Illinois Governor JB Pritzker asked for the resignation of his Agriculture Director, John Sullivan, after learning from investigators that Sullivan knew about an alleged rape cover-up and never reported it, according to a spokesperson for the governor. John Sullivan’s resignation was accepted over the weekend. Pritzker’s spokesperson, Emily Bittner, said the Governor’s general counsel discovered the link, and shared all the information she learned from Sullivan with the Office of the Executive Inspector General, and offered to share that information with all law enforcement agencies looking into the situation. Bittner said the Governor requested Sullivan’s resignation because the then- state senator Sullivan became aware of the 2012 email that was reportedly sent to the then-Governor Pat Quinn administration in 2012, asking for a political favor for state employee and Quincy resident, Forrest Ashby, and Sullivan did not handle it appropriately. Ashby allegedly helped cover up a rape in Champaign and ghost payrolling.
Prior to being sworn in, JB Pritzker announced in December of 2018 that Sullivan from Rushville would serve as Agriculture Director for his upcoming administration. Sullivan served as state senator of the 47th district from 2003 to 2016 and as chair of the Senate’s Agriculture and Conservation committee.
