Former Quinn Chief of Staff Jack Lavin testifies in anti-violence program probe

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Email exchanges from a former aide of Gov. Pat Quinn were factoring into testimony Thursday at a legislative hearing investigating a state anti-violence program that is under scrutiny for mismanagement.

It was all about the violence - that is what former Quinn Chief of Staff Jack Lavin repeatedly told the bipartisan legislative audit commission. Republican lawmakers grilled Lavin about the motive behind creating the anti-violence program, the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative (NRI).

"This was all about getting people to the polls on November? That is incorrect," said Rep. Ron Sandack, a republican from Downers Grove.

NRI was a $50 million program announced by Quinn one month before the 2010 election. He was in a tight race against State Sen. Bill Brady. Republicans say emails between Lavin and other Quinn staffers are proof that politics played a role in the program.

In an effort to energize African American voters, Lavin wrote in an email from his home computer that "the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative will help with jobs and anti-violence messages."

Lavin says the email was about educating campaign staffers about the governor's accomplishments.

"Campaigns are about messaging and educating various constituencies about the incumbent," Lavin said.

Lavin and others say NRI was developed after a violent summer in Chicago.

"There was a violence epidemic in the city of Chicago, we wanted to get this program up and running up and soon as possible," Lavin said.

But a harsh audit found the program was hastily developed, mismanaged and wasted millions of taxpayer dollars. Lavin admitted that mistakes were made, but the program helped thousands of people.

Quinn's current opponent Bruce Rauner uses the word "corruption" when talking about the NRI probe.

"Is this corruption? No, I don't think so, it is gross mismanagement and incompetence," Sandack said.

NRI has since been eliminated by Quinn. Lawmakers are hoping future programs will have more accountability.

In the meantime, Father Michael Pfleger has weighed in on the issue. He called the NRI probe by the audit commission a witch hunt. Pfleger says the commission itself is using the program for political gain.