Senate Republican Lawmakers Seek Independent Audit of DCFS’ Handling of Serious Physical and Sexual Abuse Allegations at State-Funded Children’s Facility
Senate Republican Leader John Curran (R-Downers Grove) and Senate Republican Caucus Whip Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) filed an official resolution calling for an independent audit by the Illinois Auditor General into serious accusations of violence against children under the state’s care at Aunt Martha’s Integrated Care Center in Chicago, as well as what appears to be an attempt by the Pritzker Administration to falsify documents related to investigations.
“Gov. Pritzker’s administration’s failure to protect abused youth in the state’s care from physical and sexual abuse and their attempts to thwart inquiries into the abuse is extremely alarming,” said Curran. “Since the Pritzker Administration refuses to come forward in an accountable and transparent manner, we are moving forward in calling for this audit to provide answers for the child victims, their families, and the people of Illinois.”
A recent Injustice Watch investigative report outlined thousands of accusations of violence, including serious allegations of sexual and physical abuse of children under the care of the state-funded center.
In 2019, Pritzker hired a top executive of Aunt Martha’s, Marc Smith, to serve as the Director of DCFS, despite public questions about conflicts of interest. Smith went on to sign a no-bid contract to A-Alert, a security company that Aunt Martha’s chief operating officer had raised concerns about in August 2023 due to allegations of inappropriate conduct.
Despite these significant concerns and allegations of abuse at the facility, the Pritzker Administration continued to employ the security company that, according to the Comptroller’s Website, has received more than $7.3 million in taxpayer funds since 2022 – at least $6.5 million of which have been paid out after the first complaint was lodged a little over a year ago. The most recent payment was in August of this year.
This spring, WGN reported that Antonio Hopkins, an employee of A-Alert Security was arrested on four counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and is now a fugitive after failing to appear at an August court hearing.
CBS reported that another staffer, Trulon Henry, was charged with three counts of criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, and predatory criminal sexual assault stemming from crimes he allegedly committed while employed at Aunt Martha’s Integrated Care Center this summer. He fled and was apprehended on the east coast in July and sent back to Chicago.
“These are just two examples of the horrific crimes that have been reported at this state-funded center that was supposed to be protecting child victims of abuse,” Tracy said. “These children were already victims of horrific crimes, and instead of providing them with the help they need, the state made them victims all over again.”
When the center was finally shut down by DCFS this June, a long-time DCFS staffer was accused of trying to persuade center officials to backdate critical child protection plans amid an independent investigation by the Office of the Executive Inspector General. When asked about the attempted cover-up, a DCFS spokesperson acknowledged the attempt, saying that the employee “panicked.”
“The Governor’s Office has refused to even comment on the horrific findings of this investigation and as a result, we are stepping up and calling for the Auditor General to conduct an audit of DCFS’ handling of contracts and administration related to Aunt Martha’s and A-Alert Security services,” Curran said.
Leader Curran filed, and Sen. Tracy co-sponsored Senate Resolution 1229, calling for an audit outside of the executive branch to review the abuse, background checks, staff hiring, the backdating of protective plans to determine the extent to which contracts were monitored, whether staff were properly screened and hired, and whether all allegations of abuse and mistreatment were properly investigated.
They are also asking for an examination of the spending of State funds at Aunt Martha’s and A-Alert Security Services Inc; and whether Illinois State officials acted outside of the law regarding the allegations of abuse and oversight.
“These were children who were abused, who had mental health diagnoses, kids who needed help and protection. What were the results? Allegations of sexual abuse, sex trafficking of children, and an admitted attempt at a government cover-up,” Tracy said. “The people of Illinois deserve to know what happened here, and the victims and their families deserve justice. An independent audit will provide us with answers so that we can work to ensure that something like this never happens again.”
The audit resolution will be filed in perfunctory session and the senators say they will continue to push for action during the upcoming Veto Session. “These are kids,” Curran said. “If protecting the most vulnerable children in the state’s care isn’t a top priority then serious changes need to be made at the highest levels.”
Senate Republicans Demand Illinois-Specific Data on Immigrants Convicted or Charged with Serious Crimes
On October 1, Illinois Senate Republicans came together at a press conference to express concerns over recently released federal data that found more than half a million non-citizens with criminal convictions or pending charges are living in the United States. Senator Bennett notes that these alarming statistics showcase the potential threat posed by immigrant criminals to the safety of Illinois residents.
Of the 662,556 with criminal histories on ICE’s national docket, 435,719 are convicted criminals and 226,847 have pending charges. Included in that are more than 13,000 non-citizens convicted of homicide and 15,811 convicted of sexual assault.
Following the conference, Republican lawmakers issued a letter to U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul asking for Illinois-specific data on how many of these individuals reside within the state. Senator Bennett stressed the need for Illinois-specific data, arguing that the available national figures could mask a more pressing issue within the state. Under Governor JB Pritzker, Illinois has gone from allocating a few million dollars per year for non-citizen programs to more than a billion dollars, and the Governor recently raised taxes by nearly a billion dollars to pay for it. Meanwhile, a lack of cooperation between state law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), further complicated by the TRUST Act and other policies implemented under Governor Pritzker, has created significant challenges in ensuring public safety and transparency for Illinois residents. Republican lawmakers remain committed to advocating for transparency regarding the presence of non-citizen criminals in Illinois. Senator Bennett says public safety must be prioritized and that Illinois residents deserve to have their questions answered.
Senate Republicans Honor Veterans
To pay tribute to veterans and honor their legacies and sacrifices, State Senator Bennett is encouraging constituents to submit a photo and story of their loved one who served our nation so it can be displayed in the rotunda of the Illinois Capitol from November 11 to 25 in honor of Veterans Day.
The tribute honors the brave men and women who have served their country, preserving their stories and sacrifices for future generations. Families are asked to submit a photo and written story (max: 250 words) along with the following information: name, military branch (Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, National Guard, Navy) and conflict served (Afghanistan, Iraq, September 11, Gulf War, Vietnam, Korea, WWII, WWI, Peacetime, other). Military photos are preferred but not necessary. Submissions should be emailed to veteransday@sgop.ilga.gov by November 8 to be included in the Veterans Day Display at the Illinois State Capitol. Submissions can also be mailed to Veterans Day Wall, 110 D Statehouse, Springfield, IL 62706. For questions, please call (217) 782-1154.
Did You Know?
Illinois’ fall trout season will kick off October 19 at 60 designated ponds, lakes, and streams across the state. An early catch-and-release season will begin on October 5, but no trout may be kept until the official season opens later this month. The daily limit for trout during the regular season is five.
Anglers planning to participate in either the early catch-and-release or the regular season must have a valid Illinois fishing license and an inland trout stamp. These can be purchased at various Illinois Department of Natural Resources license and permit locations, including bait shops and sporting goods stores, or online. For a full list of 2024 trout fishing locations, click here.
How much do we owe?
As of the time of this writing, the State of Illinois owes $1,490,998,659.29 to state vendors, including 17,947 pending vouchers. This figure represents the amount of bills submitted to the office of the Comptroller and still awaiting payment. It does not include debts that can only be estimated, such as our unfunded pension liability which is subject to a wide range of factors and has been estimated to be more than $139 billion. At the same time last year, the state’s accounts payable stood at a little less than $2 billion.
This Week in the 53rd District
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