An Illinois appellate panel last week affirmed a trial court ruling dismissing Emily Fox’s whistleblower action in the Jenny Thornley saga that we’ve covered closely. The decision shows why whistleblower complaints, also called qui tam actions, are likely of little value in a state where prosecutors are politically aligned with politicians about whom the complaint is made.
For that reason, the decision also probably marks the end of any hope for exposition of the full story — in which corruption in the JB Pritzker administration was credibly alleged. Assuming no successful appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court, the story is now squelched.
Emily Fox, director of the Illinois State Police’s Merit Board, initially brought the complaint, alleging that Jenny Thornley, a former Pritzker campaign worker, defrauded the state through falsified timesheets and, later, through a fraudulent workers’ compensation that was allowed after alleged assistance from high-ranking officials in Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration.
However, Attorney General Kwame Raoul intervened in the case and had it dismissed before it could proceed to discovery or trial. The new appellate decision affirmed that dismissal. The appellate court’s decision is here and a further summary of the facts by Cook County Record is here.
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