South Central Reporter

State Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) is demanding a full audit of the state’s unemployment system to gauge how much damage she feels Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s faulty management style has brought.

"Under the failed leadership of Gov. Pritzker, the unemployment benefit system, which is designed to help Illinoisans in need, has now turned countless citizens into victims," Bryant posted on Facebook.

Bryant's demands come after the Illinois Auditor General released a report earlier this summer that  called for a full examination of the system under Pritzker. Among other concerns, the report pointed to what it saw as the administration’s failures when it comes to the regarding Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Program.

“This report shows that fraud and identity theft were allowed to run rampant while Governor Pritzker dragged his feet, and this is just the beginning of what we’re uncovering,” Bryant said.

The report also detailed instances where the governor’s office failed to validate the identities of nearly 5,000 claimants before shelling out at least $41,697, 272 to them and paying out benefits to dozens of deceased individuals.

“For months, I’ve joined with my Republican colleagues to voice our concerns with IDES’s continued closures and the inability of the agency to address the numerous claims of fraud and identity theft,” Bryant said. “Despite being ignored by the Administration, it’s clear from this audit that our calls for action were justified.”

As far back as April 2020, the federal government recommended that the state institute more fraud-prevention tools, but Bryant said the Pritzker administration never took action.

“Measures could have been put in place to help protect the citizens of this state, but Governor Pritzker refused to act,” Bryant said. “No more excuses. We need to gauge the full extent of the state’s mismanagement.”

Earlier this year, Bryant also sponsored legislation calling on the Auditor General to conduct a full audit of IDES. Senate Bill 113 would also mean a full audit for the unemployment benefits system.