October is looking rough for embattled Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn as two corruption investigations slated for that month could derail his campaign so close to election day.
There's the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative probe by the Legislative Audit Commission that re-opens Oct. 8 so as not to overlap with a federal investigation into Quinn's botched anti-violence program.
On top of that, news comes that a Quinn-targeted lawsuit from clout-busting attorney-activist Michael Shakman will head to court Oct. 22, just two weeks before the ballot box opens Nov. 4 and voters decide whether to keep Quinn in office or install his Republican rival Bruce Rauner.
Shakman has requested to probe allegedly improper hiring practices inside the Department of Transportation and recruit a watchdog to keep an eye on anything illegal at every state agency. Quinn, a Chicago Democrat, has said the lawyer's efforts undermine his "concrete and meaningful steps" to clean up patronage hiring left over from previous state leaders including disgraced ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Noting the pile-up of PR disasters, Capitol Fax's Rich Miller ponders: "Is Quinn’s much-vaunted luck finally running out?"
Bad timing is an understatement.
