When the Illinois Department of Human Services of the Inspector General put together its report on the deadly coronavirus outbreak at the LaSalle veterans home, it didn’t hear from the home’s former director. Angela Mehlbrech was eventually fired and is described in the report as being hands off.
Acting Inspector General Peter Neumer says former Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs Director Linda Chapa LaVia didn’t talk to the inspectors either. She wanted written questions in advance and Neumer’s office didn’t want to conduct an interview that way.
When Neumer talked about the investigation Tuesday with the Illinois House Veterans Affairs Committee, Morris Republican St. Rep. David Welter wanted to know how much influence Gov. Pritzker had over the 48-page report that came out almost two weeks ago on the outbreak. Neumer denied being influenced.
Neumer said his office had full latitude to go wherever the investigators thought they should. They asked for documentation and interviews from the LaSalle veterans home and the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs. They didn’t go to Gov. Pritzker’s office for any.
The governor is supposed to send people to another hearing on Thursday.