rezko recommended Lavin for the post. Lavin once worked as the chief financial officer for Rezko's food-related business and took more than $12,000 in donations from Rezko's firm while toying with a run for elected office in 2001.
That's The Chicago Way.Here's more from
The Chicago Sun-Times on Jack Lavin:
Other public officials have made money buying homes in other Rezko developments and reselling them. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) made a $175,000 profit last year when he sold a home he'd bought from Rezko two years earlier. And Jack Lavin made $50,000 when he resold a home in 2000 he'd bought from Rezko five months earlier. At the time, Lavin was a Rezko employee. He's now the state's economic development director.
