Reis Rebuffed During NRI Search

As the ongoing investigation into Governor Pat Quinn’s Neighborhood Recovery Initiative (NRI) continues, State Rep. David Reis (R-Ste. Marie) made good on a promise to attempt a search of state email records related to the NRI scandal.

Reis, a member of the Legislative Audit Commission, visited the Department of Central Management Services (CMS) in Springfield Wednesday in an attempt to perform a search of CMS’ email systems. Reis’ visit followed his August letter to Governor Quinn asking for the Governor’s cooperation with accurately and thoroughly searching out any and all emails related to the NRI program. CMS officials met with Rep. Reis Wednesday, but denied him access to their email systems.

“The Governor’s office and Governor Quinn himself have repeatedly stated that they want to be open and transparent, and that anyone involved with this failed program should be open and forthcoming,” Reis said. “What we witnessed today was a denial of my rights as a legislator to review state records. Quinn’s people are not following his own orders."

Following a request for NRI-related email records from the Legislative Audit Commission, the Governor’s office produced more than 2000 emails but claimed attorney-client privilege in withholding additional emails. Rep. Reis was attempting an eDiscovery search of other potentially non-privileged email records related to NRI when he was denied access to the system.

“Just because the Governor’s office said they’ve provided thousands of documents related to the NRI scandal doesn’t mean they’ve provided all of the documents in question,” Reis said. “As a result of this latest denial of access to state records, I will seek, with the help of an eDiscovery forensic expert, to supervise a new search of CMS email records in an effort to review all non-privileged emails related to this scandal.”

“The people of Illinois are demanding an end to the corruption and mismanagement of taxpayer dollars,” Reis added. “NRI was nothing more than a political slush fund. These potentially unreleased emails will help piece together the events and people involved in the roll out of this failed program.”