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Quinn's Exit Leads To Lame Duck Appointments Ban

Gov. Pat Quinn

 A last-minute appointment former Governor Pat Quinn made after losing last year's election has spurred a new law.

Lou Bertuca was a political operative, a key player in Quinn's ultimately failed campaign.

Shortly before Quinn left the governor's mansion, he helped make sure Bertuca had his next job locked up.

Quinn appointed Bertuca, then 30 years old, to a multi-year contract with an annual salary of $160,000 as CEO of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority.

The state agency oversees the White Sox's U.S. Cellular Field, and handled the financing for renovations of Soldier Field in Chicago.

Those sort of lame-duck appointments won't be legal in the future.

A law just signed by Quinn's successor, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, says that any appointments made by a governor on his way out of office, can only last for 60 days.

In a statement, the measure's Senate sponsor, Democrat Julie Morrison of Deerfield, says people are sick of politicians abusing their positions; she says this law closes a loophole that allowed Gov. Quinn to do just that.

Amanda Vinicky moved to Chicago Tonight on WTTW-TV PBS in 2017.
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