Quinn, Rauner Campaigns Step Up Attacks
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Quinn and Rauner campaigns were trading fire Tuesday as the race for governor intensifies with six weeks until Election Day.
WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports, in his latest TV ad, Republican challenger Bruce Rauner slammed Gov. Pat Quinn for a prisoner early release program that also was an issue in the last governor's race four years ago.
Rauner kept up the attack at a campaign event on the West Side.
"He has let out violent criminals early, and they have gone on to commit horrible crimes against the families of our state," Rauner said.
Paul Vallas, Quinn's running mate, said Rauner's really grasping with the latest ad. He said the issue was resolved in 2010.
"I mean, they've got to go back to 2010 to deal with an issue that I think was aggressively dealt with, and blame the governor for someone who was released, as if the governor made that early release decision. It's just ludicrous. It's just a sign of their desperation," he said.
Meantime, Vallas said Rauner should explain why he has been dodging responsibility for abuses at nursing homes one of his companies owned and controlled.
"You have abuse and neglect at nursing homes resulting in just terrible treatment. You have the candidate being untruthful when he said he was not involved," Vallas said.
In Florida, a federal trial is underway on claims that Rauner's GTCR private equity firm took part in a scheme to avoid liability for a series of patient deaths at nursing homes run by a company it owned. Rauner insisted he was not involved in any wrongdoing in the case.
"I personally believe the courts will find there was no wrongdoing by anyone, and … these are a distraction. That's what I believe will be found," Rauner said.