Illinois Republican Party Accuse Mendoza Of Improper Spending Of Funds
CHICAGO (CBS) – The chairman of the Illinois Republican Party accuses Democrat Susana Mendoza of putting herself first amid the state's fiscal crisis.
Tim Schneider calls it "outrageous" the comptroller spent $32,000 in taxpayer funds on an SUV for her office when the Democrat had previously said she would prioritize social service agencies during the impasse. WBBM's Nancy Harty reports.
Mendoza estimates the state has more than $11-billion in unpaid bills.
Schneider said the comptroller's fleet was good enough for her Republican predecessor.
A spokesman for Mendoza said they've downsized the office fleet to eight vehicles and bought the used 2016 SUV after another vehicle was refused for a trade-in and will be junked.
Abdon Pallasch said a different vehicle, a 1998 Ford Cargo van, carries a warning not to take it on the expressway.
He accuses republicans of using this to divert attention away from the budget impasse.
Pallasch asks "where is the state GOP's outrage about the governor failing for the third year in a row to fulfill his constitutional duty to propose a balanced budget?"
