MURPHYSBORO, Ill. (WSIL) -- A report from the Illinois Auditor General found numerous errors in the distribution of federal pandemic assistance funds from the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
In the 2020 fiscal year , IDES funneled nearly $155 million to potentially ineligible claimants from May 11 to June 30, 2020. Thousands of people who received money were younger than 13, deceased or non-existent.
"This isn't the end of this. This was just the beginning," state Sen. Terri Bryant said.
Bryant (R-IL-58th Dist.) says the findings were shocking enough. But what's more shocking, Bryant says, were IDES employees who reached out to her anonymously last year.
"They were concerned that all of this money was going out the door and nothing was being verified," Bryant said.
The report found IDES sent $41,697,272 to 4,579 claimants whose identities were not verified. 164 claimants 'between ages of birth to 13 years of age' received $1,500,309 and 35 deceased claimants who received $343,670.
Bryant joined other Senate Republicans calling for a full audit of IDES. She hopes more Democrats will speak up and hold Gov. JB Pritzker accountable.
"The Democrats are quietly speaking out," Bryant said. "This is not Rauner issues. This is Pritzker issues."
