A federal judge has ordered a court-appointed monitor to investigate hiring at Gov. Pat Quinn's Department of Transportation.
Magistrate Judge Sidney Schenkier told attorneys Wednesday that the monitor would help compliance of a decades-old political hiring ban.
The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by an anti-patronage attorney in April alleging improper hiring practices.
Attorneys for Quinn's administration had said a separate monitor wasn't necessary and a state inspector general had completed a detailed probe and changes were made.
Schenkier says the monitor wouldn't negate inspector general's work but would ensure a fair process. Anti-patronage attorney Michael Shakman had also wanted a separate process digging into hiring at IDOT, which the judge said was unnecessary.
The ruling comes at an inopportune time for Quinn who faces re-election Nov. 4.
