Gov. Bruce Rauner has laid off 29 Illinois Department of Transportation employees who were among those improperly hired based on political connections.
The Republican says he issued notices to the so-called "staff assistants" hired by skirting personnel rules under two previous Democratic governors. They were told their last day is Sept. 15.
Hundreds of people were hired into the position starting in 2003. The state's inspector general found in 2014 that the politically connected hires should have been put into their positions based on merit.
Last summer a court appointed expert found IDOT filled positions by creating jobs for specific people, rather than follow the required blind hiring process.
