Did McKenna Answer Questions of Ethics Panel?

CHICAGO — Jim Ryan’s campaign for Governor has learned that Andy McKenna declined to answer questions posed to him by a party ethics panel that ultimately concluded that he violated the party’s code of ethics by ordering a $28,000 self-serving poll.

That revelation is prompting Ryan and DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett to ask today that the Illinois State Party release the nearly 100 pages of documents underlying the state party ethics inquiry, concluded about a month ago. They believe the documents will confirm McKenna’s lack of cooperation with the investigation.

“If Andy McKenna cannot answer simple questions about his own actions, voters should be very wary of supporting him,” said Ryan.

“Andy wasn’t straight with me about this poll, he hasn’t been straight with voters, and now, apparently, we learn he wasn’t forthcoming to a state party ethics panel,” Birkett said. “Voters need to know who Andy McKenna is before they go to the polls next week.”

Earlier this week, the Springfield-based State Journal Register printed the ethics panel’s four-page findings that said, among other things, that former state party chairman McKenna “compounded one ethical misstep with another” in ordering the poll without consulting or informing the State Central Committee.

Since the Journal Register story, McKenna has ducked two major Chicago debates and refuses to answer questions about the scandal.