Pritzker reappoints IEMA Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau, but senators want more reform after payroll controversy

Amid heightened scrutiny over Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s appointments to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, the reappointment of Illinois Emergency Management Agency Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau is also raising eyebrows by senators who say they want more answers from the agency head over a payroll scandal that cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Tate-Nadeau, appointed by Pritzker in 2019 to lead the state agency that oversees disasters and crises like the pandemic and the influx of migrants, came under fire last year after the Sun-Times reported an executive assistant accounted for $240,761.30 in billings — double the salary of her boss between February and August 2023. Her total billings to the state emergency agency in other contracting roles through August 2023 topped $1.03 million.

Amy Gentry and the state official who approved paying Gentry were two of four staffers ousted last year for what state leaders said was “personal reasons.”

Tate-Nadeau’s nomination was pulled on March 22, then resubmitted the same day to restart a required 60 legislative-session day clock — the general requirement for governor appointees.

Tate-Nadeau’s nomination was recommended for a full Senate vote after an Illinois Senate Executive Appointments Committee hearing on March 13, but with her nomination pulled and resubmitted, she will be required to appear before the committee again. Governor appointments must be confirmed by the Illinois Senate.

At the hearing, Tate-Nadeau answered questions about the scandal, telling the six-member committee that the employee in question was a contractor filling in while her executive assistant was on maternity leave. She said the employee also worked on various projects related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“No one was forced out,” Tate-Nadeau said. “There’s one standard within my organization. Everyone is held to the same standard, and in this case, it was seen that these individuals needed to depart. They made that decision to depart the agency.”

Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, asked Tate-Nadeau whether IEMA has conducted a complete review of payroll compensation, focusing on fraud and inefficiencies. Tate-Nadeau said she now holds bi-weekly meetings about contractor pay — and limits the amount of hours worked. Anything over 45 hours must now get approval from a deputy director.

“I’m trying to be sensitive here because I know some of this is personnel related,” Plummer said. “But considering the quantity of dollars that we’re talking about here, taxpayer dollars, are you aware of, or do you anticipate, further investigation of these people and/or a referral to any law enforcement agencies?”

“Not at this time, sir,” Tate-Nadeau said.

“Really?” Plummer replied. “Yes, sir,” Tate-Nadeau said.

Committee chair state Sen. Laura Murphy, D-Des Plaines, asked whether her personnel policies include prosecution when theft is detected. Tate-Nadeau said they didn’t.

“So that’s a concerning statement,” Murphy said. “And I would ask the committee that we will continue to review that.”

The committee still gave Tate-Nadeau’s nomination a green light. Murphy, however, told Tate-Nadeau: “Director, we need to have discussions before this is heard before the full body.”

Murphy this week said Tate-Nadeau gave “limited answers because she cannot comment on active investigations.” But she noted allegations surrounding Gentry’s actions are currently under investigation by the Office of the Inspector General, and that the original appointment did clear the committee.

Plummer called Pritzker’s resubmittal of Tate-Nadeau’s nomination “a manipulation of the system.” He said he believes there should be further punishment for the loss of taxpayer money.

“I don’t lay any of those things necessarily on the foot of one state employee, but sometimes they are the people that are there, and we have to ask questions to get to the bottom of why things are broken. And I think this payroll situation at IEMA, and the amount of money that an outside company received was egregious,” Plummer said. “It was problematic, and clearly as the director stated in her comments to the committee, reforms have been put in place. And that’s good. That’s progress. But I don’t think people should just be let off the hook.”

Asked about concerns over the director’s nomination, John Patterson, spokesman for Illinois Senate President Don Harmon said her nomination “will get a thorough review.”

The governor’s office signaled support for Tate-Nadeau, who also serves as the state’s homeland security director.

“During the course of her career, Director Tate-Nadeau has served the state of Illinois well and it is our expectation that she will continue to carry out her duties as IEMA director,” Pritzker spokesman Alex Gough said.

Contributing: Lauren FitzPatrick