(Chicago, IL) - Candidate for Secretary of State Dan Rutherford is calling on incumbent Secretary of State (SoS) Jesse White to explain his hiring practice and dramatic salary increases of multiple immediate family members of himself and his top brass. What Rutherford calls"a pattern of impropriety" came to light in a story by Greg Hinz in Crain's Chicago Businesspublication, August 21, 2006, entitled "Jesse's Stumbles."  Further evidence of nepotism and no bid contracts was brought out in a Hinz follow-up column August 28, 2006, entitled, "Family Business," in which a reference is made to "Chicago's famed Roti clan" as a point of comparison in regards to hiring.

According to the published accounts, White's daughter was hired at an annual salary of $39,000 under Secretary of State George Ryan, but after her father took office as Secretary of State her salary was nearly tripled and she now makes over $112,000.  It is also learned the White's step-grandson has been on the SoS payroll since November of 2002 making over $40,000.  Jesse White's nephew, George White, and three nieces are also on the Jesse White payroll making as much as $63,500 each.

White's Chief of Staff, Thomas Benigno, makes $137,000 annually from the taxpayers, as well as receiving a stipend from Jesse White's Reelection Campaign Committee. It has been recently revealed that the Chief of Staff's wife received an 18-month no bid contract, circumventing the personnel hiring code, for what is called a part-time secretarial job paying $2,000 per month working out of the driver's facility in their hometown.  In addition, three of the Chief of Staff's children, as well as a niece and nephew all have worked for the SoS in the last four years under White's tenure. Also uncovered is that two other Benigno relatives are working for the Secretary of State's office, one making almost $43,000.

All told, according to published accounts, four other of White's high-level staff have relatives that now work for Jesse White and a number of them with no bid contracts. 

Further, it was learned that the author of Jesse White's new biography, which was released a few months before the election, was written by Rick Davis, a $73,000 a year no bid contractual employee for Secretary of State Jesse White's government office.

Reconfirmed in published reports was that White accepts cash for Christmas gifts from his top employees, those he determines annual salary increases, like his predecessor George Ryan.  He has also received a number of significant campaign contributions from his top staff.

"With just the examples included here, these few employees easily earn over $500,000 in taxpayer-funded salaries and contracts," said Rutherford. "We are clearly seeing a pattern of impropriety coming to light. The people of Illinois saw Jesse White's predecessor convicted for improprieties akin to what White is doing today."

"The public wants hiring based on experience and ability. They want contracts given only for absolutely needed purposes. The U.S. Attorney has indicted and Federal Courts have convicted those who willfully violate the public trust. It seems to me Jesse White would run an office beyond reproach, but we are now seeing a pattern of impropriety coming to light."

Rutherford called on Jesse White to make public his Personnel Policy with regard to hiring and promoting family members and his policy on awarding no bid contracts to family members and friends that do personal favors.

"The people of Illinois deserve to know how Jesse White makes the decision to put close friends and relatives on the government payroll and at what cost," Rutherford stated.

"We have already seen one of Jesse White's Agency Directors, Cecil Turner, indicted by the U.S. Attorney and going on trial for alleged ghost-pay rolling.  It is time to end the culture of corruption in the Secretary of State's Office," emphasized Rutherford.