Record revolving door determination requests reached in Illinois

[July 28, 2022]  By Greg Bishop | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – After increasing year after year during the Pritzker administration, a new record has been set for state of Illinois employees who are required to notify of possible revolving door determinations for accepting a job in the private sector with a company that does business with the state.

The Illinois Office of Executive Inspector General reports after remaining “fairly consistent in the past fiscal years at about 180 determinations,” the office recorded nearly 300 in the most recent fiscal year that ended June 30.

“Certain state employees are required to notify the OEIG prior to accepting non-state employment. For these employees on the ‘c-list,’ the OEIG must determine whether the employee participated personally and substantially in decisions involving the prospective employer,” an OEIG newsletter said Wednesday. “The OEIG must complete these revolving door determinations within 10 calendar days.”

In fiscal year 2018, there were around 150 determination requests. In the first fiscal year of the Pritzker administration, around 200 requests were made with around 250 in fiscal year 2021. That number increased again for fiscal year 2022 to nearly 300.

Of 291 determination notifications in fiscal 2022, around four, or 1.4% of the total, were restricted determinations.

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, speaks at a news conference Tuesday, Oct. 19, in Chicago. Courtesy of Facebook

“This year, the OEIG and the Governor’s office provided joint trainings focused on revolving door issues including ensuring agency c-lists and notifications were up-to-date,” the OEIG said. “In addition, effective January 1, 2022, the c-list has expanded to employees who may participate personally and substantially in the ‘fiscal administration’ of state contracts.”

The Better Government Association last month reported former Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike is under scrutiny by an ethics investigator. Ezike left the job as IDPH director with a salary of $178,200 earlier this year and later took a job as CEO of the Sinai Health System.

Three days before Ezike took the job in April, she wrote an email defending the quick transition to the private position, the BGA reported.

“My counsel advised me there were no contracts, regulatory or licensing decisions related to Sinai that would invoke a prohibition,” part of the email said. “I also spoke with the ethics officer for the Governor's Office and the ethics officer for DPH about the revolving door provisions … he confirmed there were no regulatory or licensing decisions made by DPH during the prior year.”

Greg Bishop reports on Illinois government and other issues for The Center Square. Bishop has years of award-winning broadcast experience and hosts the WMAY Morning Newsfeed out of Springfield