House hearing expected into audit of deadly COVID outbreak at Illinois veterans’ home

[May 07, 2022] By Greg Bishop | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Expect an Illinois House hearing into the state auditor general’s report of the November 2020 LaSalle COVID-19 outbreak that killed 36 people.

Republicans are pointing out what they say is a double standard in how Gov. J.B. Pritzker is reacting to two different fatal disease outbreaks at state-run veterans’ homes.

Four years ago, when Pritzker was running against then-Gov. Bruce Rauner, the Democrat blasted an earlier legionnaires disease outbreak at the Quincy veterans' home during a debate on ABC7.

“This was a cover up all along,” Pritzker said during that October 2018 debate. “Remember that Gov. Rauner knew about this, his administration knew about it. Days went by without notifying people. People got sick as a result of that.”

About 17 people died of the legionnaires outbreak back then.

Thursday, after a report on the November 2020 LaSalle veteran’s home COVID-19 outbreak faulted the Pritzker administration for not responding to the seriousness of the situation that killed 36 and sickened dozens, Pritzker blamed Republicans, saying they downplayed the coronavirus.

Pritzker was asked if he’s taking responsibility for the outbreak. He said the state agencies under his control are his responsibility.

“But there’s no way that you can see across 50,000-plus people in your government as governor exactly what everyone is doing," Pritzker said. "That’s why we focused this effort at finding out what happened at this agency.”

State Rep. Dave Welter, R-Morris, pointed out the double standard following the largest fatal outbreak under his watch.

“If at Quincy, three days was too long for IDPH to get on site, what is nearly two weeks,” Welter said Friday. “So, this is fatal mismanagement by the Pritzker administration.”

Last May, after the release of an inspector general report highlighting various faults of the Pritzker administration’s handling of the LaSalle outbreak, state Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, R-Elmhurst, read state statute about what constitutes criminal neglect of a nursing home, even if it’s state run.

“Fails to perform acts that he or she knows, or reasonably should know, are necessary to maintain or preserve the life or health of a resident,” Mazzochi said, noting in November 2020 it was reasonable to know how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in congregate settings.

After the release of Thursday’s auditor general report that said Pritzker’s administration failed to respond to the seriousness of the outbreak, state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, said she plans a veterans committee hearing.

“The heart-breaking loss of our decorated Veterans at the LaSalle Home showed us just how deadly COVID-19 was, and still is,” Kifowit said. “The members of the Veterans Affairs committee have been diligent on ensuring that all the information regarding the COVID-19 outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans [home] has been fully vetted, and as Chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee, you have my word that this report will be fully vetted as well in an upcoming subject matter hearing that I have already requested to be scheduled before the end of May.”

State Rep. Dan Swanson, R-Alpha, said Friday they should probably make it a joint hearing with the Senate and a judiciary committee.

“Because if there is a potential of a criminal act, they could help us get to the bottom of that too,” Swanson said.

When reached for comment Friday, the Senate president’s office said “We will be reviewing the report and its findings to see what next steps might be necessary.”

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.